The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-01-18


! and lovely flowers on every side. Now there
/ was nothing to be seen but snow-snOw-snOw.
/ The ground was covered with Il, the trees
and bushes were laden with it. Poor Sable.
! she had thought that the snow came only in
| the city-that the country was always bright
and green.
u wonder if them'U be under the snow?"
/ she said to herself An me with no shovel
I to dig em cut! But III try to scoop out a few
with me hans anyhow"
| In moment or two more the conductor
/ called "AppleyilLC."
That's your place, little girl" said the
/ man who sat next TO her and getting up III
haste, she stumbled through the car and out on
/ the platform, from which a brakeman lifted
/ her down and placed her on the steps OF the
/ station. Sable climbed these steps as the train
! few away, and when she bad reached the top one
7 there lay the broad road they had travelled
/ that June day before her. But it, like all the
/ other roads, was covered with snow, with the
/ exception of a narrow pathway made by snow
/ plough on one side But Sadies stout little
! heart would not give up. Poor Tony she
/ said, and began pIodding along the pathway.
| 1t grew colder and colder; her ears and feet
! ached, her hands were numb; butstiil she toilcd
on. They wuz by the end OF the street, she
SAID, and her breath frOZe on the Giras she spoke
Maybe there's few left. If there be, III git
/ EN- somehow" And on and on she trudged,
/ with oil the patience and endurance born Of
/ love, until the wood was reached.
/ But, alas the spot where the strawberries
/ had grown was one vast heap OF snow
Then, for the first time since she started on
her quest, Sabie'S heart began to sink It
would do no good to Scoop there with her
/ hands. Dcspairingly she looked about her for
something with which to dig The branch of
q tree, halt buried III the snow, lay across the
path. she tried to pull it from its resting
place, but her hands were so cold it slipped
/ from her grasp
IF [ could only git q few-only five or ski"
she murmugcd, as droWsy feeling came over
her; " but I'm so tired an sleepy l can't try
any more now and down she sank beside
the fallen branch, and fell into a sleep from
which she never would have awakened had
DOt . sleigh, full of merry boys out making
NcW-Iears calls, come dashing along that
way.
"HeIo." shouted the boy that was driving.
"What's that l came near running over!" and
ne stopped the horse suddenly.
a bundle of old clothes, l guess" said one
/ of his companions. Drive on, Sherry, do
please. We want to get to Aunt Hannahs by
Gnuer-time. Just think of the mince-pie and
dougbnuts awaiting there, and start along
your fiery stecd."
But Sherry jumped out instead of driving
on. Look here, boys" said he, bending over
Sable, Its a poor little girl, almost if not
quite frozen to death" And raising her in
his arms he carried her to the sleigh, where
the boys, with many e4CiamatiOns OF pity and
wonder, soon had her wrapped snugly in the
buffalo robe, and on her way 80 make totally
. unexpected call on Farmer JOY, his good wife,
and pretty daughter.
Here they are! here they are!" ioyfuIly
cried the pretty daughter as the sleigh stopped
at the gate, and running to the door, she called
out cheerily, Happy New-Ycar!" while her
mother smiled the wish over her shoulder.
Happy NeW-Year, Aunt Hannah and
Cousin Dora!" shouted the boys in answering
chorus.
And we've brought you caller we picked
up on the road added Sherry, laughing out
right in his JOY as he peeped into the buffalo
robe and saw that Sable had Enclosed her eyes,
and wasn't anything like frozen to death after
all
And then he lifted her out, and with Ned
MOrningstar bearing part of the bufalo-robe
as pages in olden times used to carry the trains
OF the great ladies, he staggered up the path
and up the sto0p, and placed his astonished
burden before his equally astonished aunt and
cousin
Il couldn't git 'em-I couldn't git 'e1n,"
were the first words Sable said.
Couldn't get what dear?" asked kind Aunt
Hannah, rs she placed her on the dining-room
sofa, and pulled OFF the old shoes to rub the icy
feet
Sable was unable to tell just then; she was
so full OF tingling aches and pains, and her
head buZZed SO strangely
But two hours later, when warm from head
to foot and dressed in some comfortable gar
meRts that the pretty daughter had outgrown,
and after dinner the like of which she had
never even dreamed of, she told her simple
story.
And when it came to an end, Sherry went
out into the hall, making q sign to his COM
rades to follow, which they did Immediately.
Il 4
called him.
"Isay, boys" said he let's make up good
New-N ears present for heC-she hadn't any
Christmas. poor little thing-and take her
home. We can make a New-Year's call on
Tony and Granny st the same time, and be
back plenty early enough for cousin Doras
party too"
"AIl right. General" chimed in Ned Morn
ingstar; and we'll get Aunt Hannah to give
us a jar OF her preserved strawberries, and
they'll bring the young chap around; that is,
if Strawberries can do that same They aren't
wild, but I'm wild otter them"
Pm with YOU said Austin Hovel. "She's
a real good sort, she is. Why one of our sisters
couldn't have done more for u.s.
Mine wouldn't do half as much for me-"
declared Sherry. why, it was only this
morning she refused pOinU-bank to bake more
than fifteen buckWheatS for me because | was
late at breakfast
"A most ulSlSteriV, not 10 say shameful,
proceeding said Ned Morningstlr with mock
Indignation. But come we must straight to
our aunt and cousin our plans untold. IsRDus
ytHgit."
You may he sure Aunt Hannah and Cousin
Dora heartily approved of the plans when they
were Untoided. And they showed their apprO-
baton by packing into a bushel basket-an
honest and true bushcl ba5ket-aS their share
OF the Ncw-Year's gifts, a loaf of homemade
bread, half a boiled ham, a roast chicken,
bowl of butter, a tin pail of fresh eggs, a paper
bag filled with dOughnuts, and some potatoes,
onions, turnips, tea and sugar, not forgetting
tr0 jars of preserved Strawberries.
And Matt, the hired man, brought ont the
two-horse sleigh, and putting the heavy basket
in first, got in himself, took tho rcins, and
waited for the others. Sable, wrapped in
blanket, which she was to keep, was placed in
the bottom of the sleigh beside the basket
She II bo warmer there than anywhere else,"
said Aunt Hannah"
Then the boys tumbled in, and the horses
pranced, and the bells jinged, and away they
went, to stop i'll just one hour and three quar-
ters in front of the tall tenement-house the
Embarrassment of which Sable called home"
And didn't the turnout cause q great ox-
citemeut among the people in that neighbor-
hood Such thing had never been seen
there beforehand the windows on each side of
the block were filed with curious taces-laces
that showed every stage of astonishment rs
Sable was lifted from tho Sleigh and the six
fine, manipulating boys followed her to call
on Granny.
II IL