The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-29

something with which to dig. The
branch of tree, half-buried in 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 l could only git a few-only five
or sixr' she murmured. as drowsy
feeling came over her; "but I'm so
tired and sleepy l can't try any more
now" and down she sank beside the
fallen branch and fell into sleep from
which she never would have awakened
had not sleigh, full of merry boys out
making Newly ears calls, come dash
ing along that way.
..Hello!' shouted the boy that was
driving. "What's that came near
running over P" and he 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 Hannah's by dinner time. just
think of the mince-pie and doughnuts
awaiting there, and start along your
fiery steed. "
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 EXPLANATIONS of pity
and wonder, soon had her wrerred
snugly in N aal,.erHoe 81 her
way to max al.t. nncS q 'eto5 call
on Farmer joy bis good rad
pretty dal rbto
ssfiere' oay sre here u,r
joyfully cCaG .ho prett uan,h as
the sleigh stopped at &c and e~-
ming to the door, she o"Iivu OUT cheeri-
ly, "Happy New Year!" while her
mother smiled the wish over her Shout
der.
''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 outright 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 stoop and placed his astonished
burden before his equally astonished
aunt and cousin.
81 couldn't git 'em-I couldn't git
EN-" were the first words Sable said.
Couldn't get what, dear?" asked
kind Aunt Hannah, as 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 herhead buzzed so strangely.
But two hours later, when warm from
head to foot, and dressed in some COM
Portable garments that the pretty
daughter had outgrown, and after q
dinner, the like of which she had never
even dreamed of, she told her simple
story.
anu WHCll IL Cdlllc W tu C1u, CliCIlJ
went out into the hall, making a sign
to his comrades to follow, which they
did Immediately, for they were all true
to the General" as they called him.
81 say, boys" said he, ''let's make
up good New Years present for her
she hadn't any Christmas, poor little
thinS-and take her home. We. can
make New Years call on Tony and
Granny at the same time, and be back
plenty early enough for Cousin Dora s
party, too"
"All right, General" chimed in Ned
Morningstar; land we'll get Aunt Han
nah to give us Il jar of her preserved
Strawberries, and they'll bring the
young chap around; that is, if Straw
berries can do that same They aren't
wild, but I'm wild after them.''
I'm with you," said Austin Howell.
"She's 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 point
blank to bake more than fifteen buck
wheats for me because l was late at
breakfast.
"a most unsisterly, not to say shame
full, proceeding" said Ned Morning
star, with mock Indignation. "But
come, we must straight to our aunt and
cousin our plans unfold. 1empus
fugH."
You may be sure Aunt Hannah and
Cousin Dora heartily approved of the
plans when they were unfolded. And
they showed their appreciation by pack
ing into q bushel basket-an honest
and true bushel basket-as their share
OF the New Year gifts, loaf of home
made bread, half boiled ham, roast
chicken, bowl of butter, tin pail of
fresh eggs, q paper bag filled with
doughnuts, and some potatoes, onions,
turnips, tea and sugar, not forgetting
tho jars of preserved strawberries.
And Matt, the hired man, brought
out the two-horse sleigh, and puttingt
the heavy basket in first, got in him
self, took the reins and waited for the
others. Sable, wrapped in a blanket,
which she was to keep, was placed in
the bottom of the sleigh beside the
basket.
"She'll be warmer there than any,
where else," said Aunt Hannah.
Then the boys tumbled in. and the
horses pranced, and the bells iingled,