The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-12-24

ing no cry, shedding no tears and threw
herself into q chair before the fire.
Mrs. Bell SO found her when she came
in few moments later and her own
shrek for help failed to rouse her
daughter. Inconsciousness is bless
ing Oftcntimes and 50 it proved now.
With the return of consciousness
came memory. mamma, the schoon-
or was the Merry Bell, and all aboard
dead, frozen. He was to come on it! o,
what shall do?' The blessed tears
came nov and caused the shrewd doc
tor to nod his head wisely and whisper
to Mrs. Bell, '.Shc'll be alright now,'
and quietly made his exit When in
his buggy he confiicd TO it or his horse,
..Humph! AlOyer ut the bottom Of this:
young Culbcrtson, too, suppose: he
is part owner Of the schooner. Good
fellow: sorry if he is gone; miserable
wayof dying, too; and that pretty girl!
Well we'll! Get up, there. Dolly; what
are yon abont?' Then the good doc
tor logged on to another patient and
forgot all about it.
That morning, soon artcr breakfast,
lit tie Jack Bell. an ubiquitous
yonngster that would some day make
his fortune rs reporter for Chicago
daily, ran in briskly. skates in hand.
nose and cheeks red with cold and
absolutely bulging with news:
ssSay, Sis, schooner out there stuck
in the ice; men sticking to the masts.
Folks say it's the Merry Bell and, by
George, Sis, shouldn't wonder if Mr..
culbertson was one of 'em. Hope he
ain't, though. for he promised me a
new sled if l would say nothing about
the day caught him kissing YOU.
jack sternly intcrposed his moth
er's voice
Where is it, Jack; quick, tell me?''
said Rose in voice Of trembling anx-
iety.
''Out there; from behind Dick Matt
lands house you can see her.
Then she had skipped away to see
the schooner and hear from others
what ground there was for her fears.
All day she moancd and grieved and
would not be comforted, for handsome
Fred Culbertson was her promised hus-
band, and she had given all her heart
into his keeping. When he bade her
goodbye few weeks before he had
called back at the last, III be home
for Christmas. He was part owner of
1.-The Merry Bell" and had intended
coming back on this her last trip for
the season.
The cold continued to increase. The
sky wore dull, leadcn loOk-nature it
self seemed dead. Rose lay looking out,
and thought Of other hearts saddened
as hers was; other homes where the light
had gone out and made them dreary
and dark.
Mrs. Bell remained during the night
with her daughter, petting, soothing.
and comforting, and as the slccpless
hours wore away mother and daughter
grew nearer together than they had
| ever been before. Mrs. Bell talked Of
the early days of her married life; then
Of the day when her husband had left
her bright and we'll in the morning, and
at evening had been brought to her
still and dead. Rose realized as she
had never done before what her mother
had suffered. .'Poor mamma, how sad
and lonely you have been. she muir
INJURED as She dropped into tired sleep.
The next day was Thursday, the day
before Christmas. Rose opened her
eyes to find the maid setting her break
fast on table at her bedside.
Look, look, Miss Rose. see on the
window. Sure it's the cars intircly.
Sure it's tho witches. it is. and Miss
Rose, dear, sure It's good luck it'll
bring. Mr.. Culbertson II COON vet, or
| we'll know it,
Frightened by the girls words and
forgetting to be offended at the freely
expressed opinion, Rose jumped up to
see the wonder of frost work. ..Surc
enough, it's vcritable train, locomo-
tive and all. How strange!''
Il don't know what kind that is.
Miss Rose, but it's cars, it is"
Get my wrapper. Ann, and bring
my breakfast to the fire, I'll get up. =
said Rose, chccrcd she scarcely knew
why.
| ''Will your ma have the tree, Miss
Rose. It's the childers is on their heads
about it,
Il forgot it," answered Rose, her
face clonding. .Ask mamma TO come
up as soon as she is through her break
fast
Its been over this hour! Ill go
tell her; r. and shall bring up some
mo, just tell mammal
s'And here she is herself answered
Ann, as she opened the door. and Mrs.
Bell came in.
up Rosc?'
"Yes, and oh. mamma, look at the
window, Ann says it is good luck
Il hope it is, am sure, it is certain
" 4 strange freak of Jack Frost.
have telegram from Mr.. Culbertson,
Rose. He got of at Milwaukee, and is
well aud SAFE"
Then a hearty cry came to wash
away the last remnants Of pent-up sor-
row and Rose was soon bright and hap
py and busy talking of the evening and
the promised tree. So surrounded by
love and happiness that she forgot the
homes which death had darkcned, or
where grim want stared at the empty
hearth, where Christmas was the sad
dest day of all the year; forgot every
thing but happiness.
Christmas Eve great party of chill
dren and older people almost as bright
as the children were gathered in Mrs.
Bells front parlor. Presently the gas
was lowered and the sliding-doors
drawn back, displaying scene Of fairy
like beauty. AT the farther end Of the
room was a tree lit with tapers and
laden with things Of beauty and in the
background of green's and flowers
We're scattered the things too large for
the tree. among them Jacks sled.
How the childran Scrnamad whom old