Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-12-24
Christmas on the North Fork.

Vie uIluRc over IDo NOlIH L VI n IL " as
frame building, and had never been
pair ted, but it was as big as any of the
houses that the people around there lived
in. 1t was all ia one room, with benches
every where, and there was platform a
foot high at one end and table on it.
There never had been much of Christ
mas along the North Fork. but now that
the country was settling up so fast, peo+
pie were thinking of Improvements all
the while. What was needed was win
ter of the right sort. and there came one
when the sleighirg was So good and the
skating on the North Fork was so alto
gether uncommon. that you could almost
see Christmas coming,
Nobody knew exactly what to do about
it until Miss Arabella Hopkins, the
school-ma'am, decided that there must
be Christmas in the school house. She
was apt to decide things for the people
who lived along the North Fork, for her
felix's were old settlers, and all the chill
dren believed that she knew more than
any body else in the world, and they said
so at home.
Miss Hopkins had been dreadfully puz-
Zled up to the morning when she asked
Peddy Nudge,
Wouldn't you like a Christmas
Peddy looked across the road at su
mac bush with red bobs on it, and an
swered her very soberly:
'Yes'm. But he couldn't get around to
everybody. It's too far apart
You think the people are scattered too
much for: Santa Claus to find all of
them?'
'Yes'm. Our house is on the river
road. He'd find US, but he'd miss most
of the new comers.'
But if all the children should come to
the school house?'
'Yes'm. I'd come and bring my din
ner'
That's just what we must do then, and
we'll have a Christmas tree.
'Yes'm. He'd better have a tree, for
there isn't any chimbly but the stove
pipe
Peddy was only nine years old, but
she had notions of her own, and she had
friends. for before Miss Hopkins had
finished her dinner that day she was told
that Joe Heidelberg wished to speak
with ber.
What is it, Joe?' she asked.
Christmas tree, ma'am. Peddy Nudge
told me. Cedar. Way down the river.
Do you want big one?'
Not to big to set it up on the platform
at the school house.
That's the one, Miss Hopkins. l shot
a rabbit under it yesterday morning. 1
know just where it is.
If you will get it for me- But then
l must see the people about it.
They've all been told, Miss Hopkins.
All the boys were down on the ice when
Peddy Nudge came. L told Mr.. Crump,
and he said he'd go to town right away
tomorrow for some candy
Mr.. Crump kept the store on the other
side of the bridge. He did go to town,
and he came back with sleigh load of
all sorts, and his wife told him it was
just like him.
That was two weeks before Christmas
and Mr.. Crump felt worse and worse
every day that came. Everybody for
miles up and down the North Fork and
out On the prairie eame and visited his
store, and looked at the pretty things,
and bought a little candy, and went
home. Poor Mr.. Crump did his best to
help Miss Hopkins and the children talk
Christmas, but all the older people said {:
There isn't any ready money going
nowadays, and so long as there's to be a
Christmas at the school house, that will
have to do
That was what was the matter, and it
kept right on until Mrs. Crump told her
husband for the twenty>seventh time,
Il just do wish there hadn't been any
Christmas
Joe Heidelberg went down to see his
tree almost every other day, and he kill
ed more than dozen rabbits going and
coming. He talked about it in his sleep,
and sometimes while he was awake, and
people generally knew that he had tree
picked out, and that he meant to cut it
down three days before Christmas.
He had to go past Peddy Mudge's
house every time he went, and that was
the reason why she was in the road,
close BY where he was chopping, in the
middle of the forenoon. She knew it
was the day, and was watching for him
until he came along. He was all ready
for the tree, for he had two sleds, one
tied on behind the other, to carry it back
to the school house. Peddy caught up
with him before he got to the tree, and
when she saw it she walked all around
it with the snow almost up to her knees.
It's real good tree she said, and I'm
glad it's close to the road
Som l. said Joe.
And there's no fence for you and me
to lift it over; but I'll help you drag it
home after we've cut 1t down.
Its Christmas all over said Joe.
There's sleigh with bells on it com
ing up the road
Somebody's going to town
None of our folks. Nobody on this
timber has any BELLS
The bells came merrily up the road
until handsome cutter, drawn by two
splendid bay horses, pulled up within
ond oix ;,oAo, - DolI-