The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-12-24

"Where is the baby, Mose?" mother
asked again.
Never touched the bread-tray-oh,
goody! goody!"
II thought until this morning that
the boy had some feeling, if he had no
sense" said /, rather hOtly. "Oh, il
the Indians had only taken him in,
stead Of Mehitable!'
Over Moses terrified face there crept
a look OF unutterable grief, and Eph
looked at father with a world Of re.
proof in his dear, brave eyes, as he
rushed over to his weak-minded broth
er and put his arms about him.
Poor little Nose! dear fellow Tell
us all about Mehitable. Where is the
darling that we alllove-that you love
so much? Where is she, dear little
Mose?" Eph asked, tenderly. Tell
me, please do" he begged, still with
his arms around Nose.
to his feet. "They never touched the
bread tray-never ever looked at it;
oh, goody! goody! Eph, get the bread
tray. Mehitable is i'll it,"
A minute later the bread tray was
at mothers feet. In it g. little head
nestled on it's pillow. and alittle hand
rubbed a sleepy face, and then two
blue eyes opened and a rosy mouth
smiled up into our longing, loving, re,
lieved faces. Mother caught her
up in a transport of Joy, kissed
her rapturously and then passed
her to father. She then took Nose in
her arms, kissed him over and over,
laughing and crying over him until he
smiled-not the old tiresome, stereo-
typed smile either, but one with intel.
ligence in it.
OF course you want to know how
Mehitable ever got into the bread.
tray; poor, dear Nose told us br0kenly,
but with great ~earnestness. The baby
had been crying pitlfully, although he
had walked with her until ready to
drop with fatigue. Going outside the
door & minute, to see If mother and
father were coming, ne had heard an
Indian war-whoop. He was terrible
frightened, but soon recalled what
mother had told him about God al
ways watching His children and list
ening to their prayers. He prayed
then as he a in and barred thd
door, and God must have answered
his prayer, giving him some Wise
thoughts.
First, he gave the baby some quietina
drops-as he had seen mother do at
certain necessary times. Then he
walked around with her until she was
asleep, praying to know where to hide
her safely should the Indians come.
He thought of the empty bread-tray;
and, though it was SO heavy that it
required great effort to lift it up to
the top cupboard shelf, he finally put
it there, fixed it soft and nice inside,
and laid the baby in it.
"Then," said Nose, ri thought oil
that verse mother taught me, God is
cause I'm a poor little know-nothing
boy, and somehow, some one-it
must have been God-whispered, Fix
up the victuals your mothers
been baking for Christmas and
unbar the door and hide somewhere;
then if the savages come, they'll
think the folks is gone and they'll car
ry off all the good things and won't
touch Mehitable.' So | put all the
loaves of bread on an undershelf. and
the pies above them and the chickens
above them. Myl what a show they
did make; and then / heard q We ling
not far off, and / hid in the old hair
trunk that has the big hole in it. ]
wasn't q minute too quick. Was ]
white as snow? Was / stiff as mar.
lle? / thought SO when those shrek.
ing, horrible Indians, three of them,
came bounding in the door. They
had knives and tomahawks and bran
dished them wildly, but all of a sud.
den one of them said with q grunt.
Fam all gone Then another said,
spying the good things Kis'mas dinner,
Kis'mas dinner, hi hi and they filled
a bag full to the brim with our Christ.
mas provisions. Then they went out
and made a great noise around the
house, and by-and-by all was still.
| smelled smoke and crept out of tht
trunk. / knew Mehitable was safe
cause ! had seen through the hole o
the trunk that no one disturbed her
so / opened the door softly and crept
out. There wasn't an Indian in sight
but the cabin had been fired and tn,
flames were slowly setting fire to th,
lower logs. | put'em out, though,
put'em out" cried Nose, delightedly
Our Christmas dinner was only some
fried bacon and roasted potatoes will
hos pancakes and baked apples, bu'
therich sauce Of Joy and gratitude tina
went with it made it a delicious ban
quet.