The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-02-12
MY DAY.

how long Is InaO Oh mOSU people, L
wonder? Some perhaps can number
the full six hundred and thirteen
thousand six hundred and eight hours
of the allotted threescore years and
ten, while others outlast the pre-
Adamic day of thegeologist, and cover
all eternity. But mine was just the
ordinary daylight one, the shortest OF
the year, too, for it was the 21st Of
December.
And ever short as it was, I had al
ready wasted some hours of it. Had
Thought it would have set so soon, /
might have been up at it's dawning,
though usually | hold, with Lever, that
the sun looks best-as every one else
does-when he's up and dressed forthe
day, and that it's a piece of imperti-
nent curiosity to peep at him when
rubbed the clouds out o. his eyes, or
you dared not look at him. But when
ones sun shines such a little while as
mine, might not one be pardoned for
rushing to the levee at an unfashion-
able hour.
Yet it was noon before I was out in
the bright glow, trudging down the
lane with yesterdays fall of snow
crisping under my feet, and last nights
sleet clashing overhead, as the wind
caught at the struggling, overgrown
hedge-row boughs, and sent them ring.
ing together, with such an icy jewelled
fash and splendor of green and gold
and red and blue as summer, with all
her wealth of leaves and blossoms,
could not rival. The very splendor
promised the %glittering mockery but a
short life; the III is a traitor with his
kisses, and the warmth ofthem would
soon wither away the snow wreaths,
making their delicate mimicry OF the
white May and the hawthorne in the
hedge. But meantime they were very
fair, and the snow lay light and white
under the great peach orchards that
had their icy sparkle too, as they
swept away, with gentle undulations,
right and left of the still lane. And
the blue sky had the merest snowflake
of a cloud drifting along, and the
sun was shining full upon me, and
somehow O. glint.of it had gotinto my
heart, though there was nothing in
particular to bring it there. Christ
mas was SO near, the first / had spent
out of my own old home, so empty
now; and Father Christmas, when he
comes to us with q changed face, has
the saddest of all looks. YetIdidnot
intend to NOPE. Aunt Margaret and
the girls were friendly and kind, and
the least | could do would be to put
QCldn thn Chn1nu ~ ,Naxy n.cx@o cd
show them q contended face. And
SO
Perhaps something more than con-
tent flashed into it just then, when
that thought MINI was broken 5iloI
OH by a sharper clatter ofthose hedge
row boughs, and some one sprangdown
through the gap, bringing with him a
little clatter of fallen icicles into the
road before me. For, as we shook
hands, there was a pleased look in his
eyes, and he said, with some abrupt
ness:
You r a little glad to sec me?
You won't mind my finishing your
walk with your"
tried to answer carelessly though
lt was not SO easy under that gaze of
pnls: "Oh, If you are of a geological
turn this morning; ! amgoingin search
offoxtail and crow-foot. j marked a
quite splendid bed down by the brook
IN the woods in asheltered nook where
4 daresay this light snow has not COW
cred it. The girls tell me they are not
In the habit OF putting Christmas v
green's about the house, but | always
did at home and-v
ne understood me at once. Hesaid,
with his rare gentleness: .sAnd you
are trying hard to keep some OF the
oid Christmas feeling aboutyou. You
must forgive me if | can not help see
ing something of your brave struggle,
and yearning to help you in it."
f~earningl 1t was q strong word,
out his eyes made it stronger, as |
could not help glancing up to see.
and before in my confusion, | could
drop mine again, somehow my muff
was on the snow at our feet, and both
my hands were in his.
Miss Deane-Annie-I can help
you-with my whole life, Anniep'
And, after that, isir any wonder If
the u shone straight into my heart?
don't think our researches would
nave added much to the cause OF ell
Iher zoology or botany that day. On
the latter especially my lover would
nave made strange confusion, insist
ing that we werepassing under quite a
number of mistletoe boughs, if my SUI
peflor knowledge of the science had
not set him right. We did find the
crow-foot, however, and, IS 4
had expected, not too deep in
q snow. But when he had torn up
g long spray Of it and aung it trailing
owe my shoulder, ! stayed his hand