The Russellville Democrat., 1888-12-20


 some Christmas fxiRs fustn
 The speaker was the farmer with whom
 Job lodged The offer of the ride home was declined by Job, who thrust the letter in h 8 pocket and continued his walk "Queer cuss thet, old Cog. Ruther walk than ride on sich CT night ez this uni Wouldn't ketoh me walk n of I didn't hev- ter, b'goshl Gee Ho-bah Git-er-lang, there yewl lp and he whipped up his horses to faster gait and soon widened the dis tance between himself and Job. When Job reached the turn that led into the dark gap between the hills he paused and leaned on the railing of short bridge that spanned the frozen brink.
 Christmas Evel Beautiful Christmas Eve He looked up to the sky. It seemed as though the stars were scoffing at him and the snow-fringed trees nodding in derision. The moon shone with a winter, brighter light and wore a mocliing smile The water lying under the trees ringing the bed of the brook was completely frozen and occasionally snapped like the pop of a chestnut; the evergreens stood out dis tinct and clear, and the weird music of the wind, as lt stirred the great trees, sounded as though the very spirit of Christmas was already abroad. He thought of the happy homes on which that moon was shining of devoted husbands and wives, fond fathers and mothers, merry children, ''his fam. fly" home from school, of happy lovers, and kind friends.
 And he-he stood alone in the world, an isolated being on that silent country road on this Christmas Eve.
 A weird sensation crept over him as he stood there. He glanced at the deserted house. Part of it's roof had dropped in- ward, and the snow had drifted through the inlet and piled itself in the center of the flooring. How like his own heart | He felt thatithe ruin of that home was an in- animate picture of himself; for the roof of his heart had been uplifted, and the chilly snow of unrequited love had drifted in upon it's floor.
 A strange fascination that house held for himl It had never been occupied during the nine years he had been in Ciderburg. He had never been inside of it. It bore the reputation of being haunted; but Job was not superstitious, and he feared neither goblins, spirits nor spooks. So when some strange feeling il d him to jump the fence, wade knee-u trough the snow and enter the ruin, he B not frightened at the noise made by some animal that made its escape rather than resent the in. 1 trusion.
 He walked through the several rooms on the ground floor, then explored the second story, where he sat upon some broken tim bers and buried his face in his hands. The 1 loose shingles Tapped as the angry wind
 scuffied over the dismantled roof and the dangling timbers creaked in mournful | tones that were soothing to the ruffied | feelings of the intruder.
 Hours passed but he needed not time. | In his sheltered position he felt no cold; 1 he was partially stunned by an almost double shock. He had figured out Dots 1 embarrassment to be an unintentional be- | trayal of her regard for him and the re- | turn of his Christmas offering to imply a | silent rejection of his unspoken love To l him it was like getting to the gate of par
 adise just in time to have it slammed in 1 his face. He brooded until he fell asleep. Meanw hile something uncommon took l place at the house of the hard hearted l Mayor" something that upset the plans
 he had laid for twenty years past.
 When Job Pippin let the volume of
 poems drop from his hand and departed without saying good night" he lef' | Dorothy Flint equally as speeches. l himself
 It was some little time before she re- 1 covered sufficient composure to gather the
 letter. the book and it's wrapper from the | floor, Her eyes br!mmed with tears as l she brought them to the center-table. In i spreading the wrapper to envelop the
 volume she saw her name in Jobs hand | writing. She opened the work and read
 the inscription on tue hy-leaf For mo-
 ment she hesitated, then opened the letter
 and quickly read it's mortifying contents. l One moments pause and she had de- | cided.
 Hastily showing the letter in her pocket | she ran upstairs and returned with jew elry casket that had belonged to her
 mother; then, after examining number of deeds and papers, one of which looked l like wid, she inclosed them in the casket l and locked it.
 An hour later she was vending her way l down the moonlit road along which Job | had travelled in the direction of the haunt
 ed house.
 It took a man of grit to ride down the
 road on such Q cold night, and what pluck
 must a woman possess to walk!
 Dot paused on the little bridge where
 Job had stood, and, like Job, she unused on l the grandeur of the scene, the sweet white world that lay under the canopy of
 the Christmas night sky and it's golden ! stars. Soon the silver tonguei bells in | the little church would ring forth their l peans proclaiming the anniversary of the | birth of the Say our and their mus c
 would rise and fall over the trees, would
 die away. across the snow
 Dot had thus far followed the tracks of Jobs footsteps, which were easily recog-
 nizable in the moonlight, for but few per sons had travelled the road since the last | snowfall. All the farmers drove to town | in teams Now she missed the traces she was following, but she soon found the | place where he jumped the fence. | When Job awoke from his crampel po- | sition and gaze1 about him he was some- ! what nonplussed. At first his memory was not equal to an explanation of how he | came there; but only for second did he fail to recollect, for something stirred in l his heart and brought tears to hls eyes
 when the bells began 10 ring and the soft, | sweet chimes came to him across the snow. l And softer and sweeter than the Christ mas chimes was Inc check of velvet that
 was pressed close to his own plain face, ! and softer and sweeter still were the tones of the voice that whispered in his ear: Merry Christmas, my lovew When the village pastor was reused from hs warm bed to listen to their story, he was somewhat annoyel, but when they had fin shed, he exclaimed
 "ru du ct! I'll du ct ef ct costs mer pas sonshlp"
 And he married them then and there. Ezra Flint awoke on Christmas morning and found himself a poor man, indeed. The papers Dot placed in the casket were her mothers will and the title deeds to the property loft her bY the will over '.-hi~h ,o,'' thot. sha 'ras of nva oua mar