St. Landry democrat., 1888-12-22
spring for water OF out to the timber Tor

had seen its best days, and he often brougt
it over to the widows cabin, and as
was quite creditable performer, many a
evening which would otherwise have bee
spent in drinking and dice playing wa
whiled away in listening to the squeak
fiddle and the widows really fine voice, a
she sang church music and the Gospe
hymns which had been sung in her Illinoi
home until they were old and thread bare
but which were entirely new in the mount
aims.
Il tell you, boys, that air tears me all te
pieces" said Dick Gowdy, as Mrs. Newell
sang THE Ninety and Nine' to her aud
ence; " Their haint no shepherd goin' tel
do very much huntin' fer us eff we dom
take better lteer Of ourselves and it wa
noticeable that he left off swearing TO
nearly a week and in many ways the pres
ence Of the little family, SO helpless il
their bereavement, was a refining and soft
ening influence.
"Sho, now, fellahs, Christmas am comm
in about fo' weeks" said Wash Jackson
as he was lighting the evening lamps
"rd clean done fogot till dat ar little
Katie war a tellin' whatter fine Christmas
tree dey had las yeah. Tell you it mus
be mighty dull fo' dem chillens up heah
en-"
"That's so," and Dick Gowdy drummeG
on the tai thoughtfully. "Tai1t one WON
an in thousand that'd come up here an
be as pleased an clipper as that little
! wilder is with her trouble to bear, an
move that and the speakers voice was
| lowered, and a consultation followed which
was strictly confidential.
| There were none of these men who did
not have memory Of innocent pleasures
| at Christmas time in their childhood, yet
| the sW eete5t and best Of holidays had
| been spent the year previous in unusual
conviviality which had ended in the
| nearest approach to a rough and tumble
fight that the camp had ever known.
There was something in the presence Of
the widow, the touch Of the innocent
childish hands which had met theirs with
cOntiding trust, which made such a cele-
brat on Of the day repugnant to them, and
Sam Coll MS brought his fist down on the
table with a whack as he said: II tell
you, bo-s, moneys no objic, an eff the
things did at all it's got to be did up
brown, an them little kids an tner ma
she'll hev Christmas worth hevin', eff they
air up in the mountings!'' slapping fifty
dollars worth of gold dust upon the table
as he spoke.
A stingy miner is an anomaly seldom
seen, and the pile rapidly increased as
each added his Contrbut. on.
There were sounds of hammering and
saving going on in a spot far enough from
the camp to be sheltered from its rudeness,
yet near enough for purposes of protec-
ton, and some one was evidently going to
have new cabin, and built in style no.
iy.n, h nil 70 41a % h,s hor,
ties in size and convenience.
Nelly Newell stitched away at her scanty
preparations for the fast-coning winter
with scarcely thought of the matter, and
if She had specialized uron the subject at
all she would have thought that Dan Voor-
hees was replacing the one he had so gen.
erously given up to her
As the miners had said, she / I'D borne her
troubles with patience and sweetness and
she fully appreciated the Kindness rough
and uncouth though it was, which these
men had shown her, but she would prob
ably never know what her presence and
that of her innocent children was doing
toward making the camp as quiet and or
derby as it was.
There was town twenty miles away
and week before Christmas Sam Collins
and Burt Mac 1mber drove off 10 a big
wagon drawn by four mules in lis direc-
tion. Burt had been chosen for this ex-
cursion BECAUSE as they all agreed, he
knew more about winmin's chicken fx-
ms than airy man in the camp.h
Don't We spar the money" was Dick
GoWdy's parting admonition. EFF that
pile don't hold out, run yer face, an the
rest kin foller arterward."
The wagon came back tho next even
ing heavily laden, and the men unloadei
it at the door of the new cabin, which was
now completed, and there were busy hands
at work putting it in order for occupancy.
Nellie Newell was putting away the re-
mains of her little supper on Christmas
Eve when smart rap sounded at her door.
She had been unusually Respondent all
day, as she contrasted this Christmas with
previous ones spent IN the Illinois home.
Dan voorhees, was at the door as she
went to open it, and his honest face wore
a curious expression az he said: ''The
boys wantel We to step over n see the new
house we've been putin up. I'll take the
oabby an the kids kin foller.n
Glad Of any change in her monotonous
ife Nelly put on her hood, wrapped up the
little ones and went out with him. |
The house was lighted, and the sound Of |
1uhb fAo1Ah os"IuS away Ou
Sweet Home' greeted her ear as she |
stepped in at the door.
"Wish ye merry Christmas, ma'am,"
called out Sam Collins as she was ushered |
nto the room which answered for par
or. There was real "store carpet' upon |
he floor, a set of cane-seat chairs, table |
md couch, and through Burt's taste the
windows had been curtained with white
ace, all cheap, but absolutely luxurious
or that region, and giving the room
eally hofhe-like appearance, with posi-
ilities for future Improvement from her
touch.
They had decorated the walls with ever
reens and in one corner small Christ
las tree bore acceptable fruit for the
hildren, wooden toys, cheap picture
ooks, such as the primitive mountain
tore afforded, and a bag of real candy,
,hich had been distributed 80 as to make
II the show possible.
Mrs. Newell looked about her in the
lost perfect establishment as Sam Collins,
tho had appointed himself spokesman for
le occasion called out heartily: This is
Christmas present fer We, ma am, from
amp Nogooi, an we hopes yell take as
uch comfort livin' init as we hev in
kim it for ye."
It was most surprising state of affairs,
i'd Mrs. Newell could hardly find her
oice to thank them, and especially when
tlrt threw open the lid of small melo-
son and invited her to accompany him
18th his violin upon it.
True, it was ricketty in the joints and
/ / Ift1sl--l- i j.