Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-12-22
spring for water Or out to the na,ser Tor

spring for water or out to the t,H,ser70r
faggots for his culinary operations.
Burt Macomber had an old violin which
had seen its best days, and he often brought
it over to the Widows cabin. and as he
evening which would otherwise have beeL
spent in drinking and dice playing was
whiled away in listening to the squeaky
fidle and the Widows really fine voice, as
she sang church music and the Gospel
hymns which had been sung in her Hin ois
home until they were old and threadbaee,
butwhich We're entirely rev in the mount
aims.
II tell you, boys, that air tears me all ter
pieces, = said Dick Gowdy. as Mrs. Newell
sang ( The Ninety and Nine = to her audi
ence; ther haint no shepherd a goin' ter
do very much huntin' fer us eff we don't
take better keer of ourselves" and it was
noticeable that he left of swearing for
nearly week, and in many ways the pres
ence Of the little family, SO helpless in
their bereavement, was refining and soft
eDing influence
. sho, now, fellahs, Christmas am comm
in about TO- weeks" said Wash Jackson,
as he was lighting the evening lamps.
cpd clean done fo'got till dat ar little
Katie war tellin' whatter fine Christmas
tree dey had las yeah. Tell you it mus
be mighty dull TO- dem chillens up heah,
wild nottin' but us grown folkses ter muse
emu
''Thats SOL and Dick Gowdy drummed
on the table thoughtfully. '.Ta1nt one WON
an in a thousand that'd come up here am
be as pleased an clipper as th9t little
wilder is with her trouble to bear, am
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 a memory of innocent pleasures
at Christmas time in their childhood, yet
the sweetest and best of holidays had
been spent the year previous in unusual
conviviality, which had ended in the
nearest approach to rough and tumble
fight that the cam., had ever known.
There was something in the presence Of
the widow, the touch Of the innocent
childish hands which had met theirs with
confding trust, which made such 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, boys, moneys no obj.c, an eff the
things did at all it's got to be did up
brown, an them little kids am tner ma
shell hev Christmas worth hevin', eff they
air up in the mountings!' slapping fifty
dollars worth ofesold dust upon the table
| as he spoke. 3
A stingy miner is an anomaly seldom
! seen, and the pile rapidly increased as
each added his contribut on.
There were sounds Of hammering and
saving going on in spot far enough from
| 10 ~lA4 r~,~~
yet near enough for purposes of protec-
ton, and some one was evidently going to
have new cabin, and built in style no.
ticeabty superior to the rest of the shan
ties in size and convenience.
Nelly Newell stitched away at her scanty
preparations for the fast-coming winter
| with scarcely a thought of the matter, and
if she had sleculated uron the subject at
all she would have thought that Dan Voor.
bees was replacing the one he had gen
erously given up to her.
AS the miners had said, she had 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 ing
toward making the camp as quiet and or
DERBY it
! There was town twenty miles away,
and week before Christmas Sam Collins
and Burt Mac mber drove off in b. e
| wagon drawn by four mules in its direc-
! ton. Burt had been chosen for tn 8 ex-
curson because as they all agreed, he
knew more about Wlmmln'S chicken tx
ms than airy man in the camp
| "Don't We spar the money" was Dick
| Gowdy's parting admonition. "Ef that
pile don't hold out, run yer face, an the
rest kin fdller 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 til 5 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 as he said: 1.-THE
boys wanted ye to step over n see the new
house we've been putin up. I'll take the
babby an the kids kin foller."
Glad Of any change in her moaotonous
life Nelly put on her hood, wrapped up the
little ones and went out with him.
The house was lighted, and the sound Of
Burt's violin saving away on "Home,
Sweet Home greeted her ear as she
stepped in at the door: ss=zz 80
swish We merry Christmas, ma'am,"
called out Sam Collins as she was ushered
into the room which answered for a par
lor. There was a real .'store carpet' upon
the floor, a set of cane seat chairs, a table
and couch, and through Burt's taste the
windows had been curtained with white
lace, all cheap, but absolutely luxurious
for that region, and giving the room a
really home-l!ke appearance, with pcssi.
bilities for future improvement from her
woman's touch.
They had decorated the walls with ever
green's and in corner a small Christ
mas tree bore acceptable fruit for the
children, wooden toys, cheap picture
books, such as the primitive mountain
store afforded, and bag Of real canty,
which had been distributed so as to make
all the show possible.
Mrs. Newell looked about her in the
most perfect establishment as S m Collins,
who had appointed himself spokesman for
the occasion. called out heartily: '.This is
a Christmas present fer ve ma,am, from
Camp Nogooi, an we hopes yen take as
much comfort livin' int as we hey in a
fxin' it for ye."
It was most surprising state of affairs,
and Mrs. Newell could hardly find her