Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-20
CHRISTMAS JENNY.
BY MARY E. WILKINS.
EFrnm Harper's Bazaar. !


everything. The snow-crust had q thin
coat of ice, and all the open fields sAon,
and flashed. The tree boughs and trunks
and all the little twigs, were enamled with
ice. The roads we're glare aud slipper
with it, and so we're the door-yards. II
old Jonas Carey's yard the Lath tina
sIoped from the door to the well was like
frozen brook.
Quite early in the morning old Jonas
Carey came out with a pail, and went
down the path to the well. He went slow
ly and laboriously, shuffiing his feet, so he
should not fall. He was tall and Raunt
and one side of his body seemed TO slant
toward the other, he settled SO much more
heavily upon one foot. He was somewhat
stiff am lame from rheumatism.
He reached the well in safety, hung the
pail, and began pumping. He pumped
with extreme eloWness and steaciness; q
certain expression of stolid solemnjty
which his face wore never changed.
When he had filed his pail he took IL
carefully from the pump spout, and start
ed back to the house, shutting as before
He was two-thirds of the way to the door,
when he came to an extremely slippery
place. Just there some roots from 2
little cherry tree crossed the patch, and
the ice made dangerous little pitch
over them.
Old Jonas lost his footing, and sat down
suddenly, the water all spilled. The
house doors few open, and an old woman
appeared.
ooh, Jonas, air you hurt?" she cried
blinking widely and terrifedly IL the
brilliant light.
The old man never said a word. He
sat still and looked straight before him
solemnly. "Oh, Jonas, you 'aint broke
any bones, hev your" The old woman
gathered up her skirts and began to edge
off the doorstep, with trembling knees.
Then the old man raised his vOice-"Stay
where you oe," ne said imperativeIy.
$50 back into the housem
He began to raise himself, one joint at
a time, and the old woman vent back into
the house, and looked ont of the window
at him.
When old Jonas finally etood upon his
feet il seemed as If he had actually con-
structed himself, so piecemeal his rising
bad been. He went back to the pump,
hung the pail under the spout, and filled
it. Then he started on the return with
more caution than before. When he
reached the dangerous place his feet flew
up again, he sat down, and the water was
spilled.
The old woman appeared in the door;
her dim blue eyes were quite round, her
delicate chin was dropped. "Oh, Jonas"
600 back!" cried the old man, with an
imperative jerk of his head toward her,
and she retreated. This time he arose
more quickly, and made quite lively
shuttle back to the pump.
But when his pail was filled and he
again started on the return, his caution
was redoubled. He seemed to scarcely
move at all. When he approached the
dangerous spot his progress was hardly
more perceptible than scaly ieaf-slug's.
Repose almost Tapped over motion. The
old woman in the window watched breath
lessly.
The slippery place was almost passed,
the shuttle quickened iittle-the old
man sat down again, and the tin pail
struck the ice with clat6er.
The old woman appeared. "Oh jon
as!'
Jonas did not look at her; he sat per
fectly motionless. "JoEas, air you hurt?
Do speak to me for massa sake!" Jonas
did not stir.
Then the old woman let herself
care fully off the step. She
squatted down upon the icy path, and
hitcheo along to Jonas. She caught
hold of his arm-"Jonas, don't you feel
as if any of your bones were broke, do
your" Her voice was almost sobbing, her
small frame was all of tremble.
go backI' said Jonas. That was all
he would say. The old woman's tear
full entreaties did not move him in the
least. Finally she hitched herself back TO
the house, and took up her station in the
window. Once in a while she raped on
the pane, aud beckoned pitiously.
But old Jonas Carey sat still. His
solemn face was incrutabIe. Over his
head stretched the icy cherry branches,
full of the flicker and dazzle of diamonds.
woodpecker flew into the tree and be-
gan tapping at the trunk, but the ice
enamel was 80 hard that he could not get
any food. o d Jonas sat so still that he
did not mind him. A jay flew on the
fence within a few feet of him; spar
row peeked at some weeds piercing the
snow-crust beside the door. Over in the
east arose y mountain, covered with
frosty foliage full of silver and blue aud
diamond lights. The air was singing.
Old Jonas paid no attention TO anything.
he sat there.
The olo Soman ran TO the door again.
"Oh, Jonas, you'll freeze settin' therer'
she pleaded. Can't you git upS Your
bones amt broke, air they? Jonas was
silent.
"Oh, Jonas, there's Christmas Jenny
oomin' down the road-what dc you s'pose
she'll Think"
Old Jonas Cary was unmoved, but his
old wife eagerly watched the old woman
coming down the road. The woman
looked oddly at a distance; like broad
moving bush; she was dragging some
thing green after her, too. When she
came nearer one could see that she was
laden with evergreen wreaths; her arms
were strung with them, long sprays of
ground-pine were wound around her
shoulders, she carried q basket trailing
with them, and holding also many little
bouquets OF bright-eolol ed everlasting
flowers. She dragged sled, with a small
hemlock-tree wound around 1t. She
came along sturdily over The slippery
road. When she reached the Carey gate
she stopped and looked over at Jonas.
as he hurt?" she sung out to the old
woman.
81 dunno-he's fell down three times
Jenny came through the gate, and pro-
ceeded straight TO Jonas. She left her
sled in the road. She stopped, brought
her basket on Level with Jonas's head
and gave him a little push with it.
whats the matter with yer" Jonas did
not wink. "Your bones amt broke, are
theys"
Jenny stood looking at him for mo-
ment. She wore black hood, her large
race was weather beaten. deeply tanned
and Redeemed. Her features were strong,
hut heavily cut. She made one think of