Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-12-20

Finally she turned toward the house.
"pm comm in q minute" che said TO
Jones's wife, and trod confidently up the
icy steps.
Don't you slip" said the old woman,
TREMENDOUSLY.
II amt afraid of slippin'" When
they were 10 the house she turned around
on Mrs. Carey. "Don't you fuss, he ain't
hurt"
ono, / don't s'pose be is. It's just one
of his tantrums. Bat dunno VIVA. am
goin' TO do. Oh, dear ne, SUI, l dunno
what / am goin' TO do with him some
! times"
leave him alone-let him sit there"
"On, he's tipped all that water over, an
I'm afraid he'Ii-freeze down. Oh dearw
LET him freezel Don't you fuss, Bet
sey"
Il wus jest going 20 git breakfast.
| Mis- Gill she sent us in two sassage-
cakes, | was goIn' to fry 'ern, and Jest
asked him TO 90 out an draw pail of
water, SOS to fill up the tea-kittle. Oh,
dearp
| Jenny set her basket in chair, strobe
serem ptoriiy out OF the house, picked up
| tho tin pail which lay on its side near
Jonas, filed it at the WE'LL aud returned.
She wholly ignored the old man. When
she entered the door mis- eyes relaxed
the solemn stare at vacancy, and darted d
swift glance after her.
Now fill up the kittle, an fry the sas-
| sages," she said to Mrs. Carey.
"0b, I'm afeard he won't git mp, an
| thsy'll be cold Sometimes his tantrums
last considerable while. You gee be scs
down three times, an he's awful mad"
II don't see who he links he's sp1tin'."
IL dunno, les it's Providence"
~ reckon Providence don't care much
whore be SETS
"Oh, Jenny, | dreadful afeared he'll
freezs down.
"No, he won't. Put on the sassages"
JOnas's wife went about getting out the
frying pan, grooming over her complaint
all the time. Hes dreadful foud of sss-
aages," she said, when the odor OF the
frying sausages became apparent in the
room.
"He'n smell em an come in" re-
marked Jenny dryly. "Hel knows there
amt but two cakes, an hell be afeared
youll give me one of 'em.n
She was right. Before long the two
women, taking Ely peeps from the win
dow, saw old Jonas lumberingiy getting
up. Don't say nothin' TO him about it
when he comes in" whispered Jenny.
When the old man dumped into the
kitchen, neither of the women paid any
attention to him. His wife turned the
sausages, and Jenny was gathering up
her wreaths. Jonas let himself down
into chair, and looked at them uneasily.
Jenny laid down her wreaths. "Goin' to
stay o breakfastg" said the old man.
"Wtll, 1 dunno eplied Jenny. "Thon
sassages do smell temptin"
All Jonas's solemnity had vanished, he
looked foolish and distressed.
DO take off your hood, Jenny urged
Betsey. II amt very fond Of sassages
myself, an jest as liv's you'd have my
cake as not"
Jenny laughed broadly and good
naturedly, and began gathering up her
wreaths again. 'Lor', don't want your
sassage-cake,' said sne. I've had my
breakfast. I'm goin' down 10 the village
70 sell my wreaths."
Jonas's face lit up. Pleasant da y,
amt itf' he remarked, affebly,
Jenny grew sober. 81 don't think its
very pleasant day guess you wouldn't if
you was a wood. pecker or a blae- jay
she replied.
Jonas looked at hor with stupid in
quiry.
"I'hey can't git no breakfast said
jenny. "rhey can't git through the ice
on the trees. They'll starye il there amt
a thaw pretty soon. I've got to buy 'em
somethin' down to the store. I'm goin' to
feed a few at 'em. | amt goin' to see
'em dyin in my door-yard if l can help
it. I've given 'em all oould spare from
my own birds this mornin'."
tits too bad, amt itl'
"I think ii's too bad. | was goin' 20
buy me new caliker dress if this freeze
hadn't come, but | can't now. What it
would cost will save good many lives.
Well, I've got TO hurry along II I'm goin'
to git back to-day"
Jenny, surrounded by her trailing
masses of green, had TO edge herself
through the marrow doorway. She went
straight TO the village and peddled her
wares from houee to hOuse. She had her
regular customers. Every year, the week
before Carisumas. she came down from
the mountain With her eYsrgreens. she
Was popularity supposed 90 earn quite
sum OF money in that way. In the sum
mer she sold vegetables, but the green
Christmas traffic was regarded as her
legitimate busiuess--it had given her her
name among the villagers. However, the
fantastic name may have arisen from the
popular conception OF Jenny's character.
she also was considered some hat fautas
tao, although there WAS no doubt OF her
sanity. Ia her early youth she had had
au unfortunate love affair that was sup
posed to have tiuctGred her whole lire
with an alien element. Love cracked
people called her.
christmas Jenny's kind OF love
cracked they said. She was Christmas
Jenny in mid-summtr, when she came
down the mountain laden with green peas
and STRING beans aud sammer squashes.
She owned little house eud few
acres o. cleared laEd ON the mountain,
and in one way OF another she pickeG up
living from it
IL was uoou to day before she had sold
all her overgreeus aud started mp the
mountain ROAD for home. sac had laid
in little stock OF provisions, ana she
carried them Ia the basket that mad heih