San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-11
90 see III q minute -,

''Twill go see III a minute ~
He applied his ear to tho door, pretended
to listen, with his head thrown forward, then
went down stairs, stretching out his big legs,
with an air of mystery And suddenly, from
below, there came up shouts a jOyousness
that burst out. 1t was Jams, and he said:
"BlossomI my Blossom, he has gone! Open
your little hands"
When he reappeared in the chamber he
held in his arms the easy chair that Aunt
Catherine sat in and ON it were the cradle,
the doll, the pasteboard box, the sweetcake
man and the plates of sweatmeats.
Thank you, st. Nicholas, thank you for
Blossom" he cried out from the staircase
And as soon as the child had the beautiful
doll and the cradle, her little mouth formed
itself into a smile, like flower opening in
the sunlight Then Jams showed her on the
easy chair the dust that he had made there
himself, 10y putting his own feet on it, and,
laughingly heartily:
See" said he, these are the shoes of Mon
sieur st. Nicholas donkey"
And Immediately after, Cornblossom bent
her head like a tree wounded by a stone and
that has lost its sap, and all pale against the
whiteness of the big pillow, with her pretty,
sad smile, which did not fade out fell asleep
again. An oppressive silence came up from
the hallway; the clock in the shop struck one
and dog in a neighboring yard gently
moaned.
Father" cried Gran'ma JAMS to the vicar,
clasping her hands, Il believe that there is
some misfortune coming on US"
"Graudmamma JAMS" replied the vicar,
raising his hands to heaven, let us ever be
thinking of Him who can do all things"
And the silence again ruled becoming each
minute more solemn, around the great bed
where the soul of the house was resting
Outside the snow beat against the windows
with the light rattle Of bird that wished to
come in. And JAMS teeth chartered like
man with fever and necessarily he STAN
m2red Blossoms name While all these
things were passing in JAMS house, beauti-
full CHEEKY light was shed over a bedroom in
the house of Canu, the big butcher Dolls
and wooden houses filed the table, mixed
with trumpets, flags and drums. And sud
denly the big fellow, who had on his night
cap, looking at JAMS house, said to his wife:
Indeed, ZenObia, that is not all right
see shadows moving backward and forward
on the curtain If Blossom had the health
of our Zephyrine and Annette there would
certainly be nothing to be anxious about,
but she is like bit of cotton wool that the
wind losses about in the air."
And throughout the city and in the country
the little children of the rich and of the
poor were sleeping, their heads on their arms,
dreaming Of the sweetmeats and the play
things that they would find on awaking.
Grandmamma JAMS had let her knitting drop
on her knees and was sleeping, with her spec
tacleS on her nose, near the fire But neither
Papa nor Mamma JAMS thought of sleeping,
both were before the bed with their hands
claSped, not daring to look at each other
again for fear of showing their tears. And
the vicar, whose hands also were clasped,
said to himself:
Blossoms breathing sounds like the
church bell, when a summer wind carries it
afar over the country and its tone is about to
cease"
Cornblossom breathed so softly that they
heard in the chamber nothing but the sput
tering of the oil in the lamp and Grand
mamma JAMS snoring When the good old
lady awoke, she was at first surprised that
the vicar was still there, but as soon as she
saw Papa and Mamma JAMS on their knees
near Cornblossom, she took out her large
check handkerchief and began to cry to
herself, moaning like little child At Just
that moment Cornblossom awoke, and in a
whisper, but in so soft whisper this time
that gran'ma, who was little hard of hear
ing, could not understand her, she muir
INJURED:
Good morning, ST. Nicholas"
And still more softly:
6 morning, papa, NINA, gran'm'ma."
Cornblossom slept until the dawn. And by
degrees, as the day wore on, her life, like a
chilled bird that journeys back to the warm
lands when the brown days come, turned to-
ward the great light. Slowly the lamp went
out A frightful dreariness then came over
the old furniture, so often caressed by her
little hands The ivory image of the Saviour,
hanging on the wall, seemed to be leaning
against the cross. 1t was the hour when the
cocks crow. The children of Wavre, awake
much earlier than usual, went to the doors of
their rooms to see if they could hear any stir
about the house. A cry resounded in the bed
room
"Ohl father" c-ied Jams, throwing him
self into theAarmS oftSIa SlTieStJ-