River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-12-26


the farmers who logged in on or jolted
behind their heavy-aOofed horses adj
mitted the leading statement with a
supremely satisfied conviction that 9TH
er towns were not booming as was Bulb
bic and an absolute Indifference 70 the
probability of its being Christmas Eve
elsewhere. 4 delicious day il was. too.
although not the typical winter. one
which Imagination invariably associates
with the dear Old feast. There was no
snow; the air was crisp. keen in its
frosty sweetness, exhilarating as
wine; by sky OF Subdued yet intense
blue was the biilOwing prairie dOmed
and bounded: against that serene and
perfect background fields OF rified but
unriven corn flung out their tattered.
tawny banners; the winding, brownish
roads rang like steel to every passing
sound; along those desolate country
ways the sumac shrank in blasted
beauty, and skeleton sunfiowers reared
alOft the bare. brown hearts from which
had fallen long ago the disks Of gold
But the old man. who mounted on the
front seat Of a pOnderOus, Creaking farm
wagon, drove over the hill and down the
one new, ugly. bustling street which
boosted the business, the barter and the
commercial enterprise of Bubble,
thought not at all Of his surroundings.
not even OF the day. He did not stop at
either general store, at the tin-shop. the
saloon or the drug store. With an oc-
Casional nod 70 familiar faces he steered
his team straight down the street. past
the pretentiOus hotel, the gaping livery
barn, the big. bleak undergrad. and
drew up beside the platform of the rail-
road depot
''WhOa-ah, thari Train most due.
Tom? Hope It's. Olive a sort of niece
aboard cousin Moike's child. Did
We know that?@
The station agents assistant smiled
back at him. Did he know that? Who
did not know that old Rafferty, had
some months ago sent money to ireland
to bring out young relative Of his. a
queer character, old Rafferty,. Seven
teen years of his life had been passed
as a sailor. He claimed to be one OF
the survivors Of the battle between the
Merrimac and the Cumberland. and that
il was he who fired the last shot on
bOa-d the latter vessel, when it, with
colors still brayely flying. sunk beneath
the waves Dearly did he love to tell of
the affair. particularly Of the part which
concerned himself. OF the three hours
spent under the water before rescue was
effected. At the close % the war he
took up "a claim" in Nebraska, and by
slow degrees, in loneliness and priva-
lei
out of perilOusness he had seen peace
come. \ friendly and familiar figure
was he 10 all Somehow people always
smiled at old Rafferty, cordially, too.
There was a comical kind Of fascination
in the face visible between the shabby
felt hat and the huge comforter" of
purple. red and yellow yarn-a shrewd.
saliOw old face with grizzled beard,
bushy brows and youthfully alert. bright
eyes. Then his accent was delightful,
his own broad and hearty brogue being
favored with Western infections wholly
foreign to it
On time, sir.
A whistle another. A puff Of smoke;
a distant roar; vibration of the rails;
q shrek Of steam; a glare of light
then the train was laundering up-had
paused. painting. snorting. disgorging
4 girl stepped out and down on the
platform.
Eli, thar called old Rafferty,. She
turned at the sound Of mis- voice, went
towards him.
You're Hanna"
'-Yis. sor.
Without align ing he stopped over the
side of the wagon and extended big
bluc-mittcned hand.
''Glad tosee We. William comm down
TO dance tonight. He'll fetch yer box.
Jump up
The train trembled, screamed. pulled
out and went swinging westward The
agent carrying his book and express