Mohave County miner., 1890-03-22

my balance, l yielded to nature. m,
knees gave way, and and the fatal n,
went down with crash together.
Tho crash was followed by = hhcut
Down rushed the family in Z body
with tallow dips naring, and my hrs,
consciousness was of violent twinr,
In my foot which was doubled bach
under me. My hands were bruised
and cut, and my lip was bleeding
Oh, what . furry there wasl Grand:
father scolded, Louis screamed, and
my mother burst Into tears, while
they dragged me up stairs among
them. Only Sukey held back. can
see her now ~ she stood in III, kitch.
EN- door, with her hands on her hips
and an angry sneer as the dismal pro.
cession entered. gave her look a,
| passed which said As plainly 4,
words; "lts all your faalt," and she
In turn broke cut freely with ACCUSE.
tons. "Ho' you fought you'd rss
ole Sukey back, did yoa, kicking on,
your foot and going spack with all
dem 'grejlents." she began; but the
pain was too great for any response;
and | sank down on the settle with
out. speaking,
feer Mother, how she upbraided
Aefself as she drew off my cowhide
boots with her tender hands; for one
OF the bones of my foot did afterwards
prove TO be broken. With what self.
reproachful zeal dear Esther hurried
out in the snow TO q neighboring farm,
whose owner had the name OF . mas
ter-hand at doctoring. Twas the mar
tyr Of the occasion, and very respect
full martyr l made, being almost per-
suaded, in fact, that had fallen vic
tim TO duty. The role once assumed,
] played it with proper feeling, meet
ing Aunt Sukey's attacks with angelic
forbearance, leaning languidly back
ON the couch, while mother cried over
my hands, and begging her not to feel
badly. Finally, good Mr.. Saunders
came in, listened to grandfaiher's YER
sion Of the story, and 4 rumbling ac-
compartment of comments; and then
l was rubbed, batled and bandaged,
and bundled off to my room.
The next day the house was all in a
hustle Of preparation. 1t was the day
before Christmas, aid my uncle and
cousins were coming over from Haley,
and my married sister from Cheshire.
People flew hither and thither, intent
on their several concerns, sweeping
and adorning. putting the finishing
touches TO cushions and mufIlers, and
cracking jokes when q neighbor
CHANGED in for 'light" or swallow
Of cider. The kitchen was the scene
Of unparalleled baking and brewing,
as judged from the whiffs of warm
air and tantalizing fragrance that
came up the back stairs; and as I Law
there tossing and turning, found my
pillow thorny one, and secretly
fumed at my folly. had not delib-
erately thrown myself down to spite
my mother and Sukey-that would
have been childish!--and 1t had all
passed so quickly tn my promptings
were hard to analyze; but had
dreadful suspicion at heart that was
just great humbug. Anyhow, / had
overshot the mark, and surely 1 was
punished sufficiently without any hu-
initiating confessions.
Not glimpse Of Aunt Sukey did l
get that day, for we mutually cherished
resentment; but all my relatives came
solernnly in and protested that my moth
er and Sukey were very unwise, and
that was much to be pitied. ! was
suffering so that l could not bear to be
moved, and the hours wore away
heavily. At light Esther brought me
my supper and told me that yule-log
was to be dragged in; and then there
were games and dancing Ia the kitchen
below, and great peals Of laughter
came up that brought tears to my eyes.
But the wicked, suspicious, old Sukey
should never exult over me; and I
shut my lips tightly together when
mother came in and kissed me good
night, whispering tenderly: any poor
boy! You can't blame me a. much az
blame myself"
At last the house grew dark and
quiet. Every one had gone to bed.
The ticking Of the great clock was
plainly heard, and seemed to keep
lime to the ttrobbing pain in my
ankle. Solitude and darkness are
accusers. The longer lay
he more guilty and wretched felt,
md the more impossible It seemed to
make explanations. Still the clock |
licked on; the sound of distant sleigh
,ells was heard and died away on the |
nov; rats and mice scuttled about, |
md now and then a cock crowed |
leepily from the farmyard. At last
he stroke Of midnight pealed solemnly |
tut, and for moment / wondered IL |
santa Claus would visit our chimney.
Then l remembered that Christmas |
vas here indeed, and there was no |
est, no peace in my heart 10 welcome |
{. The pain in my foot, too, was
unbearable.
sat up in bed with q sort of dry |
OBJ, when all at once the door was
tealthily opened and Aunt Sukey's
road, black face peered in, tied up in |
N orange kerchief a2d lighted by the |
lull rays of Pickering candle. The
Irst expression / surprised on her face
vas sarcastic and somewhat triumph
mt; and l forced myself to assume for |
second an air of naughty displeasure.
hen, as l saw again the fat motherly |