Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20

EeDc6 OF DoI0 parents Ilat tney raJner en-
.ioyed than resented Lobelia's brief author.
ity. The three small children in their vivid
red flannel nightgowns looked like little
demons newly sprung from the blazing
logs on the wide hearth. Their ewes
were black, their hair vaguely yellow
and much tousled by Lobelia's fruitless at
tempts to keep it in order. Lobelia, as be-
came maid of y and caretaker, did not re-
tire at Z. There was much for her to do, to
bank the hearth, call the cat and dog in and
lock the door. She was pale and thin, .
mere scrap of girl ANYWAY, and the added
importance of her position made her ewes
prenaturally large and her pale little
face thoughtful Her hair, growing darker
N streaks, was braided tightly, and this
braid, sticking out straight behind, jerked
excitedly as she gave her orders. She made
one think Of young turkey assuming the
cares of mother bird
At all events her position was an i'm
portsnt one; had not Jean Lambert, her
father, called ''Frenoh Gene" bv the log.
gers in camp, and her mother, born Mary
Ann Jones, of Maine, gone that morning
wsv to East Lisbon to see sick Grandma
Jones? Had they not taken badly Ida and
left her, Lobelia, to watch over the rest Of
She family and with Lonzo's help to feed
and water the two cows?
If you bad asked Iobelia about herself
lEnd she would dearly have liked to an
swer) she would have told you, her father was
3 Canadian and generally worked at log
cutting in winter time, and when he mar
vied her ma she was teaching school in East
Lisbon, but they'd moved here where all
the children were born and where they had
always lived She would have told you
that ina teached them 'rithmetio and Cog
rsphy, but had forgot most what she
knowed, having a large family, and pa
couldn't hardly talk United States when he
married ma, and, of course, he couldn't be
expected to learn anyone"
"Now, children, said Lobella, spreading
ont her skirts and taking up her knitting
[oh, she.had learned these three years aga and
could heel stocking now quite by herself.
''onc't upon time in a deep dark woods
there was little miter housed"
Like our'n, said Lonso, who was ten
years old and slow OF speech
Like our'n on lonely road that went
nowhere in pertikile-, and il was winter
time and crusty which made good sleighinp
where the roads were broke, and in this
house there lived seven little children"
Coin ter be witches in it?" asked Melia.
with melancholy interest
jest fairies" answered Lobelia (yho
from her vivid IMAGINATION and the random
reading which had fallen in her wav had
coniured up host of terrifying creations
70 torment her youthful relatives) ttand
good ones at that Well, these children
hsdn't n father and mother, they'd never
had any in their lives (with quite stroke
OF geniUs) so they was used to cooking
their own yictpals and watering the cows
snd doin' the chores.
Well, Christmas came and they'd lived
in the woods and didn't know, but one day
fhe oldest girl found book I'D garret and
Eead about it.
East Lisbon was fairy land to the chill
dren since Lobelia's visit of a month tbere
the spring before, and no matter how start
ling her statements that the meeklv
questioned, she silenced them with. "When
I was to East Lisbon to granma's seen
IT," ''H
Melia, whose taste ran to gleonnv .hinps
Deopled the place with witches and demons.
Lonzo half believed giant lived in the |
gully back of granma's where Lobelia said
the ground was strewn with bones. and
Iisbeth Ann, with the gluttonous fancy of
extreme youth, dreamed candy balls and
rolls OF lozengers grew on bushes-fairv
bushes, of course-and the elves themselves
picked off the sweets and presented them to
favored mortals. Such, at least, was Lobelia's
explanation of the ancient and musty CANDY
she brought home.
well, this oldest girl read that Chris |
mus is a day when You git presents, nice |
.h;ngs # you are good (there was a dark !
meaning in her tone that sobered the ex-
pectant little taces) and nothin' if you're |
bad. Children hangs up their stockins' bv |
me chimbley, and in the morning they |
-inds 'em full of candy and presents"
I'VE never, said Lonzo, stung into dis |
belief
''Tockins TOO little" murmured Lisbeth |
Ann, whose imagination was large.
"P'raps you amt been good ernuff," said |
Lobelia, triumphantly. 'You see Lisbeth |
AIMS gittin' greedy already, thinks her
l5ockin' TOO small. AS if Santa Claus had |
ernuff things to pile 'em up. Some folks is /
reg'lar pigs"
Whats the Claws?" asked Melia timor-
ously, thinking of the attributes of Lc-
Delia's favorite demons.
"The Christmas man that brings the
presents, seen his picture in book to
East Lisbon. He's fat old man with white
rbiskers an carries the presents in big
basket on his back and travels everywhere.
~ in the air or on the ground, and comes
own the chimbley 'stider the door. He'sa
,ind o: everyday fairy that looks like a
Grandfather, and he drives sleigh that has
sort Of horses, only thev has horns"
Melia shuddered as she added this new
Iorror, horned horse, to her collection.
CHOW these seven children set around the
ire this Chrismus night, and it was dark
,utside, the trees all blowy, and they heard
ow awful howls of wolves Wough! wough!
Tough"
This was Lobelia's materpiece The
mall braid vibrated while her large eyes