Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-02

snow was. because he
was said to come down the chimney Just as the
snow did once.
Ihe Medlark chimney needed mending in
spite OF all Mrs. Medlark and Ambrose could do
with mud, plaster and stone. Dr. Thomas JEFF
ierson Medlark, Ambrose's father, had been a
Dricklayer Gust as he had been carpenter and
o butcher and a blacksmith and a vetinary sur
geon(. and, early in the summer, he had prom
ised MRS. Medlark that he would git the Chin
Diy In shape soon's ever he come raoun' to II. ~
Inc season was now late in December. but ap-
Parently DR.. Medlark had not ''come raoun' " to
the chimney. The neighbors said that DR..
Thomas Jefferson Medlark was as "trihin' as he
was smart" Fortunately, Mrs. Medlark was
az ever lived" Thus, in spite Of Thomas JEFF
ferson's disinclination to labor, the Medlarks
had risen out of the condition of 'movers" into
renters, and owned q horse, a herd OF COWS
and innumerable fowls. 1t was Mrs. Medlark
who told the children about Christmas. She
managed to have q show of Christmas cheer for
dinner and always took them to the Christmas
tree at the school house. What a wonderful
tree was that to children who hardly tasted
candy twice year! A whole beautiful red or
green or yellow tarlatan bag, overlooking with
candy, and one gift, at least, beside were handed
did our plantation Santa Claus think it fair to
little boys and girls to half fill candy bag with
popcorn, as, it is painful to consider is done by
some unscrupulous Sunday school Santa Clauses
in the north.
Not he; his candy bags were candy bags, and
not what the old negro aunties would call "a
mixtery."
Ambrose Medlark knew very well WHY Santa
Claus jolly red face never stopped smiling,
and why 1t sometimes was q little crooked on
his neck and then abruptly seemed to get
straight, and he knew why he wore a sealskin
cap like MIR: Francis and buffalo robe like
Mrs. CarrolPs, and talked in a voice precisely
like Uncle Billy Ruffner's. And he knew about
the gifts for the different friends being sent in
to the school house. He too bought Christ
mas presents. Like most Arkansas children
he earned little money by picking cotton.
For years the lad had paid for his annual suit
OF clothes and his annual pair of shoes out Of
his own earnings. What he could save went
into his Christmas hoard. One proud year he
actually bought his father pair of boots. This
year Mr.. Francis had in charge an oilcloth table
cover for his mother. little red rocking chair
for Pearl, the baby,a wagon for Clay and pipe
and package Of tobacco for DIR. Medlark.
"4es, got 'em all settled, slick" Ambrose
thought complacently one morning near Christ
mas, "only cept paw. / must git suthin' more
for paw. Amt it tew bad done spent all nv
money. kase paw did borry that ar dollar
lowed fur ter spend on him! Honey don't We
git SO nigh that boss feet or his heels II Jest
ton of loading the wagon with cotton to lift
the child and place her at a safe distance.
She was rosy little creature. very fair, with
her yellow curls blown about her shoulders and
her eyes as blue as sapphires. Ambrose thought
that she was the most beautiful being on earth
Today she was going to the settlement with him,
and she wore her best frock of plaided wooden
stuff nearly covered with white apron and her
yellow curlo were crowned by red toboggan
cap:
There amt patch nor tear on her."
thought the proud brother, and he did not
care in the least that his own shirt was ragged
and that his thin, bare ankles showed above his
coarse shoes, because be had spent his stocking
money for the copper-toed shoes on PEARLS
feet.
"Bleeged ter keep paw an the little tricks
comfortable" said Ambrose. me an maw's
ruggider an kin stan the weather."
Ii he were rugged his looks gave the lie to his
strength. For in spite of his fourteen years
lads Of twelve are often taller; and he was worn
by hard work until his sharp little elbows and
shoulder blades looked ready to prick through
his thin clothes. Yet his face kept childish
innocence and beauty in the clear skin and
curly, dark-brown hair and trusting brown
eyes; though his brows had continual quicker
OF anxiety and determination and his mouth
was too firm. As he lifted his cotton basket to
empty it you could see that the fingers of one
hand were crooked. Really, they had been
broken and were set by the veterinary surgeon
SO unskillfully that they were a sorry sight: but
you must not make such a criticism to Am
brose-he was proud of ''paws bone-settin' {"
as he was Of everything that the worthless fell
low did.
Mrs. Medlark had bred her children in the
firm faith that their father was a wonder
full man. whose occasional ..misery in the back,
and ''hurtin' in the leader of his left leg' kept
him from making a shining mark.
Ambrose glorited in his fathers versatile
talent, In his fluent, braggart speech, in his
courage and aptness with guns and horses,
which, truly enough, were considerable. 1t did
not disturb the boys blind hero worship that
his father had violent temper and would have
gusts Of unreasoning fury. in which he was as
likely as not to beat his children cruelty When
such excuses occurred Mrs. Medlark would pet
the victim and say, as an excuse: "You' paw
ben havin' one er his spells last night an looks
like be cayn't enjure nothin' this mornin' He
does suffer terribul in them SPELLS"
Ambrose simply lodged the blows and for
gave and kept Clay out Of his fathers way if
the latter seemed ''ill'-the charitable Arkan-
sas name for ill-temper. "Pore paw; reckon he
cayn't holp it!' he thought. Amt it mussiful
good luck he never does hit PEARL
1t was true; the baby carried the kew of her
fathers heart and he was never impatient with
her.
'Reckon he don't guess how powerful hard
he kin hit" Ambrose considered To tell the
truth. although Ambrose hid it even from his
mother, he owed those broken fingers to pas
sionate random blow from his father.
LAW me. Ye didn't 60 to do it, paw" we're
his 6rst words, while he grinned through his
tears of pain, IAN We ken set it good as ever"
Medlark was affected by the child's bravery
He had never been so harsh with him since:
but this morning his patience failed at the
sight Of Pearl straying under the beasts hoofs.
He shook Ambrose and cuffed his ears before
he placed the child tenderly in box among
the cotton.
Looks like you fxin' to kill the little trick ~
was his surly parting word. aye don't pear
TO keer fer nothin' nor nary, 'cept havin' yer
time and yer pleasure. Ye look ont for you'
little sister or I'll scorch ye / expect ye'li kill
her some dry with you keerless ways"
The tears smarted under Ambrose's eyelids,
but he winked them away. "Reckon not" said
he in a gruf voice.
DR.. Medlark glowered after the boy and the
unequally consorted team Of horse and OK as
they slipped out of sight down the hollows.
Presently the ox's horns and the horses head
emerged. Next came Ambrose's little figure.
First one elbow made an angle in the air, then
the other LEI the little fool amt a erwin. -
snarled Medlark.
He walked back to the house. kicking the
frozen earth with his heel and grumbling to him.
self. Usually he was gay. open-tempered and
sanguine, but today he felt himself aggrieved
Every year he invested what money be could
spare in lotteries and always IS went to the
Louisiana lottery. Nobody knew Of it, for he
walked six miles to another post Office to mail