Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-12-23
rns DAY snro.E cnaIsrMA.

THE DAY BEFOKE CmRIsTMAs
BY Rounssvelle wildman in Echoes.
1t was the second week In December
Yet at 2 o'clock In the afternoon the at
inosphers was 30 laden with heat that a
miner. journeying through the wild noun
tain scenery Of Idaho, found It relief to
divest himself OF his short Kentucky Jean
e,at and carry II on his arm AZ he did
20. he paused, removed his wide brimmed,
weather stained sombrsro and pushed q
heav, mass OF black hair back from his
forehead
High above hawk was sailing In con-
centric circles. iis keen eye on the aler
fH an unwary Jack rabbit or prairie
squirrel, and nearer, great dock Of buz
cards were lazily rising from their feast
Of csrrion. The MONDAY sun beat dowr
upon the blackened. assured lava rock.
or exposed TO view the pure whiteness Of
the refuse granite Of some Ions prospect
or's dump, The siupcndous iines Of the
Rockies were broken In places by deep
cut canyon or BY gigantic drifs oi some
prehlsloric convulsion. TIN all sides lay
range abovs rsLge, dsrk-brown or dun.
colorcd n first. and, A. they fell away into
The perspective. they were lost 10 pur
plIsh-gfay on the horizon The stage road
Of beaten white granite extended along
their sides. Now losing itself in valley
NOW raappearing, for few rods, only
10 dive Into the chilling shadows Of d
csnyon--anon traversing = rich river bot
tom. ever proceeding, until, as " tired Of
is cspricious wIndings and doublings, 1t
spread itself over the harsh lines OF the
landscape like the loops of a tangled skeIn.
The miner had lived for years amid
such scenes. The beauty Of II called forth
no Adjectives Of PRAISE and. without Civ.
ing Il . thought. he seated himself on
boulder by the roadsidc and looscned his
heavy ieathern belt With the true In
sslnct OF his class he took up stone.
knocked on piece Of the rock, examined
its discoiored surface, and tried to trace
It's course down the mountain. Float
rock" no thought, will 60 eighty dollars
TO the ton. But Il doesn't tsmpt me now,
thank Godi" And as smile overspread
hts kindly, hronxed face. no continued In
almost caressing tones; "rivs years since
have seen Jean and she little ones and
my sunny Southern hsme. but--God
willing--I viii be with them the night
before Christmas" His honest blue eyes
filled with tears. and. resting his head on
his hardened palms, his thoughts fell into
The past.
Thus he sat for full hour thinking Of
the dear ones far away until the mid Twin.
ter sun had lost some Of Its intensity. Re.
viewing his Ave years Of toll and hardship
In the mining camps, he thought Of the
reward Of his work and saving, and muir
INJURED As he arose aud picked up his coat
and rifle, am glad sent that money TO
jean by express She will have something
with which to give the little ones merry
Christmas, even II don't get there In time
10 enjoy II with them" Then with the
quick. precise step OF m old soldier he
pushed along the dusty trail. Sometimes
far up on the u ountain side. again follow
ing DISTRIBUTIONS windings through val
ley, down canyon, or across sage
brush desert, ever hurrying on. full Of the
one thought that In few weeks his Dill
grimAge would be endee. Ne would be
back to the home OF his childhood back
to Jean.
light snow he'd been falling all day.
Softly II drilled down. fading solid
resting place on the brick red soil Of the
turnpike, or losing Itself In a puddle Of
siagnant water. The ramshacklc old farm
house. tho decrepit outbuilding, the aim
less fences. the well curb, the great China
iroe In the front yard soon lost all indi.
vidnAlity In their sameness Of dress. The
few neglected cotton plants In the field
across ffput Tho house were the only oh.
jesis In view that were In full keeping
with the Wilderness OF the scene.
Il was the day before Christmas, 1870.
For Ave long yea Y Jean Vaughan had
celebrated the anniversary OF Chrlsrs
birthday with bravs heart, and an out
ward appearance of cheer Attimes when
she was almest ready to give up, letter
from a far away mining camp would In.
fuse fresh vigor into her lite and she
would take up her burden and trudge ON
with ligh,ened heart
Jean and hubcn had been lovers since
early childhood Their fathers planta
tioLs Were separated by low Mige
through which old JEFF had cut an opea
Ing 81 for his young Missus,n They had
played. planned and grown up together.
They had shared their mutual Joys and
SORROWS, and had spent many long sum.
mer day under tho wide spreading China
Tree In front Of Rnbe's home PLAYING
house and taking care of big family OF
dolls SoberlJ would they discuss the
ways and ms ans; she little doubtful of
their ability to provide for so large a fam.
lily. he. confident and proud, boy like
waving all obstacles aside promising to
build her the most wonderful castles of
which girl ever dreamed, while she iol.
lowed his glowing descriptions with