The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-18
BY EFv. EDWARD \. RAND.

Dave sitting oy the stove eArly
one Christmas morning, beard
Grandmo,ter Pond say = second
time:
'Hark T.
What Is It, grsuimothsr p
Thought heard roaring"
"The ses, grand mother 1. 50.
banking against the ehr all day yes.
terdaY. Fearrol breakers I"
i dare say"
She rose aud went TO the -indo-
near which, on stand the old.fssh
ioned caudlestick held it, burning
tsllow taper; bu: above the cold,
dsrk sea taere we're signs tat the sur
would soon have a multitude OF Ia
pers shining in the great window oil
tie esst Tor the benefit Of that par.
tIculsr Christmas.
How is grandfather ?" asked
Dave.
swell. his rheumatiz keeps hun 10
bed; makes him nervons. Did IT
snow much during the nlsht9'
6" haven't been out, grardmothrr,
to see."
"A storm ls bad for folks at see, >
she said.
Dave knew the meaning OF this.
She was thinking about her sailor
boy, John. off somewhere Olly the
Heavenly Father could tell jlst
where John was John was Dave q
uncle, BIT the two had not seen each
other for years. David was an or
phan, recently coming to live with
his grandparents, He now s,ii:
"Don't Wish had a lot of mon
ey, grandmother -
"Why, Dave?"
''l'd Uake home for sick sailors.
| would let any one come that did
not have II hrme, nai could not make
ore for himself
"Yes, gee; that would he Chris
tian."
Grandmother then sighed again.
"Lot's OF 'em, Dave, that hnv-n't
any home. But there that's what
the Savior wanted, YOU know, when
be came to Bethlehem. And he was
only little BABY" added the ten.
der heartei grandmother.
"You hit tD have heard the ser>
mon Sunday, grandmother"
"What was it I"
"The minister said-ssid IL we
helped poor people and people with.
out home to get one, feed them you
know, when hungry, tnat would be
like-hke giving The Saviour a home
LIKE taking him INTO the house"
Il wish be would come, I'm sure-
Im sure-come today"
"Hark, grandmother, there is tue
noise YOU heard, | do believe. l.
sounds like-like"
"A gun" sei grandmother.
"Ifl Just step ont and see.'
When Dave rose, one woold have
noticed that the boy was a cripple.
He took up two crutches lying o.
the floor b, tue side Of his chair
He put on his old felt hat, mounted
his crutches, and went out % the
room.
Pound, pound, pound went his
orotches down long entry TO the
back door. Dave opened It, closed
It after him and then the house
wae silent.
"a klnd-hearted boy as ever wss,"
said his grandmother, as the ech" %
tue crutches died away.
Dave could not. like other boys
take as many steps as he wished;
and he now shortened his route bj
going through the barn. He wanted
to reach the cliff near which was lis
grandfather's little farm. At the
foot OF the cliff the great sea tumhled
and foamed and rorrei. A u y
q rlace in storm as you ever -ar.
Ba:g-s
Dawes heart almost stopped when
he heard 1t.
THAT is gun from a wreck, and
and | think can see the mssts
above the edge of the cnG. Oh,
dear !"
Dave was right. When be reach
cd the edge Of the clih. be looked
down upon the deck Of & vessel not
more than seventy-fve feet from The
shore Oh, how the sea ragged and
erothed about that wreck Ten mil
lions Of wolves, white folming jaws,
seemed to be springiug at hsr to tear
her in pieces and drag her away,
bowling necessarily as the work
went on No boat could have lived