St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT.

him. I've come to keep Christmas with you,
Liza Had your supper, chi You're in luck.
haven't; I wasn't invited, Liza but never
mind. You shall feed for both of us. Here
goes l" and suiting the action to the word, he
dug into the oats-bin with the measure, and
poured it full into 'Liza's crib.
Now chew, while hunk upstairs" and with
a departing pat he crept up the ladder to the
loft above and scooping out berth in the loose
hay snuSgled down in it to sleep. Soon his reg
ular breathing up there kept step with the
steady munching of the. horse in its stall. The
two reunited friends were dreaming happy
Christmas dreams.
The night wore into the small hours of Christ
mas morning. The fury of the storm was in
creasing still. The old cottage shook under the
fierce blasts and the chestnuts waved their
hoary branches wildly, beseechingly, above it
as If they wanted to warn those within of some
threatened danger. But they slept and heard
them not. From the kitchen chimney, after g.
blast more violent than any that had gone be-
fore, a red spark issued, was whirled upward
and beaten against the shingle roof of the barn,
swept clean of snow. Another followed it, and
another. Still they slept in the cottage; the
chestnuts moaned and brandished their arms
weirdly in vain. The storm famed one Of the
sparks into fame. It fiickered for moment
and then went out. So, at least, it seemed.
But presently it reappeared. and with it q faint
glow was reflected in the attic window over
the door. Down in her stall Liza moved uneas-
lily. Nobody responding, she plunged and
reared, neighing loudly for help. The storm
drowned her calls her master slept, unheed-
ing.
But one heard it, and in the nick of time.
The door of the shed was thrown violently open,
and out plunged Jim, his hair on fire and his
clothes singed and smoking. He brushed the
sparks off himself as if they were fakes of
snow. Quick as thought, he tore 'Lza's halter
from its fastening, pulling out staple and ali,
threw his smoking coat over her eyes and
backed her out of the she'd He reached in and
pulling the harness off the hook, threw it as
far into the snow as he could, yelling I" fire" at
the top of his voice. Then he jumped on the
back of the horse and beating her with heels
and hands into mad gallop, was Off up the
street before the bewildered inmates of the cot
tage had rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and
come out to see the barn on fire and burning
up.
Down street and avenue fire engines raced
with changing bells, leaving tracks OF glowing
Goals in the snow drifts, to the cottage in the
chestnut lots. They got there just in time to
see the roof crash into the barn, burying, as
Joe and his crying wife and children thought,
Liza and their last hope in the fiery wreck.
The door had blown shut and the harness Jim
threw out was showed under. No one dreamed
that the mare was not there. Thefiames burst
through the wreck and Lit up the cottage and
swaying chestnuts. Joe and his family stood
in the shelter of it, looking sadly on. For the
second time that Christmas night tears came
into the honest truckman's eyes. He wiped
them away with his cap.
Poor Liza, he said.
A hand was laid with gentle touch upon his
arm. He looked up. 1t was his wife. But she
was no longer sad or crying. Her face beamed
with great happiness.
joe she said, you remember what you
read: 'tidings OF great joy Oh, Joe 8! Jim
has come home"
She stepped aside, and there was Jim, sister
Jenny hanging on his neck, and Liza alive and
neighing her pleasure. The lad looked at his
father and hung his head.
Jim saved her, father, said Jenny, petting
the grey mare, sit was him fetched the en-
gine.''
Joe took step toward his son and held out
his hand to him.
Jim" he said, you're a better man nor yer
father. From now on, you'n run the truck on
shares. But this mind, jim: never again
leave your mother"
And in the clasp of the two hands all the past
was forgot and forgiven. Father and son had
found each other again.
Liza said the trucknan with sudden vehe-
mence turning to the old mare and putting his
arm around her neck, Liza 1t was your do
ms knew it was luck when 1 found them
things Merry Christmas ~ And he kissed her
smack on her hairy mouth, one, two, three
JACOB A. RIIS.