Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-01-04
Hunting HythSOl Christmas Eve
BY W. B. CossTTT.

BY ". b. COSSITT.
Mrs. Bigelow's work for the day was
done, the last crumb brushed up, the
supper dishes reposed in their places
with resplendent shine upon them,
the stove had polish that would make
You wink, the wood-fire burned with
fervor. Mrs. Bigelcw drew up her
rocking chair to the table, turned the
light of the kerosene lamp a little
hig her, and with a gentle sigh took up
her knitting. She was counting the
stitches-twelve, fourteen, sixteen,
eighteen, twenty-twenty on each
needle, that would make 1t right for
rrowing-twenty. She dropJ ed the
work from her toIl-worn hands and the
old sorrow that had been with her all
day burst the limits, and the sobs and
tears came freely for few minutes, as
she searched blIndly around for a
handkerchief. for Josiah would soon
be in from the barn and must not see
her thus. And just in time, for
tremendous stamping was heard in the
storm shed at the back door. She
heard him set the lantern down and
take the broom 20 sweep out the snow
he had brought in, then carefully close
the door that creaked with the frost
and cold, and hang mp the lighted lan
tern near the window, so that the light
streamed out on the snow.
"Snowin' pretty hard, amt it,
father2" said Mrs. Bigelow, knitting
busily, her face calm from its tears,
with that God-glven hypocrisy that
women fortunately possess.
Eyes, there'il be three feet O. snow
by morning, If it keeps on like this.
Eben's folks will have to get the sledge
out to get over here IN time for din
ner,' said Mr. Bigelow, as he laid
aside comforter and cap and hing his
mittens before the fire TO dry.
There's your bootjack and slippers
down beside the sofy."
can this snow around the barn
makes it warm as toast fur the cree
turs," said Mr.. Bigelow, who had
struggled out of his boots and reached
for his clippers. "Do you suppose, :"
he said after pause, there's any truth
in what they tell about 'em ali kneel-
ing down on Christmas Eve?"
"WhO kueeling down-the Catho-
licsl"
"Nol the creetursl Ever since 1 was
a boy I've meant to get up and go to
the barn and find ont for myself, but
somehow I've always slept right
through till morning"
a don't know, Josiah, said Mrs.
Bigelow gravely, 'it's one o them
mysterious things l never wanted to
search into"
Mr.. Bigelow lighted his pipe and
smoked IN silence for about fifteen
minutes. Then he got up and put some
more wood on the fire.
"It's eight o'clock, father; L wouldn't
make any more fire tonight"
Guess I'll keep the fire agoin';
I've made up my mind to settle the
question to-night, said MIR. Bigelow,
somewhat sheepishly.
Mrs. Bigelow slowly took off her
glasses and stared at him in apprehen-
sion.
''Your're never goin' out in all this
storm at twelve o'clock at night; why,
you'll get your death o cold. l de-
clare" she said IN fiutter, "1t's a
temptin' o Providence-a man o your
sgel 1 declare fort, you must be
crazy, father"
81 don't see as I'm any more likely
to get cold IN the barn at twelve
o'clock than at seven" said Mr.. Bige-
low, anyhow Pm goin.'
"well, o course, if you've made up
your mind there's no use o my sRyin'
anything more" snid Mrs. Bigolow,
with an air of resignation, and she
took up her knitting and proceeded
to ''toe-of" the huge gray sock she
was at work on. When she was
done she rose, filed the tea-kettle, set
it on front of the stove, took a tin box
of mustard and bunch of pennyroyal
from the closet and put them on the
table.
''Iil do my best to save you a fit o
sickness, Josiah" she said grimly IAN
not wink shall | sleep till after tins
awful business is over"
''Guess I'll go down and draw a
pitcher. o elder" said Mr.. Blgelow,
land let's have some o that cake you
made this morning."
Presently he returned with the cider
seething and sparkling in a huge
brown earthen pitcher and put it on
the table Mrs. Bigelow sat down and
took up her needles. "I might as well
east up this other SOCK" she said,
''seein' as you are going 20 carouse the
heft of the night an impressive silence
fell between them, broken only by the
soft sis-s-ssh of the snow on the win
dow pane.
Father" she said timidly, "you
hain't forgot what night this Is.
Twenty years ago tonight our Milly
was born" tears stopped her.
= hard look came over his rugged
face. "a man hain't likely to forget
sn ungrateful, thankless child" he
said deeply.
Cant you find it in your heart to
forgive her. father? We don't know
where in the wide, wicked world, she
may wander tonight, or whether she is
alive or dead"
''She hain't never asked to be for
given, he said impatiently; ''let her
come hero and kneel at our feet and
show she wants forgiveness, then will
be time TO consider the matter. 1
don't want TO hear nothin' more about
1t, neither" he said tiercely.
Mrs. Bigelow was silenced