The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-12-16

d-Daitlu uc cDH spcilets, uu d-OohJu iiH
wild screech owls an Joy birdsan' rabbits
foots, an tollin all de imps o darkness
bout dis yer house twel y'all done fell in
de trap. done tole y'all long go; now
y'all see dat Ebneesur monty nigh right.
But ole Miss say, ooh, dey amt no ebil in
de gal. | cont hoop her. She DIES leetle
cooler in she ways. Don be too hahd on
de GAL She ben a-pesterin' me twel my
hans DIES eetched ter maui her good. Den,
ter cap de crymax, she 60 steal de lantern,
so dey be bleeged ter Glib up gwine after
Mahs Ebbett-so de weddin'd be spilled
and de Krissmus rooned an ebyting gin
ober ter de ebil un. Soon's dey say dat
lantern gone fru de gate, | des feel it all
fru my bones dat SNOWFALL take it. She
GO slomickin' fru all dis mud an rain an
brackness fer to suit de ebil sperrets, an l
recken by dis time de debil got 'er sho'
nuff"
At this juncture Jap and Joe arrived,
bringing with them, in excellent condition,
Mr.. Everett. The greetings over, he gave
an account of the perils that he andshis
fellow passengers had encountered and of
their seemingly miraculous escape from a
terrible DEATH 1t turned out that, just as
the train was about to pull on to the bridge,
some one way out on the structure, in the
locality of the break, gave the engineer the
signal with lantern to stop. As that Off
cial was on the lookout for danger, he was
not slow to obey the sudden summons, and
whistle an abrupt "down brakes. But
Just as he was stopping his train, he was
shocked to sec the holder of the lantern
dashed amid falling timbers into the water
below. The light shot down through the
darkness like fallen meteor, revealing as
it went dark body in close proximity
which was doubtless the savior of the train.
The alarm being given, some parties liv
ing on that side started out at once with
skiffs. In the meantime the people at the
station had become aware of some calamity,
and proceeded with boats and lanterns to
see if the train had been wrecked. Mr..
Everett had come over in one of these
boats; but the greater portion of the pas
sengers preferred remaining on that side
until daylight. He stated that he should
have felt in excellent spirits, notwithstand-
ing the perils, the delay and the indescrib
able mud, had it not been for the distress
ing news that greeted them on this side
the water. Here they were told that the
heroic person who had saved the train with
its precious cargo had been drowned; that
the body of colored person had been
picked up and taken to a house on this
side, where all the local medical talent had
labored unsuccessfully to resuscitate it.
At this moment the conversation was in
terrupted by the sight of an approaching
team Illuminated with many lanterns. 1t
stopped, and body was taken around to
the rear of the dwelling. The wailing that
now recommended announced to Mrs. Ash
ton and her family that something fearful
had occurred; and, on fastening to the
apartment of Aunt Rose, they found the
dark and lifeless form of SNOWFALL stretched
. bop,., 4l,o Era tu,fh Of tho aolarn1
/ people endeavoring to revive her
1t was a noteworthy incident that Uncle
Eb was making the most strenuous efforts
in this direction He was laboring most
assiduously, and with untiring effort and
zeal, seemingly oblivious of everything save
the task Of bringing SNOWFALL back to life.
Mrs. Ashton and the others now united
their efforts, and, through the philosophic
treatment and advice of Uncle Eb, at length
we're rewarded by seeing the dusky orbs
of SNOWFALL slowly unclose.
Remaining until they were assured that
the poor creature was fully restored, the
white portion withdrew, leaving the patient
to the tender nursing of Uncle Eth.
In the parlor SNOWFALL became the alb
sorbing theme of conversation. Her pecu-
liarities were discussed; but so full of
gratitude were they all for her last great
deed that a unanimous need of praise was
awarded her.
''Now, children, said Mrs. Ashton, ad-
dressing her grown-up family, "you must
go to the cabin where the darkies have
hung their stockings, and find the one be-
longing to SNOWFALL. Select the best the
house contains, and fill the stocking and
its surrounding space with whatever is
likely to find favor with that peculiar crea-
ture-and spare nothing
The next morning the family rose rather
late, and found clearer sky and cooler
atmosphere
The greetings of ''Krissmus Gift y
throughout the house were much later than
common. Usually on Christmas morning
the eOlored population are stirring before
dawn, and rouse the sleepy household with
their noisy clamorings of "Krissmus Gift ~
until they have been met and appeased by
each individual member, great or small.
The nights excitement and late hours had
somewhat retarded and mellowed their
sharp ordinations and persistent solicita-
tons. Still, as the morning advanced and
the sun was beginning slowly to assert his
power over the nearly vanquished clouds,
the negroes had regained something of
their wonted Christmas hilarity
Mrs. Ashton slipped out to see how
Jared the resuscitated heroine, and found
her holding matinee in the chimney cor