Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-12-18

the catastr0phe-he put his ragged arm
down on the gatepost, hid his head, and
couldn't say another word.
Miss Marsh opened her hospita bic gate
and laid soothing hand upon the lads
shoulder.
My, N.Y. she said, putting her kind
arm around him altogether and taking
the wet hand away from his face. Then
she half led and half pushed him straight
into the pretty room and made him sit
down in one of the big chairs almost
on the flowers.
After a while Boots stopped crying.
but he was ashamed to look up. 1t
seemed to him that the bird was making
fun of him. He did not want even a
bird to make fun of him.
Have you quite finished, Boots"
Boots shuff1ed around and tried to
laugh.
Because if you have and you are
sure Farmer Mead will not want you
this afternoon | am going to ask you
to help me with my Christmas tree. Mrs.
Wells didn't invite me either"
Boots said nothing. Miss Marsh had
said this in what seemed to be a laugh
ing voice, but if she were laughing at
thing pleasant to him in the sound of
her voice.
The first thing to do she said, ''will
| be to go out and find a tree-a little one
that will look well in my parlor."
Il seen one in the fence corner as I
came along" exclaimed the boy, eagerly.
1T goes up to point, and touches clean
| to the ground"
Miss Marsh fetched her Ratchet and
stood in the doorway smiling as the
| little feet took the big boots clipping
down the road
And now for the next part" she said
to herself or to her bird. one could not
tell which. She talked as much to the
bird as to herself. ''It will require a
good deal OF courage, but my father was
| a brave soldier"
When Boots returned with the tree,
MISS Marsh, shawled and bonneted, was
waiting tor him upon the steps,
Just let 1t remain on the porch" she
SAD, until we pay our visit to Mr..
Then she passed out of the gate with
the, big boots almost skipping at her
heels.
Miss Marsh fumbled the latch on the
store door rather nervously before she
went IN: Mr.. Grimes looked up quickly.
In an instant his pleasant face grew
more pleasant still: it was quite an
honor, and Mr.. Grimes felt it as such
Tor MISS Marsh TO come. herself, to the
village store. She paused in the middle
OF the floor, pressed her hands together,
and then smoothed them one over the
other. She did not know that her heart
could beat SO loud that she could hear
nothing else.
Presently, with her pale cheeks flush
ing a vivid pink, she looked up at the
bland and smiling countenance of Mr..
Grimes and called out brightly, Christ
mas gift"
Just what she expected happened. Mr..
Grimes blushed and smiled and said,
Yes, certainly and THANK you,
ma'am," and then asked Miss Marsh to
look around and help herself.
This she did, with Mr.. Grimes beside
her, smiling courteously. She helped
herself from his remaining stock of candy
and tops; and when she laughingly
pointed out pair of brass-toed boots,
the warm-hearted storekeeper, who was
beginning to comprehend her little plan,
insisted upon the other Boots sitting
down and being fitted. telling her how
he remembered all about the first pair.
Then he looked very kindly at the only
real LADY, in Marshdown. and said that
he, for a fact" considered it a shame
that "a smart fellow like Boots should
have to foot it about just anywheres;"
and when Miss Marsh joined him in
laughing over his good-natured little
joke, he asked her if she didn't think
he would be pretty good boy IN store,
if he were tidied up a bit.
To this she answered yes and see
ing her way clear she went on to explain
Qule STdN0ly ludL Sue INTENDED drFduS-
ing matters so that she might have the
boy with her. Then Mr.. Grimes said in
that case he should be pleased to give
him chance to show what he could do
in the store after Christmas.
Such a happy Christmas as Boots
spent with the little laden tree in the
present, and the store filling the future!
He had a singular dream that night,
though he did not tell it to Miss Marsh
until long afterward, when he was tall,
stalwart young fellow of whom Marsh
down was very proud-for it had not
been able to keep him.
He dreamed about a large tree that
could not by any possibility have been
crammed into the little parlor, and yet
it was there, and it was Miss Marsh's
tree and his. He dreamed that a troop
of angels came gliding down from
heaven, and each one found a girl and
boy not in Marshdown, but around and
about somewhere where they did not
have much Christmas, and brought them
in, and they were all pleased and happy
and delightfully."- bewildered like himself,
as they stood and looked up at the glis-
tening branches and Pickering lights of
the beautiful observation-disclosures r.
Baker in the Youths Companion.