Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-12-19


was good. But no ice could add to the
present pleasure of ownership. They
had new shoes and silk handkerchief,
with a letter in the corner of it, and
number of candy horses, and one of the
girls had gold finger ring. They had
hung their stockings on line behind
the stove, and everything was filed in
the morning.
Little Billy added another view to
his Christmas lore. 1t was a time for
making people happy. He remembered
a party of children that came down here
in light wagon when hazelnuts were
ripe and stopped for drink of water
from the spring, and he found himself
wondering what the day had brought to
those children.
Of course it never occurred to him to
take a personal view of the matter. He
never imagined himself included in
that wondrous embrace, ''For of such is
the kingdom of heaven.
His nose was red, and his hands were
thrust deep in his pockets when he re-
turned to the house. But he sat on the
chest there by the fireplace and won
dered silently.
Zeph was greasing his boots and re-
GREETING that he didn't have oil instead
of tallow. de rather resented the fact
that the house was tidier than usual,
that plate of apples was upon the
table, and that his wife was rolling pie
crust and cutting cookies-her hair done
up as she used to wear it when he went
a-wooing. He expressed his disapproval
of all this hoky poky and asked her
what she was going to have for dinner.
She said nothing for time. She wished
he had not asked her. There was SO lit.
tie, but she had planned to make it ap
pear as fair as possible.
Across her silence came the bark Of
Dash over there in the woods, and the
hunter instinct in Zeph was reused.
Since no one had asked him to 60 hunt
ing he felt no disinclination to look fol
game. So he glanced out of the win
dow, caught sight Of the hound sitting
there in the timber, looking up for one
moment and then turning his eyes to the
house, barking occasionally the short
emphatic statement that he had found 6
squirrel
Billy was in great glee. His mother
had baked colander full of cookies and
had then nodded with her fingers, lit
tie crudely perhaps, number of ami
mails from the dough-. Billy didn't rec
ognize all of them, but when she told
him he saw the points of resemblance.
And when his father came back he was
quite happy playing with them.
Zeph cut a hazel stick as he came
back through the woods, and after the
squirrels he had shot had been dressed
be held them on the stick and broiled
them before the fire. They were deli
cious, and there was dish of mashed
potatoes-quite an unusual thing-and
some baked apples and the wonderful,
cookies. Billy couldn't imagine bet
ter dinner than that. Zeph ate with
great relish, but by no means forgetting
to regard the whole thing as "hoky
poky." And after dinner he went dowr
to the sawmill and told stories with the
rest of the men, coming home rather be
fore they had exhausted their jug of ap
plejack. He had taken one drink him
self, and it may be that made the differ.
ence. Anyway he was moved to unusu
al behavior.
The fire was low, and he stirred NJ
the burning ends of logs till the cabi1
was filled with a flood of light, and az
he turned he saw there on the pillow a
the side of his sleeping sons head a pitt
full little menagerie of bent, brown
dough and knew that each animal hat
been perfect in the large blue eyes tina
had fought so hard to keep unclosed th'
heavy gates of dreams.
Zeph saw the happy face and knew
that somewhere his boy was wandering
among delights more rare than any hi
hand had given. And the spirit Of con
tention, of rivalry, of race, awaket
within him.
Huh !" he said, and wondered VIII.
the smoke should burn his eyes to weep
ing. Then he turned to the door ant
stole out in the moon gemmed night.
Down the road he went with sweep
ing step, full of vigor and with rising
haste, till the miles lay behind him ant
he fronted the lights of the town. 1t wa
early evening, in spite of the hours O
darkness, and Christmas joy was full
He turned neither to the right nor tn,
left, paid no attention to the gaudy door
Of the sal,Dns, where loud young mel
were boasting, or betting, or trying t
quarrel. He kept right on till he reach
ed the shop Of the tinker, down by tn
bridge, and there he stamped the snoy
from his heavy boots.
The tinker had not expected Gus
toner, and he had been looking at tn
toys left over from the sales of the sea
son. He had done very we'll, but h
wished now he had not bought so many
The hand on his latch lifted his hope
little, and his eager face was strang
contrast with the puzzled countenanc
of Zeph, now for the first time in hi
life yielding to the weakness of scannin
Christmas presents.
"How much for this?" inquired tn
countryman, touching camel with hi
great forefnger. And the tinker was S
willing to sell that he quoted figur
far below his ruling prices.
"Ya-as, alIh this" continued Zept
Itwas a candy castle, with powdere
gilt and frosted silver on the sides.
There>was quite store Of painte
woods and ruffled tins and nodded cand
there at the end of the counter by th
time Zeph reached the limit of his purse
He felt the same STRINGS he had know
| while husking corn, when some boaste