The Somerset reporter., 1895-12-10

dressed in a flood of sunshine, shiyering
little and complaining that his wife
had no better fire. He looked out on the
deep snow and knew the hunting would
be excellent.
Just after breakfast sleighlaad of
people passed, their bells jinghng with
tempting melody and jingling still till
the horses stopped in front Of the
squire farmhouse, when they gave way
to shoutings Of cheer aud answering
shouts of welcome.
Must be Miller's folks, from Burr
Oaks, " said Zeph's wife, as she closed
the deor and wondered if her other dress
was not better than this one.
The boy stood there at the window,
with his chin on the sill, and tried to
regain his dream estate, from which the
daylight had elected him. Presently he
saw the squire's children coming down
the road with basket and he went out
and stood On the steps in the sunshine.
The squre's children were taking tur
key 10 old Mrs Stevens, down by the
lake They stopped at the gate, and he
went down to look at their presents.
They each had a pair Of skates and were
going to try them Oh the lake if the Ice
was good But no ice could add to the
present pleasure Of ownership. They
had new SHOES and silk handkerchief,
with Il letter IN the corner Of it, and
number Of candy horses, and one Of the
girls had "A gold finger ring. They had
hung their stockings on a line behind
the stove, and everything was filled III
the morning.
Little Billy added another view 10
his Christmas lore. 1t was time for
making people happy. He remembered
a party Of children that came down here
in a light wagon when hazelnuta 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 personal view Of the matter. He
never imagined himself included III
that wondrous embrace, "For Of such is
the kingdom of heaven.
His nose was red, and his hands were
thrust deep III 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 He 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 Is time. She wished
he had not asked her. There was so lit
tle bat 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 ronsed.
Since no one had asked him TO go hunt
ing he felt no dissemination to look for
game So he glanced out of the win
dow, caught sigh of the hound sitting
there III the timbr, looking no for one
moment and then turning his eyes to the
house. barking occasionally the short
emphatic statement that he had found
squirrel.
Billy was in great glee. His mother
had baked colander full Of cookies and
had then nodded with her fingers, a lit
tie crudely perhaps, a number of ami
mails from the dough. Billy dldn 1 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.
Zenh cut 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 hroiled
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 .'holly
poky " And after dinner he Wesss down
to the sawmill and told stories with the
rest of the men, coming home rather be
fore they had exhausted their jug of APP
plcjack He had taken one drink hlm-
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 up
the burning ends of logs till the cabin
was filled with flood Of light, and as
he turned he saw there on the pillow at
the side Of his sleeping son s head pitt
full little menagerie of bent, brown
dough and knew that each animal had
been perfect i'll the large blue eyes that
had fought so hard to keep unclosed the
heavy gates of dreams.
Zeph saw the happy face and knew
that somewhere his boy was wandering
among delights more rare than any his
hand had given. And the spirit Of con-
tention, Of rivalry, of a race, awaked
within him.
Huh !" he said, and wondered why
the smoke should burn his eyes to weep
ing Then he turned to the door and
stole out in the moon gemmed night.
Down the road he went with sweep
ing step, full of yigor and with rising
haste, till the miles lay behind him and
he fronted the lights of the town. 1t was
early evening, in spite Of the hours of
darkness, and Christmas joy was full.
He turned neither to the righr nor the
left, paid no attention to the CANDY doors
Of the saloons where loud young men
were boasting, or betting, or trying to
quarrel He kept right on till he reach