Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-12-25

" SuOutluSS VI Cuoer duu duSW0rIuS
shouts of welcome.
"Must be ,Miller's folks, from Burr
Oaks" said Zeph's wife, as she closed
the door 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
saw the squire's children coming down
the road with basket, and he went out
and stood OH the steps in the sunshine.
The squire's children were taking tur
key to old Mrs. Stevens, down by the
lake They STOPPED at the gate, and he
went down 10 lock at their presents.
They each had pair of skates and were
going to try them on the Lake if the ice
was good Ect, 70 ice coull add to the
present pleasure Of ownership They
had new shoes and silk handkerchief,
with letter in the corner Of it, and
namber 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 q time for
making people happy. He remembered
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 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. 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 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 go hunt.
ing he felt no disinclination to look for
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
squirrel.
Billy was in great glee His mother
had baked a colander full of cookies and
had then nodded with her fingers, a 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
he 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 down
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 up
the burning ends of logs till the cabin
was filled with food of light, and as
he turned he saw there ON the pillow at
the side of his sleeping son s head a pitt
full little menagerie of bent, brown
dough and knew that each animal had
been perfect in 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 a sweep
ing step, full of vigor and with rising
haste, till the miles lay behind him and
he fronted the lights of the town. 1t was
early evening, i'll spite Of the hours of
darkness, and Christmas joy was full.
He turned neither to the right ncr the
left, paid no attention to the gaudy doors
Of the saloons, where loud young men
were boasting, or betting, or trying to
quarrel He kept right on till he reach
ed the shop of the tinker, down by the
bridge, and there he stamped the snow
from his heavy boots.
The tinker had not expected Gus
toner, and he had been looking at the
toys left over from the sales of the sea-
son. He had dono very we'll, but he
wished now he had not bought SO many
The hand on his latch lifted his hopes
little, and his eap II face was q strange
contrast with the puzzled countenance
of Zeph, now for the first time i'll his
life yielding to the weakness Of scanning
Christmas presents.
Chow much for this?'' inquired the
countryman, touching a camel with his
great forefnger. And the tinker was SO
willing to sell that he quoted figure
far below his ruling prices
"Ya-as, and this" continued Zeph.
1t was candy castle, with powdered
gilt and frosted silver Oh the sides.
There was quite a store Of painted
woods and rufi1ed tins and nodded candy
there at the end of the counter by the
time Zeph reached the limit of his purse.
He felt the same STRINGS he had known
while husking corn, when some boaster