Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-12-19

down on the gatepost, hid his head, and
couldn't say another word.
Miss Marsh opened her hospitable gate
and laid soothing hand upon the lads
shoulder
MY. my" 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
bird to make fun of him.
"Have you quite finished, Boots?'
Boots shuffled 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
ing voice. but if she were laughing at
him he did not care. There was some
thing pleasant to him in the sound of
her voice.
''I'he first thing to do" she said. twill
be to go out and find tree-a little one
that will look we'll in my parlor''
Il seen one in the fence corner as I
came along exclaimed the boy. eagerly.
1T goes UP to a 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 1T 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 for him upon the steps.
Just let it remain on the porch" she
said, until we pay our visit to Mr..
Crimes"
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
for 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..
mas gift"
Just what she expected happened. Mr..
Grimes blushed and smiled. and said,
Yes, certainlyw 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
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
Then he looked very kindly at the only
real LADY, in Marshdown, and said that
be, for a fact" considered it 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 a store,
if he were tidied up bit.
TO this she answered Eyes, and see
ing her way clear she went on to explain
quite gravely that she intended arrang
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 a 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 singular dream that night,
though he did not tell it to Miss Marsh
until long afterward, when he was a tall,
stalwart young fellow of whom Marsh
down was very proud-for it had not
been able to keep him.
He dreamed about large tree that
could not by any possibility have been
crammed into the little parIor, 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 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--
toning branches and Pickering lights of
the beautiful Observation-Disclosures r.
Baker in the Youths Companion.