Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-01-03
Big Jeans Love affair.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

A CHRISTMAS STORY.
Mr.. Bronson, Of Boston, was not
we'll, and he and his daughter were
spending the winter at their cottage
by Lake Brule, in the Adirondacks.
Tonight, Christmas Eve, Miss Doro-
thy Bronson was having a Christmas
tr ee.
Her only neighbors were the Cana
dams, whose huts struggled along
the lake shore, now, in the winter
time, seeming lost among great
drifts and snow-weighted evergreens.
This evening, at Miss Bronson's in
vitation, each shanty had poured out
host of swarthy children-well-
behaved, grave little creatures, whose
manners hardly needed the oversight
of the older people that came with
them. When the tree was ablaze
with it's tinsel and candles, they
stood with brown hands pressed to
their sides, black ewes staring, and
lips tightly shut. Not an exclama-
tion-not u word ). perhaps they
thought this GLIMPSE of fairyland
would vanish at the first sound.
II want the older ones to stay and
dance little" said Miss Dorothy,
in her best French. "There is q fid-
der"
So, when the candies and nuts and
oranges had all been distributed, old
Pierre Arneau came in with his fid-
die; the tree was moved to one side,
and the larger boys and girls stood
up for a quadrille. They danced
quietly and very correctly; indeed,
the only person that Pierre, who
called off as well as played. had to
instruct. was the hostess herself.
The next dance there was less gray
ity the next, still less. Miss Dor
othy was just congratulating herself
on the fact that all were having q
good time, when she noticed that
some one was in the corner behind
the Christmas tree. 1t proved to be
tall, stalwart youth. She dragged
him forth.
"Ro! Jean Brusoe," cried one of
the boys; "you cannot hide yourself
behind little bush like that. Come
and dance!"
Jean seemed to lack courage, or to
have no desire to get partner; and
when the next set was forming, Miss
Bronson, seeing he would be left out,
asked him to dance with her. He
obeyed, and went through the fig
ures with clumsy precision.
Now every one was attended to, and
Miss Bronson, looking around.
thought this both successful and
picturesque Christmas party. The
cheeks of the girls, who were young
enough to be still plump and pretty,
glowed with health and excitement;
their eyes were blacker than usual,
IL that were possible, and their new
calico dresses made bright show.
The young men were sturdy lot;
and old Pierre, grinning and nodding
over his fiddle and with red knitted
zap on his forehead, was quaint
and merry figure. Even awkward
Jean, who had drifted back to his
corner and regained the familiar
shelter OF the evergreen, seemed Sc
dately happy.
When it was all over the guests
plodded along the snowy road leading
to the little Canadian settlement. In
the moonlight the spruce trees, which
covered each knoll sloping to the
lake, stood out crisp and dark.
Antoine Latour, one Of the little
group moving along the white road,
was speaking: "Was she not awk-
ward, the nam sellel she was so
stupid in the dance, could have
laughed"
On their way to the settlement
they had to cross a bridge over lis
tie ravine At this place Antoine
was lifted of his feet and tossed into
the deep snow four or five feet below.
He crawled out covered with SHOW
and breathless. "Who did THAR" he
gasped.
II did," said Jean gravely; and
Antoine, who was good-natured
fellow and did not love quarrel as
we'll as laugh, thought best to say
no moro about it.
II think Jean was angry" whis-
pered one OF the others to his neigh
Dor, because ANTOINE sdlu Sne was
awkward; for she danced with Jean.
What, Jeanl you that will scarcely
speak to one Of our girls, have you
set your heart on this city man.
sellef"
When Jean reached home he found
the family all asleep. The plan Of
the house and the heating arrange
ments were simple. There was one
room down stairs and two lofts over
head. The stove, an old-fashioned
cooking stove, stood in the centre Of
the lower room. In cold weather
the entire family, when in the house,
lived here day and night and now all
of them-father and mother, and
Jeans older brothers and sisters-lay
wrapped in their blankets on the
floor in a circle close to the stove.
The wood fire. which had lately
been replenished, burned holly, and
the sleepers looked warm and COM
Portable,