Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-12-25
sOb. lows. and them thlngll

Many people in town. ques
toned the wife. She had seen
those splendOrs on Christmas eve,
and she had counted on seeing
them again this season.
'Ya.as; the stores was crowded
and the streets was foil of teams
Couldn't git mOre'n 90 cents for
that cOonskin and had to take that
iu trade. Wouldn't pay no mere'n
30 ceuts if | took it 10 cash. SO |
traded for some truck and come
home. They tried to sell me lot
of plunGer. but don't 90 mono on
on them things
'Nhut plunder, papP asked the
boy. The resources for trimming
his fancy stories were really very
slender. He needed more material.
Just a hint would do. 1t seemed
so rea! to him.
'Oh, a TN horse and wagon and
a candy bird and a woolly little
sheep that says 'babp
Big sheep, pap, or just a lambF
Nav. About, 90 high And
Zeph measured ! span from the
top of the table.
That changed the whole interior
of his wonder cave for the bov.
These treasures we're smaller, why
could they not he made largeri
SO his wonderful creations we're
taking delightful shape. 1t was
quite picture he found himself
arranging when his mother said
from the depths OF the dishpan,
where she was finishing tho snppsr
work:
You're sound asleep, Billy. Go
to bed
Aud he hurried into his little
cot, hoping he could carry the
dream unbroken. How they danced
before him, those excellent ami
mails! How gravely the birds ad'
addressed him, and how reason
able 1t seemed that tin soldiers
should become live dogs and bark
aloud, aud how swift it all was Tor
this was merniDg, and Dash, the
hound, wa, challenging some noise
be beard in the woods across the
road.
This was iust the same as any
other morning to Zeph. He got uT
Iazlly aud dressed In a food oil
sunshine, shlvering a little and
complaining that his wife had no
better fire. BE looked out on the
deep snow and knew the hunting
would be excellent.
Just after breakfast q sleighload
of people passed, their bells Jing
ling with tempting melody and
iingling still till the horses stopped
in front of the squlre's farmhouse
when they gave way to shoutlngI
of cheer aud answering shouts o
welcome.
Must be Mlller's folks, from
Bars Oaks said Z-ph's wife, a.
she closed the door and vondert
if her other DIRE IS was not bette
than this one.
The boy stood there at the win
dow, with his chin on the slll, ant
tried to regain his dream estate
from which the day light ha'
elected him. Presently he saw th
sauire's children coming down tn
road with a basket, aud he wen
out and stood on the stops IN th'
sunshine: The squire's chlldre
we're taking a turkey to old Mrs
Stevens, down by the lake. The.
stopped at the gate, and he wen
down to look 81 their presents
They each had pair OF skate
and were going to try them on tn
lake if the ice was good. But n
ice could add to the present plea
urs of ownership. They had ne
shoes and a silk handkerchle
With a letter 10 the corner OF
aud a mum Der OF candy borses, an
one of the glrls had a gold hng'
ring. They had hung their stoct
ings on line behind the stov
and everything was filed in IL
morning.
, Little Billy added anoth
4 view to his Christmas lore.
: was q time fer making peop
. happy. He remembered par
n OF children that came down he
r in a light wagon when hazelnu
we're ripe and stopped for q drit
r of water from the spring, and
found himself wondering what I
. day had brought to those childre
OF course it never occurred
!, him to take 9 personal view OF Z
a matter. He never imagined hi
self included in that wondro