Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-12-25
embrace, For such is the kingdom

embrace, For such is the kingdom
of heaven
His nose was red, and bis hands
we're thrust deep in his pockets
when be returned to the house.
But he sat on The chest there By
the ireplace.and wondered silently
Zeph was greasing his boots
aud regretting that he didn't have
oil instead lot tallow. He rather
resented the fact that the house
was tidier than usual, that a 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 wOolng. he expressed his
dlsapproval of all this hOky poky
ard asked her what she was going
to have for dinner. She said moth
ing for a time. she wished he
had not asked her. There was so
little bat she had planned to make
it appear as fair as possible.
Across her silence came the bark
of Dash over there in the woods,
aud the hunter instinct in Zeph
was reused. Since no one bad
asked him to go hunting be felt no
disinclinati0n to look for game.
SO he glanced out of the window,
caught sight of the hound sitting
there in the tim Der, looking up for
one moment and then turning his
eyes to the house, barking occas'
lonally the short. empnalc state
ment that he had found a squirrel.
Billy was in great glee. His
neither had baked a colander full
of cookies and had them nodded
with her fingers, little crudely
perhaps, a number Of animals from
the dough. Billy didn't recognize
all OF them, bat when she told him
he saw the points OF resemblance.
And when his father came hack he
was quite happy playing with
them.
Zeph cut hazel stick as he
came baok through the woods,
aud after the squirrels he had
shot had beeg dressed he held
them on the stick and brolled
them before the fire. They wer
delicious, and there was dish OF
mashed potatoes quite an unusual
thing-and some baked apples
and the wonderful cookies. Billy
couldn't imagine a better dinner
than that. Zeph ate with great
relish, but by no means forgetting
to regard the whole thing as 'hoEy
psky.' Aud after dirner be went
down to the sawmill and teld
stories with the rest OF the men,
coming home rather before they had
exhausted their Jug OF appleJack
He had taken one driuk himself,
and 1t may be that made the differ
ence. Anyway he was moved to
unusual behavior.
The Are was low, and he stirred
up the burning ends of logs Till
the cabin was filled with food
of light, and as he turned be saw
there on the pillow at the side o.
bis sons head pltlful little men
agerle OF bent, brown bongh and
knew that each animal had beeu
perfect in the large blue eyes tha'
had fought so hard to keep unc'os'
ed the heavy gates of dreams.
Zeph saw the happy face and
knew that somewhere his boy wal
wandering among delights mor'
rare than auy his hand had given
Aud the spirit Of contention, o
rivalry, of race, swaked within
him.
'HuhY he said. and wondered
why the smoke should burn bis
eyes to weeping. Then he turned
50 the door and stole out in th
noon gem med night.
Down the road he went with
sweeping step foil OF vigor ant
with rising haste, till the miles la,
behind him and he tronted tn
lights of the town. IL was earl.
evening in spite of the hours o
darkness and Christmas joy wa
| foil. He turned neither to thu
right nor the ielt, paid no after
ton to the CANDY doors OF tn
saloons, where loud young me
we're boasting, or betting or try
ing to quarrel. He kept right o
| till he reached the shop OF tn
tinker, down by the bridge an
there he stamped the snow ffoI
lis heavy boots.
The tinker had not expected
customer, and be had been looS
ing at the toys left over IRON u
, sales of the season. Ho had don
verv we'll, but he wished now b