St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-12-18

was spreading soft fur over them. lie
was tucking them in, tucking - them
in, -tucking-them-.
Christmas day came into a world full
OF fresh, sun-kissed snow. Piled every
where and repiing at the winds will, it
gave a dazzling welcome to the day
The passenger coach behind No. 1O7 woke
up into it.
"Merry Christmasl" the Old Maid said
over the back OF her seat to the Lone
some Boy,
MERRY Christmas he called back,
with sudden warm feeling in his heart.
The brakeman came through, stamp
ing the snow from his feet and whistling
cheerlully. "a good day to be stuck in,
amt it," he shouted, taking them all in
impartially.
Cant we pull through today" asked
the Crusty Man.
Never a bit, sir. She's stuck up to
her knees. We've got to set still this
day, whether no. Can't be helped, sir"
"Humph! When can we get out OF
this hole, then? Anytime this year,
The brakeman shrugged his shoulders
good humoredly.
~ calc'Iate so-this year sometime.
They've got to get relief through with
snow plows enough. Mebby they'll push
her through by tonight. Mebbe they
won't"
"And meantime j."
meantime there's fodder enough
aboard; that's somethin to be thankful
for. There's crate or two of Christmas
fxin's forrard in the baggage an we'll
borrow some of it and settle up later.
It's bound for Jacks, shipped clear
through from Boston,
He did not say it belonged to the con-
ductor and was to have made up part OF
his own Christmas dinner, with the six
children waiting round the table. That
was only what the Lonesome Boy said
in his story, but, for once, anyway, the
Boy came near being right.
The brakeman piled the stove full OF
wood and slammed the door, briskly.
He stopped at the door to call back,
Call on me, any ofye, when you begin
to feel empty"
The Family was already breakfasting
on the GRUMPY remnants of yesterdays
luncheon. The Twins and Wiggles SEEM
ed to be getting the lions share and the
Old Maid reached across the aisle and
slipped doughnut into the Ready Ones
hand. Another doughnut fell accidental
ly back on the Boys seat-was it acct
dent -?
He munched it with a relish when she
would not take it back, and the warm
feeling in his heart steadily grew warmer.
He breathed on his frosted window pane
and applied his eye to the vision spot,
Snow, snow, snow-and snow.
"Ain't there sight Of it thought" he
thought. AN don't it look pretty
Look at all the bushes covered up but
Just the. toppest twigs of 'em-an' ,cricky
if there isn't Christmas tree all dressed
up"
1t stood not far from the track. Dainty
trappings of snow bent its branches
gracefully and made beautiful harmony
of white and green. 1t belonged to thu
Lonesome Boys story, surely. 1t began
!, his Idea.
He settled back in his seat and enter
tanned his Idea Tor a long time, gravely
Meanwhile the Crusty Mar went to thu
door and discovered the Christmas tree
too, and the Idea! He put his grizzlet
head back into the car and nodded it
the Boy, following it with a beckonin'
: finger. The Boy went out in answer t.
the signal and stood talking with tn
Crusty Man on the snowy platform
] They had never spoken to each other be
: fore, and they seemed so much like oil
| friends in their common ownership of tn
, Idea, and both took so much interest i
] it, that they were presently very we
=, acquainted.
i They went ahead through the trai
i after little and disappeared. Whe
D they came back it was nearly noon, an
the Lonesome Boys thin face was shir
d ing with excitement and pride. He stol
l. ped at the Old Maids seat and politel
g waited for her to finish counting he
t stitches. Thread over twice, knit thre
purl-thread oversize glanced up an
n saw the Boy. He had long whisperin
:. consultation with her, fragments
is which drifted across the aisle into II
t. Ready Ones ears.
|! owe got some big crambe in m
t. satchel-they're beauties-home to Sopt
Ie AIMS folks - Christmas dinner -ju
s wells not-Bless you, yes, right here
g my handbag!'
" And thread? ," she heard the Lon
y some Boy whisper eagerly.
Land, yes, everything Needle, Gus
ID ion, thiuble, observation-disclosures
i'll string 'em myself wells not"
lg The Crusty Man spread out his bulk
ID person before the red hot stove, careful
he shielding his operations from view.
e- pleasant, parched odor pervaded II