Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-12-23

The shepherds on the plains
Sang of The little stranger born
Mid trampled hay and tossing horn.
Where stood the laden wains:
Sang with the stars for Joy
To welcome Mary's Boy;
In their stalls the oxen knelt to pray;
In manager bed the Babe Of Bethle-
hem lay.
He brought good will and peace;
His birthday still in form we keep,
But no divine impulses leap,
No jars of discord cease.
We bring no deeds well done
To gladden. Mary's Son.
To his nativity no joy we bring;
Our souls are dumb, although our
voices ring.
Hank! lis the Christmas chime!
Sweet peace on earth, good will to
men;
Repeat those joyful words again
That message most sublime
The tidings glad repeat;
Sing, sing the carols sweet,
In heart and spirit come we to adore.
Peace and good will be ours for ever
more.
why, Evelyn, | had no idea you
were so much of poet. You must
sing that to your mother and my old
friend Featherstraw. He'll be de-
lighted"
Mamma has heard it already, and
| will sing it for Mr.. Featherstraw to
please you, but really he does not
know one note from another, and he
is too deaf to distinguish the words,
Now, Ralph Hovey could sing beau
tiful second"
II won't have you calling men by
their first Names" reared the colonel;
but Evelyn, full Of sweet peace.
kissed him into good humor.
Later in the day he hustled in, and
told her to- get on her toys, as they
would have time before dark to go
after the Christmas tree.
.
and it won't take us long to go and
come" he said.
"Viceroy," said Evelyn surprised.
Isn't that something like hitching
your cart to a star? Are YOU sure you
know how to manage him."
Did you ever see horse that your
father couldn't manager" asked the
colonel, initiating his chest.
Evelyn remembered two or three
disastrous trips from school on occn-
sions when her father drove, hut
wisely forehore to mention them,
They start ID in good spirits, and Vice
roy drove as gently as n kitten.
When they reached the nurseries the
tree was soon selected, and placed on
the blackboard in n leaning position
next to the back seat. Then NIceroy's
nose was turned in the direction OF
home.
What happened next Is still a subject
for speculation. Whether the noble
animal felt aggrieved at the humility
offered him OF the blackboard or the
tree no one knows. Perhaps he
caught the unwieldy dimensions of
the evergreen out OF the tail OF his
eve the colonel was cranky about
any horse of his wearing binders
but OFF he went like the wind in a
totally different direction from that
which 1t was intended he should take
He's running away"
shrieked Evelyn.
Keep STILL" said her father as he
sawed the lines and braced his feet
against the dashboard.
Now, this was no common runaway
Viceroy did not go sprinting along
the road at the breakneck pace OF the
ordinary plug" humping over OBJ
stacles and kicking like mad. He
was a thoroughbred and ran like a
bird on the wing, Swimming over DIFF
ficulties In the most artistic manner
and avoiding with fine horse instinct
the chatter which is so annoying at
such times. He had not taken kindly
to the colonel yet and was decidedly
homesick, so he had taken the bit be
tween his teeth and was putting In his
best stretches for his late owners
stables.
When this fact became patent to
Evelyn she felt willing TO take the
risk. but IT is my own opinion the
colonel would have preferred disaster.
Christmas bells were Ginning for
evening ser.ice from all the towers
and steeples within sound, while
Ralph Hovey walked about his frozen
dooryard In utter loneliness. The