The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-12-25
s Selett Stprp.
A PILLOW OF FIRE.
CHAPTER |.
From the New York Tribune.

1t was the afternoon of December ~
4 pair of stout and well grOomed horses
stood hitched to wagon before the door
of Il Nebraska farmhouse. Thongh the
sun shown with a weak and watery lustre,
the air was bitter cold But 5-year- old
Ned and little Alice, aged 3, only clapped
their hands and laughed the louder, as the
keen north wind swept down upon them
from the bleak prairie For their father
was going to town with a message for
Santa Claus, and this time they were sure
that they would not be forgotten.
The door opened and John Richards
appeared, a tall and stalwart young Ameri-
can, with all the good humOr and courage
of his race in his merry blue eyes and
strai ght mouth. He turned and kissed
his wife affectionately.
DO hurry, John, and get back as soon
as you can, she said If it WASH for
disappointing the children | couldn let
you 90. How cold and dreary the sky
looks
don worry, little one, laughed the
husband, as he hoisted child upon either
shoulder. The roads are good, and
can't be gone more than three hours, 1t
won storm before night.
Be sure to tell Santa Claus that | want
a great big rocking horse cried little
Ned
AN member my dolly, please, papa,
Alice, rubbing her cheek softly against
her fathers
III tell him, and he be pretty
mean old scamp if he doesn bring them
Now. into the house with you, little
ones-goodby, and with crack Of hi>
whip, the farmer started smartly off ovel
the long, level road which ran south tc
Defiance. the nearest village and the coun-
ty seat.
Tomorrow was to be happy Christ
mas. At least fortune had smiled upon
them, and they could afford to show the
children how generous the good Christmas
saint might really be. 1t had Jared hard
with the family at first They had come
from Vermont home, with barely money
enough to build rude house and buy /
COW or two and few tools. Grasshoppers
had ruined their crops one season, anC
drouth the next. Even the barest neces
sites of life had at times been wanting,
and as for Christmas-well, the mother
had told her little ones that Santa Clau:
could not come to them for long time
they lived so far away But now, the
tide had turned. There had been rain
which caused the Nebraska prairie to buC
and blossom as the rose; the ample barn
and corncribs could not hold the colder
grain; the mows were bursting with hay
while huge rick in the field contained al
much again; and there we're fruits anc
vegetables in prodigal abundance. Al
this meant money, comfort and hope t.
the Richards family, as we'll as the othe
scattered settlers in the neighborhood
Consequently, Ned and Alice had beer
assured that Santa Claus was coming ives
this year. and their little hearts were a
full as none but children hearts can b'
of joyful uncertainty and delicious expec
tation.
Tn less than an hour Richard stopped
his steaming horses before the one genera
store of which the little hamlet boasted
Then, with smiling face, the father turned
to inspect the stock of cheap toys and trifie
which constituted the dealer S provision TO
the holiday time. He bought candy o
various kinds and colors, several little pre-
sents for each of the babies, and finall,,
selected the largest rocking horse and tn
finest doll that the collection afforded.
"Money hain't no object to ye tn
year, chuckled the grocer, as he hande'
back the change of SO bill.
.sNo, not when the children come IN
answered Richards; ''they'v roughed
with the rest of us, and they shall have
genuine Christmas for once in their live
at any rate.
| That's right; we're all serene; no