Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-12-21

the house to consult with his wife abo,
the kind of struck" most likely to
acceptable to the J, mes family.
"h bewl bow cold lis getting" q
b claimed The merchant, as a blast of col
air rushed into The wel!-hea!e ed stor
from an op dor. Showing, t, {
! that's good. This will help trade i'm
mensely. We Away, ave a fine trad,
W hen We have cold, snowy Christmas
This change in the wea her is worth q
thousand dollars to me. I can afford
to give the wife and children a pretty
good Christmas this time, thanks &c
old Boseas."
Then came the thought OF those to
whom Christmas brought no good cheer
except as charity should bestow it, and
going to his desk, be filed out a check
Tor fifty dollars and sent it 10 the COM
miitee who were arranginga Christmas
feast for the poor and neglected of the
city.
Meanwhile the North Wind, still
spec ding on his journey. had reached
the warm southland, where the terri
BILE Fever Spectre had been holding
nigh carnival fer weeks, Selling upon
men, women and children and laying
them upon beds Of suffering and pain,
and in many csses death, bringing to
the homes of the land gloom and sor-
row and filing all hearts with fear and
dread.
"Aha !" said the old North Wind, as
he saw the state of things, "this is
where I'm needed. I'll soon put IN
end to this. Apretty Christmas they'd
have here if this went onw
And giving his cloak au indignant |
whirl, he rushed over tie land SO |
hercely and determindely that the Fever
Spectre, who had hesitaied and falter-
ed in his work of destruction at the
nrst Icy breath Of the North Wind, now
dropped everything and fed in terror
md dlsmay before the indignant old
elbows terrible blasts, leaving poor
'lctlms pale and weak, but happy and b
thankful enough over his departure and q
heir escape from his clutches. d
"Thank God for this north wind"
aid the doctor, returning from his y
ound Of 7isitG to his patients. "This III
'ost and snow will eAectually end the
'ver's ravages, and we shall have q Ii
Sht Merry Christmas yet" q"
"Ihere!" painted the North Wind, b
hen be had driven the Fever Spectre n,
the tar-away and uninhabited part M
the land, where he could do no mis- 70
lief, chat finishes my journey, and
w L must get back home in time for Sc
own Christmas dinner. I've made ne
city good time" be added, shaking tel
cloak TO make sure he had distri- 80
ted all the snowfakes, and turning ne
pockets inside out to see that no lazy alb
yards were Sinking work by hiding yoI
re. "And I need not be in such q vii
Try going back. I'll have time to be
around and attend to any little he
tiers that may have escaped me hol
hing down." 1 n
20 saying, he filed his lungs anew the
warm southern air with which to wit
'nds for any unwonted severity to- doy
d any particular spot on his first mai
to it, and facing about; started and
rily northw-rd, we'll pleased with ried
self and his efforts. Nor was he the
less gratifed as be retraeed his 7
s over his former course and saw as p
result of bis work. the
he beard ordinations up
eight at the Christmas snow and Of W
and saw that the preparations for his
great Christmas festival we're 60 miss
N with redoubl edlnterest and hap T.
$ because of it. hep
re'ty good trip" he murmured TO his {
elf, for his slackened pace made it =
be for him to be less noisy, and