The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-12-14

kicks he made the ram lose interest in
the battle aud return to his neglected
flock, with his coat trailing after him.
The farmer helped Preston to his feet
and inquired:
"How did yeh get inteh the wrassle
with Melchisedec2'
"Beelzebub, you mean, don't you? I
was coming up 70 your house when the
freak hunted me-"
"Well, yeh mustn't be too hard on
him, II yeh amt hurt. Yeh amt. are
yeh?''
emo"
"Yeh see, he's had lot. to try his
speerit this winter. The wind may be
tempered to the shorn lamb, as the sayin
is, but 1t amt BY long shot for
shorn ram, and kinder guess the At Of
his overcoat amt exactly to his nkin.
But 'scuse me for talkin so much before
wishin yeh q merry Christmas.
"a what?" asked Preston as be look
ed at the farmer with an ali. of bewil-
derment.
IA merry Christmas
= 'Nonsense, man. This is almost the
end Of February. Christmas was over
two months ago"
"Not by long shot it amt. Today
is Christmas, tell yeh. Yeh must have
got twisted when havin it out with
Melchisedec. He didn't hit yeh on the
head, did hep
"Now, see here, what sort Of nom
Sc ko0( oh
Christmass" asked Preston, with the
air Of q man who was ready to get
angry.
"None at all. Yeh must come to the
house and have Christmas dinner with
us, and maybe that'll convince yeh."
Preston did what he could to remove
from his clothing the effects Of the en-
counter with Melchisedeo and followed
the farmer to his house. The man was
one Of those natural pioneers who had
moved into Ontario because the settle
ments on the st. Lawrence river were
becoming uncomfo1 tably civilized-a
man who was at home with nature and
had way of making the best Of the
rougher side Of life. His wife was a
woman who was in every way in accord
with him, and when Preston was usher
ed into the one room of the hut she re-
turned his greeting shyly, but still
frankly.
"This is the new postmaster, Jane, I"
the farmer had said by way Of intro
duction, land old Melchisedec went at
him as if he'd been keepin back a
registered letter, and do yeh know" he
added, with wink that required fully
half of his whiskered face to execute,
she didn't know that today was Christ
mas until told him."
The woman looked at her husband
laughingly and, understanding the
meaning of his wink, she chimed in:
"That is funny, but I don't suppose
he'll object to havin his Christmas
dinner with US just the same"
"Well," replied Preston, looking
hungrily at huge wild turkey that
was browning in heavy iron pan on
the Goals before the roaring fireplace,
"you may be poking fun at me, but
that old gobbler is no joke, and he
smells appetizing."
The bill of fare, though brief, was of
a kind to satisfy an appetite sharpened
by vigorous exercise in the open air.
The savory turkey was stuffed with
chestnuts, and there was large wooden
dish full Of steaming potatoes that had
been saved for the occasion. These, with
fresh scenes Of johnnycake, completed
the homely banquet.
While they were at the table there
was sudden stir in the pieces of blan-
ket that covered large sap trough in
the corner, and the querulous cry Of a
baby was heard. The mother fastened
to take her child from its primitive
cradle, and while she was hushing him
the father explained to the guest:
"That's the little man that got Mel
chisedec into trouble and made us post
pone Christmas.
"But don't understand how" said
Preston.
"Well, /" replied his host half humor-
ously, half defiantly, "hardworkin
folks like us never have time for Christ
mas, but when this little fellow came
along it didn't seem just right that he
shouldn't have one. But things wasn't
ready just in time. Yeh know yourself
there couldn It be no Christmas without
baby havin socks to be hung up, go we
had to shear old Melchisedeo to gel
wool, and as the socks didn't get made
till this week we just naturally had tc
postpone Christmas until we were ready
for it.
Preston entered into the spirit Of the
occasion and added a handful Of pennies
to the little doll and string Of glass
beads that Santa Claus had left in the
stiff little pair Of stockings, and the
shadows were long before he passed the
guard Of Melchisedec and returned tt
his lonely Office.
| The Christmas Spirit.