The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-18
Harriet AIMS Christmas.
BY MARY R. WILKINS.
6copyrIght. 1sss. BY the Author.l


mother went I did not sleep much, though
the others did. We three girls slept in one
room. with Charley in a little one out of it,
and we were all locked in.
The next night L slept little better and
did not feel so much afraid, and the next day
Samuel j. Wetherhed came and we all felt
perfectly safe after that He came about 10
O'Clock in the morning and knocked on the
south door, and we all jumped. 1 don't sup
pose anybody had knocked on that door three
times since we had lived there, it was such
a lonesome place. We were scared and did
not dare to go to the door, but when he
knocked the second time I mustered up
courage. told Flora, who was as large as
1 and stronger, to take the carving knife,
hide it under her apron and stand behind me.
OF course / thought at once of the money
and that this might be a robber. Then I
opened the door crack and peeped out. The
minute saw the man who stood there did
not feel afraid at ALL and Flory said after
ward that she felt awful ashamed of the
carving knife and afraid that he might see
it and be hurt in his feelings.
He stood there, smiling with such a pleas
ant smile. He did not look very old, not
near as old as father, and he was quite well
dressed. He was very good looking, and
hearts at once. He more than smiled-he
fairly laughed in such a good-natured way
when he saw how we were all peeking, for
the younger children were behind Flory, and
1 found afterward that Charley who had
great notions of being smart and brave.
though he was so little because he was a
boy, had the poker, shaking it at the
stranger. The man laughed and said in
such a pleasant voice. pleasanter than his
smile even: Now, don't you be scared,
children, 1 am Samuel j. Wetherhed."
The man said that as if it settled every
thing, and we all felt that 1t did, though
we had never heard of Samuel j. Wetherhed
in our lives. We felt that we ought to
know all about him, and Janey said that
night that she was sure she had seen his
name in the Missionary Herald, and he must
be a deacon who gave great deal to mis-
sions.
Samuel J. Wetherhed went on to tell us
more about himself though 1 am sure we
should have been satisfied with the name.
Il have a married sister who lives in Ware
vile. She married man of the name of
Stackpole," said he, and we all nodded wise
ly at that and felt that it was an intro
duction. We knew Mr.. Stackpole. He was
the man to whom father had sold his wood
land. Il went to visit my sister last week.
said the man. II haven't got any settled
work. Yesterday my sisters husband saw
your father and he told him how he had
left you all alone up here and felt sort of
worried, and / thought as long 1 was
just loafing around and no use to anybody
| might just as well come UP here and look
after you little and stay till your folks
got back and look out there didn't any
wolves or robbers or anything get you"
The man laughed again in such q pleasant
merry way when he said that, and then he
went on to tell us that his sisters husband
said Uncle William was better and the doc
tor thought he would get well, but he
guessed father and mother would have to
stay there for awhile. We asked the man
III, and he made himself at home at once
1t seemed to me / had never seen a man
SO very kind as he was, and he was so Quick
to see things that needed to be done. He
went out Of his own accord and drew a pail
of water, and he brought in wood for the
sittinS=room fire. We children all agreed
when we went upstairs to bed that night
that there never was man good except
father We had told him our plans for
Christmas and he was SO much interested.
He said of course we could have a tree.
liam was not we'll enough for father and
mother to leave him on Christmas day he
would go to Wareville himself and stay
with Uncle William so they could come
home. He said, too. that he could go down
to the village on foot and if we would
make out a list of the things we wanted he
would so down and buy them for US. He
went the very next day. We gave him all
our money. and he brought back everything
we wanted We decided to make him some
presents, too, and 1 began little wash
leather money bag, like the one 1 had made
for father. Flory made a penwiper and
Janey a worsted boollmark.
Samuel j. Wetherhed cut a beautiful tree
for US, taking us all into the woods to pick
it out Then he set it up in the parlor so
firmly that it did not shake. He rugged
some sockets for candles and helped us
string popcorn for decorations and made
candy bags. He could sew as we'll as mother.
Samuel j. Wethered was the most indus
trious man l ever saw. He was not idle
minute. He MIXED and did all the barn
chores he made the fires, and drew water,
ard swept the floors, and washed the milk
pals for me, and all his spare time he was
at work upon our Christmas preparations as
busiy as we were. He found some boards
ard tools of fathers and made some won
derful things with them There was nice
box, which he showed us how to line with
flannel for mother to keep knives and forks
in, a little boat for Charley and a number
of other things.
l felt much easier in my mind about the
money after Samuel ]. Wetherhed came.
We had given Samuel the bedroom cut Of
the kitchen to sleep in. He SAID ne would
rather have that. because it was so handy
for him to build the fire in tie morning,
and l did not have the slightest suspicion
that anything was wrong until the night
of the day but one before Christmas. l had
been sleeping well since Samuel came
through feeling so safe, though l had, as
afterward remembered, often started
awake because i thought 1 heard q noise
but that night did not go to sleep as soon
as usual I was very much excited think
ing about Christmas and father and mother
coming home. Samuel had gone down to
the village that morning and got a letter
for me from mother in which she said that
they We're coming home Christmas morning
since Uncle William was well enough to be
left. We were all delighted. the more so
because we thought that now Samuel could
stay and have our Christmas tree with US
He laughed and thanked us when we said