Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-01-06
COJ0RaDES.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

It was the day before Christmas.
Outside the snow was falling thicl
1t into drifts along the fences and heap
ing 1t in the hollows of the orchard
above the russell leaves that had gath.
cred there. Grandmother Waite stood
at the window of the old house on the
hill that had been her home for good
many years, and looked out into The
storm with a pitiful sadness in her
thin, worn face.
''T'morrer's Christmas Day." she
said, shivering in the wintry air that
came in through the broken panos.
Christmas Day, but they're goin' to
turn us out o. house an home, Rover.
This to the old dog who had followed
her to the window. 1T don't look
much like home" with glance about
the little bare room, "but it's all the
place we've got to call so, an we've
kind O. got 'tached to ii If faint very
pleasant hain't we, Rover? Dear me!
To think that I'm eighty past. an they
can't let me die in peace. It's a hard
world for old folks, Rover, specially
when they're poor an hain't got any
friends, like u.s.
She turned away from the window
and sat down by the broken old stove,
through whose cracks smoldering fire
sent out a feeble glow of light and
but little warmth. Rover came and
laid his head upon her faec, and
looked up into her face as If to say.
at may be hard world, but you
aren't quite without friends; you've got
me yet"
Grandma Waite laid her wrinkled
hand on the dogs head and patted 1t
lovingly.
eff they'd only let us stay here she
said. 1T wouldn't be for long. When
one gets to be eighty, past, the end
can't be fur off. But they won {.
You'll have to CO. they said. They
talked as II they was doin' it out o.
kindness. ''Tain't safe for an OF
woman like you to stay here alone,
they said, AN you'll be better off there,
for Job Green's a relation, an he'll
take good care o. ye' But l don't want
to 60 there. Job Green don't want me-
He knows how hard time I've had of
1t along back, an he hain't never ben
nigh me. But he's afraid the towns
goin' to do somethin with me, an he
don't want 1t said relation o. his Is
on the town, SO he's offered to take me.
They needn't worry about me. I've
earnt my Twin by knittin' an doin'
odd jobs, an / can do it yet IL they'd
let me. hain't asked nobody for any
thing But there / hadn't ought to
talk like that about the neighbors, for
they've ben dretful kind to me. Mebbe
they do think it'll be better for me
over to Jobs, but know better. It'll
be Jobs place, an I'll be stayin' with
him, an won't feel free an unbehold-
in 8 I do now. But l don't spose
can help myself. They said he'd be
over after me bright an early in the
mornin', an'-we'll have to CO."
The dog whined out his sympathy
and licked her trembling hands.
you love me, don't you, Rover?"
She whispered, breaking down and sob
bling pitifully. You've ben a better
friend to me than them I felt sure /
could depend on. We've lived to-
gether a good many years, an we'll
stay by each other to the last. What
ever else they do, we won't let 'em part
us. will we, Rover?"
There was knock at the door.
Grandma Waite wiped her eyes hast
\
went to open it.
How d. we do, Grammar" said her
visitor as she came into the room,
shaking the snow from her shawl.
I'VE was goin' by-goin' over to
Greensboro to spend Christmas with
Daughter Ellen, you know-an' I says
to father, I'm goin' to run in to say
goodbye to Gran'ma Waite, for she'll
be gone fore we get back, an mebbe
t II quite a spell fore git to see her
ag'in.' You're calcilatin' to go in the
mornin', / s'pose?"
Eyes, reckon I'll have to-" an
swered Grandma Waite, with CULVER
Of the lip. "But tell We, Mis- Hold
redge, il comes hard"
WOhuCi, ISoRohuCu MTG.
Holdredge. 1T must, seems you've
ben here SO long. But / don't think
you ought to feel hard lords the
neighbors, Grandma. 'Tain't right fer
you to stay alone here. at your age.
Sometimes likely to happen to you any
time Job Green's able to take care
of We, an it's his place to, seem s.
about all he's got come from your
folks by HIS marryin' Matildy. hope
you'll have real good home there,
an chance to take things easy. You
mus come over mex summer, an stay
a good long SPELL an visit round
'mongst all the neighbors. Well be
dretful glad to see we. There, fathers
calm, an I'll have to go. Well, good
bye to We, Gran'ma," and Mrs. Hold
redge shook hands with the old woman,
who could not trust herself to speak
She followed her old neighbor to the
door with tears streaming down her
face, and stood there watching the
sleigh until It was out OF sight. Then
~ went back to the seat by the stove,