The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-12-02

was right. There on the Threshold of the
open door, stood the same child who had
visited them in their cottage the day be-
fore. The wreath of snowy Christmas
roses was still upon his broad open brow,
but he was now clad in white linen, and
his look of uncertainty had disappeared.
''Danfather, danmother, is 90 velly
well p he exclaimed. 'T Sc bringed 90
lubly bit of holly for Christmas FODDER
said was to bring it for 90 r
Robin, my man, who-what can it
be p cried Mary, in voice of mingled
fear and pleasure
''I'm sure | can tell you my woman !
Who are you, my little feller?'' he contin-
ued, addressing the child, when a tall,
stalwart form appeared beside it, and came
forward with outstretched hand 1t was
that of their son Joe.
''Joe-my Joe r cried the old mother,
folding her first born in close embrace.
''My boy Is it possible p exclaimed
the old man.
''Yes, dear mother and father, it is ],
and hope you viii forgive me for having
played little trick upon you. l have
only been in Lillyvale week, and l did
not know, till met Patty, of the straits
you were in, and when l did, l thought
should so much like to give you happy
surprise on Christmas Day
But | do not understand Have you
come to live in Lillyvale, Joe p
''Yes, father; not only that, but as the
master of Ladymead That is my great
surprise for you My godfather, Mr.. VIII
kins, died about a month ago, and was
good enough to leave me $500 in his will;
so the first thing | thought of was to
rent Ladymead Farm and turn my back
on London forever. And when | arrived
here and Patty told me how badly you
and mother were getting on, | was glad
der than ever that my godfather had
thought of me in his will. -
AYE, aye, it, a good thing for you,
my sou, and it Il make your mother and
me glad to think of your happiness and
prosperity. But it's all up with US, my
lad. We re too old and feeble to work any
more. and we wouldn' be burden on any
one, least of all you, with family to sup
port; and so we We made up our minds to
/ 60 into the union was sorely against it
| at fust, but your mother is wiser than /,
and she persuaded me as it the right
thing to do, and SO L m most reeonciled to
/ the idea
And do YOU s pose that + d keep my
I ,h,iIra,, I yra for
nothing whilst my dear parents was in the
work us {? cried Joe, Indignantly ;'What
do you take me for {? Why, who was it as
bringed me up from baby aud had me
taught my trade, and well nigh starved
themselves sometimes to keep my sister and
me well fed? Do you spose | can forget
all that ? No, father l don live at
I4adymead Farm unless you and mother
live here, too. Besides, | wants you
what does London shoemaker know about
farming, do YOU think hardly know a
cabbage from tater But father can put
me up to everything, and help me bit in
the gardening, too, if N not mistaken.
s'Oh, yes, Joe 2 said the old man with
trembling eagerness Il can garden bit
still. if people would have a little patience
with me, and not want too much hurry,
for my hands is terribly crippled with the
rheumaties, You see, and my sight is not
as good as it was; still, I'm not quite use
less, my boy. Oh, no, indeed Ifit were
for you aud yourn, you d find | can get
through goodish bit of work in day, l
know
''Aud then we shall want mother in the
dairy-just to show my wife. A nice gal
she is, as L m sure you'll say, and she's
called Mary the same as yourself, mother,
which was the first reason / took her, |
think. But she a duffer at country ways.
Ii couldn't be expected otherwise when
she's been in London all her life. But
Patty and mother will help her bit, and
we Il all be as happy together as a lot of
sandboys
Robin said Mary suddenly, turning
round TO her husband and hiding her face
in his breast, 'let me cry bit, there's a
good man, or my heart viii burst. =
Seems to me as if I'd ike to have a
bit of a cry myself, Mary, replied her
husband, - for it's all too wonderful to be
true.
''Nensense We can t have no crying
here-and on Christmas Day, toot ex-
claimed merry voice, as Patty, with her
sister in-law and cluster of little children,
burst into the room "Why, father and
mother, you haven spoken to Mollie yet,
and here are your grandchildren come to
kiss you and bid you welcome r and as
she spoke she lifted bonny boy upon the
bed. Ii was the Christ Child.
Joe, who is that?' exclaimed his mother.
"Why that my boy-my only SON
my little Robin, named for father there,
and ever so anxious to see his granddad.
But you mustn't spoil him, mother, for
he's a handful and wants deal of look
ing after. Fancy what the young rascal did
Yesterday, when We were all busy arrang-
ing the farm house; runned away by him
self with only that wreath of white and
green that patty made him on his head,
right through all the snow, and never come
back for an hour or more There was his
mother, sure that he would never be found
again, and me and the farm hand shouting
over the place as loud as we could bawl,
when in comes my young master as cool as
cucumber, and says he's been trying tC
find his granddad and grandmammy. But
he says he won't do it again He's never
seen such fall of snow before, and he
thought it was sugar ill he tasted it, and
since then he's been trying to take in his
little sisters and cram their mouths full
of it. He is handful, can tell you,
concluded the proud father, with his eyes
fixed lovingly on his son and heir.
"Now, Joe, if you's done talking OF
: that boy, you better let father and
mother get up and dress themselves, for
expect they must be about ready for their
breakfast, considering it Is past IL. Why,
You Il never be able to eat no Christmas
dinner at this rate, Patty continued, ad
dressing her parents, land that would
break Mollie's heart and mine, for we re
preparing it all ourselves. Come along
children; come along, Mollie and Joe; and
Mother and Father, your breakfast will be
ready for you as soon as you re ready for it