Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17


"so'm t. said his mother. "And wish
he was to hum this minute! It's gttn' rea
thick outside, an he'd orter he. his trawl'
set long ago. l didn't feel to let him g
anyhow wen l see it sed fallin' weather an
the wind risin'. WAL he knows all the IL
about boat. And, as he says, he allus ha:
come in"
Il guess pas all right, ma" eaii Jimmy
pushing back his chair and coming ant
putting his arms around her neck. ''Tht
sea amt run yet that's goiu' ter swamI
him
you're mas great boy, amt you, Jimm'?'
said the little woman, leaning her cheel
down on the rough hand. "She do no
where she'd be thout you"
AN 'thout mel" said Davy, his rosy face
| peerfng over the other shoulder.
AN me, MAJ" cried Johnny, springing
into her lap, while Sis ran to get there
| first.
Without any one o. ye," she said, hall
laughing and half crying.
You're the best mother l got" cried
Johnny.
Il declared" she said then. you amt
half ct your suppers. An it's time the
/ lamp was lighted. The dark shuts down
! like a dish-cover these days. If you're goin'
! ter see Sis up ter st. Pauls you'd better
be off, though An you walt an come home
| with her, Jimmy. You put on your COM
forter, now. You got your tics, Sis? Yes,
l do wish your father was in. There's the
| light to the point blazin' up. My land! how
its come on ter blow! You all be home
early. now. or I'll be real worried"
Don't you fret, ma" said Jimmy. "Well
| take care of Sis"
Bring her back for Christmas present"
| echoed Johnny
''Well be home In time fer the stockin's," ;"
called Dave. But their gay voices came back
to her on the eddy OF the wind that puffed
out her light as she held the door open.
you go right in. ma. You'll ketch cold"
Jimmy shouted back.
And / guess that's all pail ketch"
Johnny added. walking backward.
She watched them a moment in the twi-
light, trudging on with the wind behind
them, scufiing the snow, pushing one an
other, tumbling down and rolling over and
up again and filling the air with their happy
outcry. And she shut the door and relit
her lamp and went about her tasks.
But the pollity presently grew faint. He
certainly d orter be In now she said
going again and again to the window, where
under her shading hand the flakes whired
and scared and fell and slanted by like
Sphrhe OF Hre. Il 90 no. declare I'm
main frightened. ! never felt jes' so shaky
an limp in my life" she said. "oh, Joe,
joe II you don't come back"
She went into the bedroom presently 10
md the stockings and as she darnei n small
hole she thought of Sis up at St. Paul's,
among the green boughs, and felt little
awe as she saw her helping at the last
wreaths about the chancel with the old
alsles like the aisles OF some dim. sweet
wood, all green and dark and spicy. II
guess / know how mothers feel when their
sons are priests she said And then sud-
denly the bell rang out, the old cracked
bell giving glad, rolling peal on the lull
OF the gale. That's my JIMMY" she
thought. He's jes' maxim that bell praise
God! My! 1t jes' takes me right inter church,
ith the hemloek boughs aud all the woody,
cool green thin's there,"
And then another bell, one much more
close at hand, rang out like a roaring echo
"lt's the Old SOUTH" she exclaimed. Il
yum, | believe them boys have elm the Old
South belfry in spite o me! NY My,
That's the North chureh-no. it's the Old
town-my soul to gracious, it's both of theml
That's my Johnny then. Aud that's Dave.
/ suppose the sexon's let EN-. AM they've
got some OF the other boys along
Precisely that had happened. For when
the sexton OF St Paul's began to tell Jimmy
what TO do the other boys crowded around.
Jestllng and pushing, and Jimmy gave
johnny KICK and Johnny transferred il to
Dave and Dave hit out all around and
souffie and scramble followed that would
nave ended In open disgrace II the sexton