The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-02-10

appreclatlvo w1fthi1sr of Nature when
~ motley pfrtcesion dled out over
the hill away FROM the village.
Lozette was pefthed upon a pony BE-
side her father. Miss Berton, with a
crowd Of her pupils about her, stood
upon the dooraien wetckshg until tho
train was out of sIeht then she called
the little band in % work and lessons.
and Lozette dropped out Of their livoa
except ia thought.
The days passed pneventfully at the
school, while Lo1ciis mingled with tho
squaws and played with the babies
around the great camp fires. or de-
lghtedly gazed on the dance where
Manuth was the central figure and
where the pipe uent around the SOL
m circle. Sometimes her high voice
rang out above those Of the squaws
when they were permitted to join In
the general d~iacordsnce, and her small
figure moved among the throng at
feasting time.
On the arrival 81 the day on which
Manuth had promised that he would
start back with Ldzette the sunshine
Of the day before had disappeared, and
the children at the school looked out
on the darkened sky disappointedly.
Toward evening q snow storm OF un-
~precedented severity began to rage. At
night a wind aprung up which before
morning developed into a fearful bliz-
zard. Many times during the day Miss
Berton and her young charges gazed
anxiously through the windows into
the dimmed world. Blinking OF Lozette
and hoping that sohething might have
detained her fathJ from setting out
in the face Of sucbIa storm.
Another night aid another day pass
ed before the win abated, leaving a
white, quiet earth
The next day tie Indians began to
come struggling h,me. The watches at
the school house waited in vain. II
was not until the day before Christ
mas eve that a strlnge procession was
seen moving IN thjir direction. There
were four men. appearing scarcely
more pinched and hungry than their
poor ponies, comirg so slowly that the
watchers pressed their faces against
the panes almost breathlessly.
They could see Banuth. so -gaunt and
feeble hat he cold scarcely remain
in the saddle.
mo Lozette. Mis- Berton" exclaim-
ed n little girl u great alarm, break
ing the watchfui iilence.
II think she Is ieing carried by one
Of the men, answered Miss Berton,
looking intently at the bundle OF
blankets in front OF the foremost In
dian.
Slowly the haif.starved beasts plod-
ded through the rnbroken snow.
Miss Bertoh wa on the steps in spite
Of the cold when tiey reached the gate.
Two men assisted Manuth into the
kitchen, while thi third brought the
bundle in his armsto Miss Berton.
Poor little sensdess Lozette!
Tender hands ministered to her
needs, but little ould be done to re-
lieve those stiffenid, frozen limbs.
For hours Manth never spoke, but
sat as one dazed, by the kitchen fire.
Suddenly he seemed to remember
something and asked to see Lozette.
Miss Berton lei him in to the still
room where the Unconscious child lay.
There, alone with the kind teacher, his
tongue was loosel and, as If he had
never been averseto speaking English.
he said with g~reatenort and trembling
gestures:
@Ear aayA sa1atte- rar4Cara0
back. Lozette cy, say, Come back
ChTstmas'"
ManUth bent over and looked closely
at his child, his tears raining down up
on her face.
Miss Berton understood him. She
knew that he had started home against
hA better judgment, but Lozette had
cried to keep her promise, and he had
yielded to her wishes.
Snow come hard; no see," he re-
sumed after a long silence.
Me put Lozette in blanket, lay
down" He made a motion showing
how he had held her tight in his arms
as the snow drifted over them. There
was another silence longer than before
and then, without raising his bowed
head, in a voice shrill with anguish,
he said:
"Lozette heap cry. Say No Christ
mas sing'-'No Christmas Child"
Miss Berton could only sob with the
poor old man.
Pretty soon no cry-no more. Me
think Lozette dead" Manuth conclud-
ed his recital with a pitiful moan.
They sat all night by the child's bed
side-the old father and the faithful
teacher-but Manuth opened his lips
no more to speak, and no one aver
again heard him utter a word Of Eng
lish.
On the evening Of the gath, Lozette
opened her eyes and a conscious light
passed over her face. Miss Berton
leaned over her. Her lips moved and
Christmas Child" came family from
them.
Christmas morning the big bell
sounded a different chime from its Gus
tomary Christmas greeting, and the
children chanted Lozette's hymn over
all hat was mortal Of the Christmas
Child.
WORK FOR RESTLESS FINGERS.
Knit Rugs May be Made by children