The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17

| pushing back his chair and coming and
| putting his arms round her neck. The
| sea amt run yit that's goin' ter swamp
him"
You're mas great boy, amt you. Jim
| my" said the little woman, leaning her
| cheek down on the rough hand. ''She do
no where she'd be 'thout you
An 'thout me- said Davy. his rosy
face peering over the other shoulder.
An me, ma" cried Johnny, springing
into her lap, while Sis ran to get there
first
without any one o YET she said, half
laughing and half crying.
You're the best mother I got!' cried
Johnny.
Il declared" she said then. you amt
half ct your suppers. And it's time the
lamp was lighted. The dark shuts down
like a dish-cover these days. II you're go
in ter see Sis up ter ST Paufs you'd bet
ter be off, though. An you wait an come
home with her, Jimmy. You put on your
comforter. now. You got your artics, Sis?
Yes I do wisht your father was in.
There's the light TO the point blazin up.
My land, how it's come on ter blow! You
all be home early now, or III be real wor-
RED"
Don't you fret, ma" said Jimmy.
wen take care of Sis"
Bring her back for a Chris mus pres
ent" echoed Johnny.
wen be home in time fer the stock
ms" 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 1 guess that's all pail ketch,
Johnny added, walking backward.
She watched them moment in the twi-
light, trudging on with the wind behind
them, scuffng the snow, pushing one an
other, tumbling down and rolling over and
up again and filing the air with their
happy cutlery. And she caught a little
of their jollity, as she smut the door and
reit her lamp and went about her tasks.
But the jollity presently grew faint. He
certainly d orter be in now she said, go
ing again and again to the window, where
under her shading hand the flakes whirled
and scared and fell and slanted by like
sparks of fire Il do no. l declare / m
main frightened. l never felt jes' so shaky
an limp in my life she said "Oh, Joe,
Joe, If you don't come back
She went into the bedroom presently to
find the stockings, and as she darned
small hole she thought of Sis up at st.
Paul's, among the green boughs, and felt
a little awe as she saw her helping al
the last wreaths about the chancel, with
the old aisles Ike the aisles of some dim,
sweet wood, all green and dark and spicy.
Il guess know how mothers feel when
their sons are priests" she said. And then
suddenly the bell rang out, the old cracked
bell, giving a 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 in
ter church, 18th the hemlock boughs and
all the woody, cool green thin's therer
And then another bell, one much more
close al hand. rang out like a roaring
echo. Its the Old Southr' she exclaim-
ed. 81 yum. 1 believe them boys hav
elm the Old South belfry in spite o. me!
MVf MVf THAT'S
it's the Oldtown-my soul to gracious it's
both of them! That's my Johnny then.
And that's Dave I suppose the sexon's
let 'em, an they've got some of the other
boys along"
Precisely that had happened. For when
the sexton of st. Paurs began to tell
Jimmy what to do, the other boys crowd
ed round, jostlng and pushing, and jim
my gave Johnny kick, and Johnny trans
ferred ii to Dave, and Dave hit out all
round and a scuffle and scramble follow
ed that would have ended in open dis
grace If the sexton had not ordered them
all out and away without benefit of clergy
And at this Jimmy, remembering that
there We're other bells in town had in
sanity organized several rival bell-ring-
ing parties, and they started at fun run
TO get into the meeting houses the best
way they could, and make the belfries
rock and drown out st. Paups by all the
superior metal of the bigger bells. and
when one of the lads heard the peal Of
the other sound out like the boom of fire
bells, and answered IL, with the peal from
his own steeple tossing out upon the dark
thelr hearts were almost bursting with the
delight in the clash and clang and roar
beating out the air about them.
Il wisht their father was hearin' of
EN-, the mother said again, pressing her
face against the cold glass. while the snow
drove by something less furiously
'Twould RELY tickle him. It's mighty
pretty music Jes' hear the ecb1esi n
Joe, where be yer And as the bells pealej
on. she was walking up and down the lit
| tie house, stopping at every turn to neer
/ through the pane, to open the door and
| feel the blast, more than once TO cry out
! with voice that the wind pressed back
| soundless, making her feel her HELPLESS
ness before the great forces of nature
which benumb and destroy, shutting the
/ door and walking UP and down again as
she wrung her hands, and pausng at
every shudder of sash and door to listen.
| %, what sort OF Christmas eve is this?''
she cried. 20, Joe. Joe, Joep'
But even while the bells were ringing II
seemed as If the wind were falling.
Jimmy said 1t was jest a spit" she muir
| INJURED. "P'raps he's right One o. them
quick squalls o. snow. But one o them
can founder ship taken unawares. Ard
o, 1t must have took him unexpected or
he'd be homer
What a long interminable hour It was
before the great, glad uproar of the bells
was over! And then presently she was
sure 1t was time the boys and Sis were al
! home, and without staying to imagine
they were plunging and slipping and roll
ing and snowballing together on the way.
the wind having abated as suddenly as II
had arisen, she felt that everything had
come to an end, and husband and children
alike We're lost to her, and full of a wild
unreasoning panic she was crying like one
| possessed, when the door burst open and
a chorus of glad voices smote her-sweat
o sweeter, clearer than the peal of all the
bells. Meanwhile, out in the bay Joe had
found his travis much richer than he had
expected, and he was so busy in STRIP
ping them and in batting and setting them
again, that he gave little heed TO the ris-
ing of the storm till its fury was all bout
him. "'Twon't last long like this. Then
student ones go as they come Jes' keer
her head to the wind" he said to himself
She'll ride 1t out" And then the snow