The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-12-24
POLLY MARTINS
CHRISTMAS EVE
A Story of Country Life at YuIetide by
Eliza Archard Conner.

copyright. 1901. by Eliza Archard Conner1
She was only sixteen. pretty Polly
Martin. with round. soft cheeks the color
of apple blossom buds and eyes as blue as
the skies of her own native Canada. She
had six brothers and sisters. all like her
self born in the beautiful country.
Her father was q tenant farmer in a
new settlement in western Canada. Pret-
ty Polly MIXED the cows. fed the pigs
and chickens and helped her mother with
the children. When she could get en-
ployment away from home. she went out
to service. Being brought up with SO
many children had made her very useful
about a house: patient. too. and she was
naturally sweet tempered. so people were
glad to have her with them. And then
they liked to see her in their houses be-
cause she was so pretty.
The Martins nearest neighbor was
three miles AWAY. This was not because
neighbors were so few. but because Mr..
Martins employer. Thomas Valentine.
owned all the land between his own
house and the log cottage where the Mar
tins lived. But Polly was not lonely. She
never thought of being SO. On the contra
ry. she was very happy. Polly loved ma
ture. lf she raised her eyes a moment
from her work and looked toward the
, west. she saw the grand green forest
: flashing and ringing with the bright
winged. sweet voiced birds that civiliza-
| ton had not yet hilled out.
Ii she glanced toward the northern ho-
! rizon. there was the undimmed sky. ra-
diant blue. with a marvellous CLEAN Of
| silvery brightness In 1t that stretched
hn
Eastward there was the crystal pure
brook dancing to the music of its own
everlasting little tinkle. tinkle. tinkle,
which not even the Ice of winter was able
quite to subdue. Polly thought It was
, the sweetest music that Is or ever was
! and ! am not sure she was wrong. To
the south there were the sleek heifers
wading and feeding in the clover. the
white coats of the sheep shining Out
| against the emerald pasture and beyond
mile on mile. stretching far as eye could
| see. the great grainields already chang
ing from green to gold. Polly's hear
leaped with gladness when she looked.
At Christmas time. the year Polly wal
sixteen. Mr.. Valentines family sent fol
her TO come and help them for a week
Mr. Valentine lived In a handsome hous'
surrounded by vineyards and orchards o.
apples. peaches. plums and pears. Nea
the mansion was the shining white dair!
house. with the big power churn tha
they made the Jersey bull work by walk
irg on treadmill. to his intense disgust
which he showed by paving the grount
and believing. with his tell In the air. a.
soon as be was released f.om the hurn!li
ating treadmill.
Farmer Valentine reared grand draf
horses large as small elephants and shin
ing Christmas beeves every year for tn
market. Two days before Christmas tha
year he made his annual sale OF tpeve
and got unusually good prices for then
II was too late to put the money he n
ceived into the bank that eay. 60 NJ
Valentine brought il home with him. $50
In gold and silver. and locked II In bs
reau drawer. Polly did not know Il wa
there.
On the evening Of the gath Of Decen
Der the farmers Of the county gave the
annual Christmas ball. II was a gres
event. bringing together socially friend
widely separated who did not see one al
other often during the rest of the yea
Polly was wanted to keep the Valentir
house while the family ssocld be away I
tie ball. They went early. for there WI
ten mile s!e,gh ride between them ar
the to wn where the ball was. The gre,
eleigh. with Its big. handsome hors
paving the snow and shaking their ma
sive necks to make the bells jingle. WI
drawn up before the carriage door of Il
farmhouse, and one after another Il
family took their places In 1t. Those FIN
Intelligent horses looked as IL they e
joyed the prospect of the sleigh ride
much az any one.
After they had gone Folly went arour
the house to nee that all was In order &
the uight. She peeped into the fru
hous. first just to glad her eye with q
sight Of the long shelves loaded with r.
checked apples and with shining Ere'
and yellow pears wrapped IN tissue pap
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