The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-23

at the end of that time. Il being fer
hidden the vent of his emotions that
he might have found in a visit to Faith
er Joe, TO carry the good news, Eddie
had to relieve the pressure by running
at large out of doors, in the company
of Scamp, the disheveled whitey-brownI
kitchen mongrel. With Scamp. Eddie
that afternoon formed a combi1 ed
bowling and barking, racing, ubiquit-I
Gus nuisance to every species of live
stock on their side of the cactus fence.
And yet. whenever he stopped to think
Of it, Eddie felt nervous about Father
Joe. for he knew that the old man was
getting more ragid and ~apathetic every
hou
Every hour until late that night, in
fact, early on Christmas morning, Ed
die was in bed, but not nearly asleep.
He had not been listening for Santa
Claus. either. for that Christmas Eve
he had hung his stocking merely rs a
concession to custom; it seemed 10 him
that. in comparison with the coming
of Uncle Larchin, all possible Christ
mas gifts were trifles about whica he
Ia no time to think. He was listen
ing for wheels on the gravel under his
open window, and at last there they
were-not a cart, but really and truly
a buggy-for the connection inside tn
house, the running up and down stairs
\ the whisperings, were all unmis-
taxable. With a swish Of sheets and
n bound Eddie was u of bed and
across the polished mahogany floor.
1t was about an hour before the
dawn Of Chritmas when a very re-
marka Die procession. with lights,
moved from the wide brick steps, ecross
the grass of the back yard, to the We
randall of Father Joe's room- AS they
went. Eddie's mamma whispered. He
has been sinking now for more than 81
week. But he has always said he
would live to see o come back" Ed
dies papa carried a ~two-branched
candlestick with glass shades, to pro-
tect the flames, and it was Uncle Lar
chin who carried the other one lika it
John Bell, the butler. carried a jug of
claret and a large green glass. 4
smaM figure, wrapped in a scarler
flannel dressing down, skulked In rio
rear, Scamp shifting at it's huttcrinp
skirts to make quite sure of its iden-
tity.
All except the figure in scarlet en-
tered old Joe's room, and this one fig
ure crouched against the door to watch
and to be astonishad. When Father
Joe was well he had been accustomed
to sing Justify as ne hobbled about az
ter the poultry; he was singing now.
or trying to sing a psalm, lying as he
had lain for more than six months.
joe" said Eddie's papa, Here!
Mars Larchin come back to as. Drink
his health.". And he held out the greeh
glass, filled with claret.
Uncle Larchin was kneeiing to lif'
the old man. Joe was narrowing his
old eyes to make sure this was not a
trick they were playing on him.. "Yo,
know my voice, don't you Joe?" said
Uncle Larchi1.
Then it seemed to Eddie that he saw
the greatest miracle of all. Old Joe
was slowly. but quite steadily, raising
himself on the cot, stretching CIT 6
hand to tax the wine. Mars Lar.
chin" Eddie distinctly heard him say
ode Lord bless dee and mex de light
of his countenance to shine upon dee
De sceptre shall not depart from Judah
until Shiloh comet" He sat up nile
he said all this.
Eddie skipped away-perhaps because
he did not want them to hear the foo
noises his throat and nose would keeI
neutrality-suspicious. he was catching colo
in the Christmas breeze. But he wen
back across the yard slowly, and, 2.
he went, heard the miracle of Fatte,
Joe's quavering song:
Born to raise the sons of Fart
Born to git dem second brit,
Hark, de herald angels sing;
Glory to de newborn King!"