The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-14

All blended tremendously with the i'm
aginations that thronged his soul; night,
solitude, molten, thought, life, love, hope.
He could not be unhappy nor lonely.
Even the way homeward did not seem
long. There was the candy to think about
and the trinkets he had bought of the old
storekeeper whom he had routed out of bed.
1t made him laugh aloud to remember how
scared and cross the old man was!
How beautiful it was to hear that boyish
laugh ring out upon the night air.
There was the light which his mother
had left burning in the window. How
short the ride had seemed!
He slipped the saddle from his steaming
mare, rubbed her down, blanketed her. fed
the precious box of candy on the chair
where Bridget had hung two little crowded
stockings, and lay down to dreamless
sleep.
VI
If there never had been a Christmas day
on earth before, the one which dawned
on the Donovan household could scarcely
have seemed newer or more wonderful.
Little Saint Sunshine had slept long, and
hard, but when. at last, she woke, the
bursting stockings attracted her attention,
and, tumbling out of bed, she soon had
the house in an uproar.
II with you all a merry Chrithmath,"
she said and, seizing the stockings in her
arms, she rushed out through the open
door into the hall
In a few moments the entire family had
gathered about the little white-robed figure
and were gazing at her as though she had
dropped down upon them from the sky.
All her timidity had vanished. She danced
about in glee. She Rugged them; she
kissed them; she showed them first to
one and then another.
For the first time in history, the Donovan
family forgot it's breakfast
This was considered little short of a
miracle, for the men usually were as rest
less as the cattle in their stalls when their
fodder is not ready on time
When at last they remembered this
neglected duty and all sat down to the
table, the child was too excited to eat;
and it must be confessed that the men
ate less than usual for they were eager
to show her their presents And so, be-
fore they had really finished, old Mike
himself mounted Dolly on his shoulder and
they made tour of the barnyard and
stables.
Nothing could exceed the astonishment
and delight Of the Little Saint, as from
her lofty elevation she surveyed this new
and wonderful world. The colt, the calf,
the fawn. strange and fascinating as they
were in themselves. assumed the most ex-
traordinary value in her eyes when she
comprehended that they were her own.
To have them lick her hand, TO stroke their
| TANKS. to be placed upon the colts back,
were adventures like hunting elephants
and lions in PARKWAY junsles.
1t was long before her Titanic followers
were tired of her pleasure and fell on
one by one to their daily duties. Then
came the opportunity Of the Little Par
SON, who had followed jealousy at her
heels and who began to share with his
mother the oversight of the little stranger.
| He spent the entire day showing her the
wonders of this strange world into which
she had fallen
Such day had never come into the life
of Dolly before. so big with events, SO
crammed with excitement. What por-
tsntous spectacles must have noated before