Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-08-12

or I'll be reel worried"
Don't you fret, ma" said Jimmy.
"We'll take care o. Sis"
Bring her back fer a Christmas pres
ent," echoed Johnny.
We'll be home in time fer the
stockin's," 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.
AN guess that's all pa IL ketch,'
Johnny added, walking backward.
She watched them moment in the
twilight, trudging on with the wind be-
hind them. scuffing the snow, pushing
one another, tumbling down and rolling
over and up again and filling the air
with their happy cutlery, and she
caught a little of their jollity as she
shut the door ard relit her lamp and
went about her tasks.
But the jollity presently grew faint.
HE certainly d orter be in now" she
said, going again and again to the WIN
dow, where under her shading hand
the flakes whirled and scared and fell
and slanted by like sparks of fire. II
do know. l declare Pm main fright |
ened. never felt Jest SO shaky an
limp in my life," she said. "Oh, Joe,
Joe, eff 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 ut
st. Pauls among the green boughs and
felt q little awe as she saw her helping
ut the last wreaths about the chancel.
with the old aisles like the aisles OF
some dim, sweet wood, all green and
dark and spicy. II guess know how
mothers feel wen their SONS are
priests" she said, and then suddenly
the bell rang out, the old cracked bell.
giving a glad, rolling peal on the full
Of the gale. THAT'S my Jimmy" she
thought. Hes Jest maxim that bell
, praise God. Ny! 1t Jest takes me
right inter church, 18th the hcmlock
boughs an all the woody, cool green
| things there"
And then another bell, one much
more close at hand, rang out like q
roaring echo Its the Old Southw
she exclaimed. II yum, believe them
boys have elm the Old South belfry
in spite O mel My. my! That's the
North church-no; it's the Oldtown.
My soul ter gracious, It's both o theml
That's my Johnny. then. AM that's
| Dave. suppose the sexon's let 'em,
nm they've got some o the other boys
along"
Precisely that had happened, for
when the sexton of St Paul's began to
tell Jimmy what to do the other boys
crowded round, jostling and pushing,
and Jimmy gave Johnny kick, and
Johnny transferred 1t to Dave, and
Dave hit out all round, and scuffle
and scramble followed that would have
ended in open disgrace IL the sexton
had not ordered them all out and away
without benefit OF clergy. 4s
And at this Jimmy, remembering that
there We're other bells In town, had In
stantly organized several rival bell
ringing parties and they started at full
run to get into the meeting houses the
best way they could and make the
belfries rock and drown out ST. Paul's
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 1t, with
the peal from his own steeple tossing
out upon the dark. their hearts We're
almost bursting with the delight In the
clash and clang and roar beating out
the air about them.
II wisht their father was hearin' o.
'em." the mother said again, pressing
her face against the cold glass, while
the snow drove by something less fu-
riously. "'Twould RELY tickle him. It's
mighty pretty music. Jest hear the
I echoes! oh, Joe, where be your" And
as the bells pealed on she was walking
up and down the little house. stopping
at every turn to peer through the pane.
to open the door and fee! the blast,
more than once to cry out with voice
that the wind pressed back soundless,
making her feel her helplessness before
the great forces of nature which be.
numb and destroy, shutting the door
and walking up and down again as she
wrung her hand and pausing at every
shudder Of sash and door to listen
sOh, what sort o Christmas eve IL
this7" she cried. "Oh, Joe. Joe, Joe!''
But even while the bells were ringing
1t seemed as II the wind were falling
Jimmy said 1t was Jest spit" she
murmured. "P'rnps he's right, one o
them quick squalls o snow, but one o
them can founder ship taken una
wares. an, oh, 1t must have took him
unexpected or he'd be homer
What a long, interminable hour 1t wal
before the great, glad uproar Of TIT
bells was over! And then presently She
was sure 1t was time the boys and Sill
were at home, and without staying t.
imagine they were plunglng and slip
ping and rolling and snowballing to
gether on the way, the wind having
abated as suddenly as 1t had arisen, sht
felt that everything had come to an enc
and husband and children alike were
lost to her. and, full of a wild unreason
ing panic, she was crying like one pos
sessed when the door burst open and 8
chorus of glad voices smote her-sweet
oh, sweetcr, clearer than the peal Of oil
the bells. Meanwhile, out in the bay
Joe had found his travis much richel
than he had expected, and he was 81
busy In stripping them and in batting
and in setting them again that he gave
little heed to the rising Of the storm til
its fury was all about him. ""rwon't
last long like this. Them student onef
go as they come. Jest keep her head tel
the wind" he said to himself. Shell
ride 1t out" And then the snow was
wrapping him, blind and thick, and al
at once the dark had fallen. "Waal,,
he muttered, "ef one o. them concerned
big coal steamers don't come rIppin
along I'll weather II. It's tusslc, but
were good fer 1t. eff the stick holds
Pleasant an me-"
1t was tussle. 1t took all his will
III md NIL hfc ctranvth IN kaon tho I,oo<