Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-01-11
CHAPTER XVIII.

the Hanover trains came in, and looked
with an air of vexation at the lady
who already occupied the coupe that
The guard hal opened for him, at his
request. Confound It! A man couldn't
even smoke! He leaned out of the
window and called to the guard, with
a powerful voice, 81 want a smoking
carriage"
Excuse me, sir, but the rain is UNI
usually full" as the reply. ut is
Just Christmas time"
The gentleman muttered something.
and, after he had shut the window
sat down in the corner. He was a man
Of middle size, nearly seventy years
old, with rather grim soldiers face,
out of which a pair of wonderfully
clear eyes looked forth from under
bushy white eyebrows. He wore
soldiers cap and fur coat, and
around the left arm a black wollen
band, as a sign of mourning.
After he had carefully spread out
his fur coat over his knees, he took
out a newspaper and began to read,
while the train sped on through the
wintry landscape. 1t was gloomy,
foggy weather the sun seemed Ioath
% battle with the thick low-hanging
clouds. The snow on the fields had
almost melted away; only small
dirty patches of it still lay in tile
bitches by the side of the road, and
the willows looked dark red beside
them. The wind was blowing from
the west, and wheneer the train stop
ped its monotonous wailing could be
heard.
The lady, in the other corner of the
carriage, sat motionless. Opposite
her child lay asleep, wrapped up in
shawls and furs. Nothing was Wis
ible of the little creature but head of
golden hair, cropped like a boys. The
lady who wore a simple travelling
cloak, and little cap of very cheap
fur, looked steadily out of the win.
dow, and the old gentleman, whose
glances occasionally turned in her
direction. found nothing about her
worthy Of observation except knot
IL was remarkable how the carriage
swayed and lurched. Reading was i'm.
possible, The old gentleman flung his
newspaper on the opposite seat, and
settled himself for nap. 1t is aston.
ishing how a man misses his cigar.
He must really have slept little,
when the sound of child's voice re,
called him to the present
Shall we soon be with papa, dear
mammal" the child asked, in the Eng.
fish language,
His mother replied in whisper
that he must keep still, for the old
gentleman over there was asleep. And
thereupon a charming little fellow,
about four years old, climbed up into
the lap of the lady, who carefully
wrapped her cloak around the dainty
little figure, and then low converse.
ton ensued between mother and son,
not syllable of which escaped the
listener in the corner.
Ii seemed as sweet to the old bache
lor to hear as the twitter.ng of the
swallows in the sunny May-time. His
thoughts went back, sixty years and
more, to the time when he was Just
such boy, sitting on his mothers
lap, and was caressed and petted in
the same way. And-confound it
this was Christmas Eve,
"And will BERTHE get a horse from
papa?" in CURED the sweet, chillis
voice.
Yes, my pet"
And a tree with lots of candy?"
Yes, oh, yes; and papa win love
his little boy so much." and the boy
received kiss as a foretaste of the
many things that were to follow
Mamma, BERTHE is so tired" com
planned the child, "and this old car
riage shakes so; it was better on the
steamer" -AE
Yes, darling; but now we shall
soon be with papa"
Mamma, will papa member me9"
"Oh, of course he viii. Don't you re.
member papa"
The child was silent. Yes" he sail
at length, papa beat Berthe"
"Then my darling must have been
naughty" was the reply, in rather
embarrassed tone.
BERTHE don't know" replied the
child.
You shouldn't think about that, my
darling, but only how good papa was
to you"
Yes, mamma. Mamma, are you
crying? Mamma, shall sing some
thing to you? Shall sing Onward.
Christian Soldiers'g"
NO, / am not crying. But you had
better not sing now; you can repeat
the Christmas hymn you are going TO
say TO papa tonight
And the. clear, chill fish voice began
al once: IL.
while shepherds watched their
tiocks by night
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around
II sounded very sweet from the lips
of the little foreigner