The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-09
A Christmas AID.


Ned Buekiln'a parents, desiring 20 IN
nnenco their son for what they deemel
bis good. desired that instead Of FOL
lowing In their footsteps as farmer
be should 90 10 college and study
profession. But Ned had become IN
VOWED with Alma nlodgott. a farmer
daughter. and although she urged hin
20 act upon his fathers aud mother
advice be insisted on an immediate
marriage. which was equivalent 90 re
naming on the farm. This set his par
ents 20 trying 70 break up the match
aud. falling 10 do 50. they continued q
work with a view 10 a separation o.
the young married couple tlll they 80
cured the result they desired
Five years after the separation Ned'i
parents were both dead. Ned now 70
allied that a great mistake had beer
made. lie had divorced hia wife nj
their instlgation. and they had gone
TO their long home leaving him IN hli
loneliness Alma had only consented
90 divorce on condition that she kecF
the children. a boy and a giri. She
was plucky woman aud supported
herself and them. Her husbands "a
Their 10 secure the divorce had settled
a few thousand dollars on her. which
by thrift and good Investments she
increased. But no sooner had the sep
aration taken place than. taking hei
children. she left the location where
she had been made unhappy and gave
no mixing m 10 where she was going.
Soon after the death OF his parents
Ned began 10 search for his wife and
children. He hunted six years with.
out success. Then, hearing OF tho I'D.
vantnges OF farming on the lands
wrested from the great American des.
ert In Dakota. he sold his farm. went
there. bought land and began once more
under new conditions. But neighbors
were few and far between. and tho
man was lonely. During the days he
was occupied. but on summer evenings
the chirp OF insects sounded loud and
melancholy, while the winds In winter
howled about his shack aud made him
dcsolate. At last he could stand Il no
longer. He advertised Cor a wife. IN
his adj giving n brief summary OF the
conditions OF his marriage and divorce.
Among the replies he received was
one signed "widow" that struck him
more forcibly than any OF the rest.
though he had little confidence I'm any
OF them. widow" wrote from a point
not far distant. She had come 10 Da.
kota to farm with her three children.
The only difficulty she labored under
was that she was a woman. A man
was needed on the premises. She
would either sell her farm TO unite
with a good practical man. or IL It ap-
peared TO be more expedient the man
could sell out and Join her.
Bucklin was rather pleased with the
tone OF the letter. though the hand
writing indicated an uneducated per
son. II was some time before he made
any reply, for he could not bear to
give up all hope of finding his wife
and children. When bis crops were in
and Christmas was approaching he
wrote for particulars which would en-
able him TO visit the widow. she re-
piled that he would find her In a GER
tain township midway between two
settlements. and since her shack was
the only one within I'VE miles he
would not be likely to miss IT. She
suggested that II he could come at
Christmas she would have more time
to make his acquaintance. since she
had planned her work to have a few
days at that time comparatively free.
She also asked that IL he lived near a
town he would bring a few things for
the children for Christmas, inclosing a
list Of what she wished and a post
Office order to cover the expenditure
Bucklin wrote that he would visit her
the day before Christmas, but return
ed the postofiice order.
After writing the letter he fell to
thinking that he was about TO go on a
FOOLS errand. Hepietured the widow
old and ugly. She had admitted that
she was middle aged, which with a
woman he thought would mean at |
least fifty. Then the children would |
be an objection. The sight of them |
would continually remind him of his |
own little boy and girl, who must be
now something like fourteen and |
twelve years old respectively, and he
would hate these youngsters, In whom
be had no interest He wrote the
widow frankly the story OF his mar
riage and divorce, admitting that, al
though he was desperately lonely, he
could never be happy except with his
own wife and children.
Christmas came. 1t was crisp
Bucklin was awakened by
ray Of sunlight shooting through
crack. The first thought that struck
lin was that somewhere his boy and
girl were dancing over their gifts. He
rave groan, turned over and after
lwhile sank into another slumber.
He was awakened By the sound Of
,Ieighbells and voices. Then there
anne d rap at the door. Hold on till
ret on some clothes" When dressed
Il opened the door, and there stood
he widow and her three children.
3ucklin caught at his doorpost. The
woman was his divorced wife.
The word merry" applied to Christ
mas is not strong enough to describe
hat holiday. The widow had suspect
d from the wording OF the advertise
nent who the advertiser was. had rec
gnized her former husbands hand
writing and to conceal her identity had
aplied through her daughter. The IA