The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1907-12-14


she knew that all the time she car
ried beneath her songs and CHEEKY
words heartache that was as hard
to bear as the young wife's own.
II was Mark for whom her heart
ached. A year ago she had thought
that by this time she and Mark would
be settled in a pioneer cabin of their
own. Her quilts were all quilted, her
store of household goods was ready
But coldncss had come between
them. and Mark had gone away
back east where girls were plenty
Since then she had been learning to
live without him and 1t was bitter
lesson. True she did not speak OF
Il, not even to her best friends, but
the ache was always there.
Her work was done at last. She
had time to look at little Lille slum.
bering i'm her low trundle.bed with
her stocking spread out trustingly on
the pillow beside her. Now was the
time for Santa Claus to come. But
the sick mother was too i'll and broken
with anxiety TO be bothered. There
was nobody to fill that stocking but
Hattie, and nothing to fill 1t with eK-
cept what her girls wit might de-
wise.
She was very tired. All day she
had been battling against storm and
sickness, doing a woman's work and
a mans too Now she must do Santa
rlauu' un,.k Nkau ayar n Santa
Claus so sleeIy? Oh, what would she
not give to throw herself on the bed,
dressed as she was, and sleep? But
there was no time for that. Santa
Claus must come to the waiting child.
She knew that in little while the
sick woman would rouse again and
need her Softly and YEARLY she lift.
ed the one little drCp.leaf table over
to the window farthest from the sick
mother and placed the lamp upon it.
Then she got out her precious, dimin.
ishing store of letter paper that had to
be brought to her from 6 miles away,
like the rest OF the supplies, and the
clumsy shears. and began to make
paper dolls.
Clip, clip. went the big shears. That
and the rustic of the paper were the
only sounds to be heard. Gradually she
realized that the bowling of the wind
had ceased ard the blizzard had gone
down.
Lilies words kept repeating them
selves sleeIily in her tired brain. "A
light load Surely this Christmas
gilt would be light enough for Santa
Claus to take anywhere. Clip, clip,
went the shears, and wonderful crea.
tiCrs fell from llattie's hands. There
was a father with miniature news
PAPER g"-".3 cut before him. There
was m, Ger with a baby In her arms
and another in tiny paper cradle at
her feet. Thee were brothers and
sisters.
Snil -aa.p--lIcr hands went slower
and slower until the last of the paper
family trailCl of into aimlCss cut.
ting. Then Hatties ,'2ary head sank
Town on the table aad Hattie was
asleep. As.c.p ana dreaming Of
Mark.
In the daytime she could keep the
thought Ct him away from her with
fierce determination. In the night II
would come. She was dreaming and
she knew 1t. She had dreamed of
him too often not to know. And In
her dream Tie door burst open and
Mark stood before her. or course II
cCu'd not be real Or. rather, 1t was
a dream Of Marks ghost all deathly
white. But even Marks ghost was
welcome. There could not be any
harm in embracing ghost in a
dream. She threw her arms around his
neck
But this was no dream. II was too
solid and II was too cold. II was a
real man who stood before her, be.
numbed with cold. and covered with
snow from head to foot.
In flash she came out of her
dream. 1t was well for Mark that
she was just what she was, and that
she knew what to do. She brought
the great tub of melting snow.water.
cut OF the frozen footwear and nit.
tens and pld1ged his feet and hands
In II, She ribbed his face with snow.
She made hot coffee-blessing the
forethought that had kept the kettle
filled with boiling water for the sick
woman's use-and forced him to drink
1t. Little by little life AM strength
came back to him and incoherent
words.
"Started-with Craver He wanted
to see-his wife. wanted-to see
you. Blizzard came up. Lost our
way. Dug hole in the snow and
stayed two night Went a long while
and came to Smiths farm. Craver-
too badly frozen-to go on. win be
all right after awhile, but couldn't go
on then. Wanted to like fury, Smith
had to hold him back. Good thing.
He couldn't have come on his frozen
feet, came on-alone. Got lost
again. Been lost all day. Pretty near
gave out. Thought Id have-to
give up. So dark and cold. Saw
your light when wind went down.
Came to-you."