The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-12-05
Observation-Disclosures.

BY Frank Glover Heaton

many poor soldier boy froze e death
In tn skinny little tents tn gov'ment
give EN- G live in Well. that's the
last day Lihu ever come to see me-
1T was long In tn afternoon, an
we was all sittln' huddled up round
tn fireplace tryin' { keep warm. The
frost on the hinges o. tn door on the
far side o. tn room was half an inch
thick. an every little while the rafters
o. tn house, or tree outside. nd 80
pop. sames Z somebody'd hit 'em
with a maui The snow was SO full
o. frost it'd crunch under persons
feet like you'd crunch one o my fresh
cookies 'twixt your teeth
IAN at once there was knock at
tn door, an when | opened II there
stood 'Lihu. Dressed up nnar'n ever,
he was. an lookin' 3 II he'd put In
most o. tn day Akin himself, as, likes
not he had. lie had on one o. them
curly brimmed beaver hats. an, liftin'
Il in that grand way o. his'n. he said
In his mincy voice;
Happy New Year Miss Malta
Airs trine bracin' today. amt it,
The minute clapped eyes on him
| knowed they was somethin' wrong.
His hair and whiskers had kind o.
frosted look, an his ears an nose
we'll, you could Almost see right
through 'em. Mother, she give him
one look. then she said, real snappish.
'Llhu Green, git right In here an
set down t'other side o. tn room, fur
from IN fires you kin git Maleety,
run an git that whisky jug your father
had filled yisteddy an bring II right
here TO me-
For all father an mother was al
ays tee-to-tallers, we kept whisky In
the house: mother said they wasn't
anything that wasn't good In It's own
place.
Now, you might guess wasn't
long gittin' that whisky jug an pourin
out bakin' pan full o. tn stun Moth
or tore strip right on her old shawl
an soaked Il In tn liquor. an then her
an me set in 20 rub the frost out o.
Linus ears an nose, which was froze
so stiff at II you'd n tweaked 'em
they'd a broke right on.
Hair dye wasn't as common them
days as It's now. an when saw the
beautiful black begin to fade out O.
Linus Dundrearys an perfumed hair,
II scared me most { death. The dye
he used wasn't warranted not { crock
or run, an the whisky took most Of II
out o. where he'd put an streaked Il
down his neck and cross his face an
onto his high, rollin' collar an cravat
| I'll he was bout tn unsightllest look
in man you ever laid eyes on.
"oh. yes. tn whisky took the frost
out o. his ears an nose but II TOOK
tn romance out o. him. too. When
mother an me got through rubin
him, what with his hair an whiskers
sort o. disappointed. draggly gray.
his face streaked like an lniun's an
his ears all swelled an red an puffy
! lookin', he was mighty unlikely ap
pearin' feller TO make an Impression
on any girl.
Il never seen any signs o. Llhu
again after he went away that even.
In. few o. IN girls spread tn tale that
he Tilted me an went away; but they
never seen him like did"
Aunt Malta picked up her darning
needle and twlne aud resumed tho
task OF stringing the Quartered apples,
With a quizzical glance she added.
II was right mopy f'r a spell after
Lihu went away thout even sayin
good-by: but got over Il, though. like
a body will I they've got gumption
'nough Z sense things right An
al'ays We been mighty thankful 1
turned out like II did, ! s'pose II
wanted 4 talk like these story book
does. might call It my hair-breadu
escape"