Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12

tains who can remember how Dr. Harvey looked
that day when Butchers chauffeur got him into the
machine out in front of the tavern and showed him
how to run it. The school teacher down at the cor
let school out half hour earlier the children
could see the sport. The machine up and down
the road till at last Harvey mastered it and all the
chauffeur did to sit there with his arms folded.
He considerably more dignlied than the doctor.
After he had gone the doctor took in squads all the
children, and some of the rest of us who had never
before been IN auto for ride as far as the Budds
Lake Road and back. Most of US little fright
ened. The thing did go fast. all right
Just two nights later the doctor had call some
place and wanted to go in a hurry. The machine
didn't work after he got it out in the road
Jim, he yelled at the hostler, get my horse and
then push this thing back into the chicken house,
When I've got call want to get there. Gray Dick
beats this contraption, because he never balks."
That machine still stands in the chicken house.
and | rather think Gray Dick pleased; for he
liked doctor better with the old gray, anyway:
for many tornented body had lifted with straning
to catch the sound of the hoofbeats when that
big gelding came tearing down the road. Not that
didn't joke Harvey little about his idle auto
mobile, because he was very earnest man and it
rather warmed the heart cookies to hear him when
he grew emphatic. The most common excuse he
gave that he didn't the machine in the day
time because Gray Dick needed exercise and at
nights he left it at home because Dick knew all the
roads and could take short cuts mountain
trails.
WELL, the Christmas year of which | spoke was
a phenomenal one. ne 1dH came early. ne
oaks turned red within week. and the chestnuts
scarcely filled out before the frost sent them
dropping in the stiffness of the woods to the ground
The wild geese and ducks swarmed out of the north
in long Vshaped strings and covered lake and sedge
before the cider in cellars had grown hard enough
to make the dominic shake his head. The chip
hunks deserted their summer residences in the old
stone fences weeks before their chattering usually
ended, and then mystery of mysteres!-the season
changed to of warmth and folks quoted that old
saying that "A green Christmas makes fat grave
yards 1t was the strangest holiday time old Pop
Woodruff Bird could remember, despite his ninety
five years in the Schooleys, and when he declared it
phenomenal agreed that it SO.
The Green Christmas" thing seemed true. Night
and day Gray Dick splattered along roads that had
become muddy. and Dr. Harvey began to look wor-
ried and harassed and tired. His language grew
more forcible if that possible, and his speech
shorter than had been for he felt that in this
circle of the hills the lives of all sick in his
charge. Heaven knows how he stood it for at every
place where three four houses clustered together
there was one at least that answered the summons
of the weird season!
CHRISTMAS EVE came with night that threat
- ened rain more than snow, one of those black
heavy nights when the air is dead and everything