The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-03

ed after some last things for the night.
Then they, too, lay down, but father
did not sleep. He heard the clock
ticking off the minutes as they pass
ed-6ve, ten, fifteen, half an hour. It
struck 10. Then father spoke.
"Mother p'-hesitatingly.
eyes, father" she answered drows.
lily.
81 can't sleep"
"What's the matter? Are you
cold?"
"No, I'm warm. But I can't for
get Mother Berry. Jane, I'm afraid
the Berry's are cold"
well, Franklin, 1 don't see as we
can do anything about it. You'd
better go to sleep" And mother
dozed off once more, and the clock
went on ticking.
Fifteen minutes past 10. Again
came the call. Mother |" There
was note of decision in, the voice
this time. Father had made up his
mind.
"Well, father - And it would
not be strange if the voice showed
trace of impatience.
Haven't you any bedding you
could spare?"
eyes, there's plenty of bedding,
but"
"Well, I wish you'd get up and
make up bundle, and I'll carry it
over to Uncle Billy's."
"Oh, father, in this storm I
wish"
But mother knew that 1t was no
use to protest when father had made
up his mind. Besides, she, too, had
learned in ber pioneer experience not
only how to give material comforts,
but, what is of far more value and
costs more, how to give up her own
comfort and to give of her life. The
bundle was made up, and the blessed
father went out into the night and the
storm, and mother sat down by the
stove to wait, and to feed the fire,
and to listen. Now she heard the
barn door slam shut. Now he would
be springing on old Judy's back the
hoofbeats came to her ears, muf1ed
by the snow; then they ceased. He
must be crossing the creek by this
time, now climbing the bluff opposite.
She went to the window and strained
her eyes to look out into the night,
if perchance she might see his dark
form against the white ground. But
the air was filled with binding snow /;
her horizon was bounded by the win
dow pane. The wind smote the house
with great blows. No other sound
reached her. She went back to the
fire and her vigil, but her heart was
out on that bleak stretch of prairie
that father must cross before going
down to the poor little house under
the hill, where lived Mother Berry,
blind Uncle Billy, her husband, and
the four little Berrys.
It was half-past II. He ought to
be there by this time. But two miles
Is long way on such night. Would
he find the Berrys snug and warm in
bed, and sound asleep, and his night
ride a FOOLS errand? Ora sudden
fear chilled her heart-would he find
the house at all? 1t was such blind
trail
The clock struck IL, and still mother
waited. Father must face the storm
coming home, the icy northwest blast
If he came at all ! Mother was in
clined to worry. Another half hour.
He should be here by this time.
Again she went to the window. The
clouds were breaking. A CLEAN of
light was struggling through here
and there. Even as she looked the
wind swept the sky clear, and the
full-orbed moon looked down on a
white, white world. And there across
the creek on the hillside in plain view
was old Judy carefully picking her
way down the unseen, uncertain path.
| Of course, old Judy wouldn't get
lost Mother might have known
that The man ON her back is as
white as the waste snow around him.
| But she can see him now, and-he
sees her form outlined in the window
by the light behind her. And with
the boyish abandon so characteristic
of this friend of God he hings his
arms high and gives a shout that
goes ringing far on the frosty air, and
sends old Judy to her stall at break
neck speed. Mother looked up at
him little severely as she met him
at the door. Perhaps his jubilant
spirits had Jared on her over tense
nerves. Her greeting was the one
word-"Welf," with the rising in
f1ection.
"Oh, mother" he laughs, "take
the broom and sweep me first"
Beside the red-hot stove, slipping
another bowl of hot milk, he told the
story.
IT found Mother Berry and blind
Billy hugging the stove to keep it
warm. They had piled everything
they had in the house on the bed
where three of the children were
sleeping, and, mother, the baby was
in the oven -
what did they say to you ?"
"Now, mother, never mind what
they said. That isn't what matters.
They needed 1t. That's enough for
US. I'm warm as toast now. Let's
go to bed. What time is it, can you
seer" he asked, as his head touched
the pillow.
"Just five minutes of l."
Mother heard the clock strike, but
father was fast asleep RGctica
Farmer.
"WELL Mrs. Finnegan, hov yel
had yure teeth pulled 7"
"Yis; an begorral TIL jok's or
tn dintist."
"How so?'
"He claimed to be wan av thin
painless vans, an Oi niver wor 81
nearly kilt in all me loife.''
eft would please me nightly, Mis-.