Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-12-22

would not stay buttoned. 1t required
much time and he sat down on the
step and with all his ten fat, wee fin
gers labored. Then, "Das a doodle
boy" he objurgated himself as he
resumed his climb of the stairs, the
button buttoned "Das a daryin' yittle
gentleman"
He shook the knob. Waited, Jug
ging on the toes of him and discours-
ing to Nicodemus
The door remained closed.
Two fat palms smote 1t wrathfully.
"Open," he commanded; "pease
open dis door,"
Nobody answered.
Poor yittle boy" he wheedled at
keyhole; 'zere amt nobody loves
I'm"
Nicodemus yapped and made feints
at desertion when a dog barked out
side. Fawned back, and licked the
fingers where bread and honey aroma
fingered. Sat up and waved an affable
paw at him.
He sat down on the floor and gath
| cred his yellow dog into his pinafore
| and hugged.
"'Cept Nitodemus an myssef," he
said.
Great-grand came up the hall.
rs you been a bad boy, dreat-dran 2"
he said. rs you all shutted out?"
Great-grand sighed
Seems like this horse just will run
away" in doleful tone, land I've got
bone In my foot and I can't run after
him"
In a wink he was after the rampant
steed. Captured and mounted, rodo
1t lordily hither and yon. and when
at last he came back from the breath
less miles we had slipped down the
back way and at stairfoot waited.
Slowly, with dignity, he dismounted.
| put his steed in stall, came back to
stair head, and, legs astride and head
thrown back, surveyed us from the
heights of remembered injury. Be-
side him. perky. tongue lolling out.
| Nicodemus squatted.
Long legs gathered to his chin,
great-grand ranged himself on the top
step and twinkled.
tNSt qoOND did
'shutted us all out!"
Our baby nodded confirmation and
Nicodemus yawned in our faces.
Men mys Nitodemus an mys dreat-
| dram" he said AN mys dreat-dran
| Is dot bone in his foot an needed
| to kiss mys muvver."
But for three long days the library
| ddoor remained locked.
And regularly, after each mornings
| breakfast. he mounted the stairs and
| tried the knob and cogitated to Nico-
| demus, and poked broom straws under
| the door
Christmas eve we sat about a great
| open fire. Great-grand loved to dig
and delve in the red-charred logs and
| imprison the swarms OF rosy bees
| Fascinated, would watch the swirl
| ing upfled sparks. wondering what
| phantasms of youth he saw all-beauti-
| ful in them. what faces went past In
that rosy mirage that his own should
| wear so tender an answering look
| into eyes he alone was seeing. Some
| times our baby would come to stand
| between his knees. head leaned
| against his shoulder and from within
! the encircllng arms watch. Sometimes
| he would straddle one old knee aud
| snug his head under the down-leanlng
old chin, gold hair and white hair com
mingled. and hand over the old hand
| help the poker that prodded and piled
the embers. And the wide eyes seemed
to be seeing with the old mans vision
ing. so united he would sit
| Christmas eve we sat about the
| great open fireplace. Great-grand sort
ed and piled his red-charred logs
| Grandmother was watching. lost in
| idleness. Grand father had gone down
| cellar for apples aud IN my lap my
baby was telling mo secrets. We
listened beyond the slnglngs OF tho
flames; beyond the delicat- soft sing
/ ing ana the siEhing and the laughters
| of them. the wind IN tho chimney
From tho end % the new backIoe the
| saps distilled. all the summers rains
| and deWs and green grOwlngs IN their
| whicker.whicker. We had hated TO
| shut ont the skies. SO dlyneIy near
| they closed IN upon earth. with their
| starry strands garlandiur the rim OF
hills. our baby had seen his first me.
teor-a feathersd trail of ethereal fire
and suundlcSs splepdor as the mo.
tcur burst and hisgcugd into a globe
% slysian azure. aud went out And
the black violet sktos seemed vet
deeplier black With that blue glory
memorlcd against them. and the stars
pallll and cold Ana nay baby won,
dcred n there might not ts another
Christmas hahy. in that blue glory lie
wondered vhother. Il we'd SO out. wo
might not find few boys and glrls
and babies that got LETT over. when
God forgot who bad asked to have
some left M their houses he wished
bed been there that bisht at the on
ems mn, to sca the little child Sos
su could have brought Il home % his
own sars house he wanted BABY
90 bad And ovea BE sweets lroish,el