The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-06-06


words stirred responsive chord in
him:
Good news Oh Christmas morning.
Good news oh, children, dear.
Christ was born in bethlehem
And is living now and here"
The voice and song trailrd off until
lost entirely to the ear When silence
fell around the man vaguely wondered
if this were death. He had often
thought of death. He had seen it in 50
many different forms that the fear of
it had seldom disturbed him Now he
dreaded it1no; wished for it. for the
pain was past endurance, and there
was no release from his prison.
He seemed to wait and listen eagerly
for the song again, but all was silence
around. y great drcary blank drifted
across his mind, and he was uncon-
scious of pain or suffering. How long
this stupor lasted he could not say, but
when consciousness returned again an
agonizing pain shot through his leg
and body. He groaned and tried to
change his position.
Then close to his lips a little sobbing
voice cried out: ooh, are you alive?
thought was too late. Wait minute
and l will get the leg free"
1t was dark all around, but Carston.
looking up, saw stars shining over
head. They came through Il big hole
in the wall of rocks His leg was so
numb that feeling was nearly gone.
but he was conscious of little hands
digging and tearing at the dirt beneath
the crushed limb. Then suddenly a
great weight was lifted from it and
the little sobbing voice said:
''Now pull with me-"
How the little hands worked the dirt
and rocks loose from the boWlder and
how the two Of them strained and
pulled to eXtricate the mans body
from the death trap Carston could
never clearly understand, but after an
hour of agony he felt himself lying on
the surface of the earth with little,
slim, slender creature by his side,
gasping and painting from eXertion.
Tiny drops of moisture trickled on
CarstOn's face, but they We're blood
from lacerated hands and not tears.
The little sobs We're dry and fearless.
CarStOn SWOoned again in spite of
his heroic will to fight back the weak
ness. In the interval the stars shone
down upon him in their cold, hard
blilliance, and the soft cool air filled
his painting lungs with healing
strength
They carried the man TO the nearest
mining camp and gave him such med
zeal attendance as he needed After a
week of fever and delirium Carston's
strong constitution brought him
through successfully. His first thought
was of the child who had rescued him.
Bring that merry Christmas young
ster to me-" he almost shouted
"Whore is he: Don't keep me wait
ing"
Rugged old Carston, black by name
and character, flung his arms around
the slender neck and with great sob
in his voice, cried: Merry, merry
Christmas. y merry Christmas, young
ster, and God bless you.'
But even then he did not know that
his faint Merry Christmas" uttered
In his feverish dreams when impris-
oned In the rocks had first attracted
the little singers attention and was
responsible for his rescue. That was
long ago, and Carston now celebrates
the Christmas season with religious
zeal and ceremony and there is al
ways a little MERRY Christmas" to
help him. for nothing could satisfy him
but to nickname his rescuer Merry
Christmas