Little Falls herald., 1914-12-04
a Christmas
w edding
By OSCAR cox

Jim NuSgleS urOVe mule, ana YET
he was q grade higher than mule
driver. What put Jim up peg was
the fact that his mule t0wed canal
boat. Jim was not especially proud Of
his mule, but he was very proud Of bis
boat. He could tie up nights. picket
his mule and turn into the luxurious
quarters in the stern for good sleep.
Most of the other boats on that canal
contained families. Jim was lone
bachelor, and when he passed other
boats aud saw clothes hanging out to
dry he felt more lonely than ever, and
when he saw dirty faced children look
ing at him out Of the stern windows It
made him positively homesick.
The hardest days for Jim to get
through were holidays. There was one
Christmas that be kept the towpath all
day to drive away the blues. And even
then he couldn't help seeing the win
dows along his route hung with ever
greens and children running about
showing one another the toys that San
tn Claus had brought them.
There was a small house short dis.
tance from the canal I'm which there
lived an old woman. She kept chick
ems, a cow and several pigs. Jim had
no interest in the place until one day
when he was passing with his boat a
comely young woman emerged from
the house with bucket in her hand
and dumped the contents into the pig
sty. Jim passed out Of sight Of the red
checked girl with bucket to the mu-
sic of grunting pigs.
Men have fallen in love to the sound
of lutte. Probably their refined ma
tures could not have fallen into the
same condition to the grunting Of pigs
struggling for swill. But Jim was not
a gentleman; he was mule driver. At
any rate, that's exactly what he did
His lonely heart yearned for that red
checked girl. and love was born within
him on the same principle that It IS
born in a man listening to lutte.
As Jim went back and forth on the
towpath whenever he passed that
house he looked for the girl with the
red cheeks. One day he reached the
place just as she stepped out into the
yard. Naturally, seeing boat moving
by, she looked at It. Then, seeing Jim,
she looked at him. He was only
man driving a mule attached to ca
nalboat, but perhaps she was signing
for mate, just as Jim was. At any
rate. she didn't look away till she had
noticed an admiring look on Jim's hon.
est. but homely, face. As he passed
on she continued to look at him.
The next time she saw the boat 60
by It was In the late fall, but the ice
had not closed navigation. Jim had
an overcoat buttoned tight around him
and was smoking short pipe. On
the deck Of his boat was a board prop
ped up to show chalked letters, Christ
mas is COMM"
How did that girl know that this
was a message for her? Maybe she
didn't, but the next time Jim passed
the house he saw chalked on the roof
of the pigsty, Hope you'll enjoy It"
The ice was broken-not In the canal,
but the ice Of nonacQuaintance be-
tween these two pinefs for each other.
The next passing message was. "How
would you like to spend it on q canal
boat?" To which was made a reply,
''Fust rate"
Much less has been taken for pro-
posal of marriage and an acceptance.
The singular part Of it is that the con-
tract in this case was made before
these two had closer view OF each
other than a hundred yards. Never
theless Jim regarded the matter set
tied, and his heart was overjoyed that
he would not have to spend the COM
ing Christmas on the towpath to keep
from being lonely. ..
His next message was christmas
ever To which he received reply,
isn't that suddent?" On seeing this
loving message chalked in beautiful
pure white letters on the roof Of the
piesty Jim halted his mule, sat down
on the deck Of his boat with his legs
dangling over the side and waited for
q sight Of his ladylove. Presently she
appeared at a window and threw him
a kiss. He was not satisfied with this
and waited longer, but she did not ap.
pear again. Turning the board over,
be chalked on the other side, BE ready
Christmas eve" Having waited till he
felt sure she had seen his message, he
drove on.
The day before Christmas Jim loaded
up at the terminal with Christmas VI
ands and on his way out again called
on pars0n living beside a church that
he had often noticed near the girls
house. The parson promised to be on
hand on Christmas eve.
Mind you, Jim was taking It all on
faith. He didn't know what the girl
would do, but he said that he "kfnd o
reckoned she would" Dusk was fall
ing on Christmas eve when Jim's
home, containing bridal Christmas
outfit, stopped opposite the girls home
He and the parson went there and
found her in her best dress. Jim mad
i on q store suit, and at nearer view the