The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-12
A Christmas
w edding
BY OSCAR cox

he was grade higher than mule
driver. What put Jim up Il peg was
the fact that his mule lowed canal.
boat. Jim was not especially proud of
his mule. but he was very proud of his
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 and saw clothes hanging out to
dry he felt more lonely than ever, and
when he saw dirty faced children look
ing ut him out of the stern windows 1t
made him positively homesick.
The hardest days .for Jim to get
through were holidays There was one
Christmas that he kept the towpath all
day to drive away the blues. And even
then he couldn't help seeing the WIN
do alorg his route hung with ever
gree nd children running about
shoI .ns one another the toys that San.
tn Claus had brought them.
There was a small house short dis.
lance 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
comedy young woman emerged from
the house with a bucket in her hand
and dumped the contents into the pig
sly. 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
lures 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 1t Is
born in 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 1t. Then, seeing Jim.
she looked at him. He was only a
man driving mule attached to ca
nalboat, but perhaps she was signing
for n 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
OF, she continued to look at him.
The next time she saw the boat 60
by 1t 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 board prop
ned up to show chalked letters. Christ
mas Is comm"
How did that girl know that this
was message for her! Maybe she
didn't, but the next time Jim passed
the house he saw chalked OH 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 piners for each other.
The next passing message was, How
would you like to spend it on canal
boat?" To which was made Il 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 De1ore
these two had closer view or each
other than 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 beautlfui
pure white letters on the roof OF the
pigsty Jim halted his mule, sat down
ON the deck of his boat with his legs
dnnplinr over the side and waited II
a sight of his ladylove. Presently 81
appeared ut a window and threw MI
n kiss. He was not satisfied with tn
and waited longer, but she did not ap
near again. Turning the board over
hc chalked on the other side. BE read!
Christmas eve" Having waited till II.
felt sure she had seen his message, lie
drove on. !,
The day before Christmas Jim loaded
nm at the terminal with Christmas vi
ands and on his way out again caiieu
on a parson living beside church tha'
no had often noticed near the Glri
house. The parson promised to be Oh
hand on Christmas eve.
Mind you. Jim was taking IL all VI
faith. He didn't know what tne gu
wooil 10. but he snid that he "kind
rackoned she would" Dusk was ran
ing on Christmas eve when jim
home, containing a bridai-onris'il'''
outfit, stopped opposite the girl $ nome
He and the parson went there am
found her In her best dress. Jim nat
on a store suit, and at nearer view tns
two were mutually pleased. Inc o'',
woman gave Jim shrewd glance anu
ras evidently satisfied. Inc party s"'