The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-11-24

rooms, with the candles set arrow il
bottles spluttering through the haze o.
dust and giving out, beside their mea
ger light, a smell of dripping tallow
where the air was noisy with the
scraping and pounding of many fee
and shouts of laughter rose on every
side, was this wide. beautiful place
with its pure white carpet and the ROOF
of blue far, far above. Its remote
walls were hung with white, where
the low hills climbed skyward. And
nearer, where the woods began. tall
snow crowned trees stood. theiI
branches shining with frost. Clumps OF
bushes. with here and there a stunted
isolated tree, dressed in the same gilt.
tering garments, took on fantastic
shapes as If they were spectators
Nor were they the only ones-the fur
five little people of the forest. in
feathers and fur, peeped out from their
shelter to watch with all their eyes
and then TO murmur under their
breaths, "How mad these mortals ber'
Terry stood at one side of the road
some distance beyond the sleigh. and
opposite him, her face aglow with ex-
element, her eyes like twin stars, the
child waited. AS he bowed with a
great flourish, bringing his old cap to
rest over his heart, she swept him a
curtsey so low that her skirts stood
stif1y out on the ground-"a cheese
she would have called it. Then the
next instant she sprang to her feet
again and poised on tiptoe, watching
eagerly for his signal
"Now." he called, now. thin. dar-
lint, ready"
She raised her right hand high in
air as If to meet the one he extended
toward her and SKINNED across the
shimmering floor very close to him.
Their fingers met. clasped. parted-and
she was in his place and he in hers
Then. dipping, bowling. swaying, they
advanced, retreated. advanced again.
passed each other. now disdaining
hands, each twisting and turning
alone as If the other did not exist.
Then, repentant. meeting. joining
forces and, with hands crossed. setting
of together-oh. happy word!-in the
swift sildiH that scarcely touched the
ground. so light they seemed. And up
the road and down the road they went,
laughing, shouting. singing. 1t was
the maddest. merriest dance. The
snow whirled up from their flying feet
in soft clouds, and, 10, each tiniest par
ticle was a fairy. The air was full of
graceful, bending shapes futtering
here and there, there and here, until
at last, quite tired out, they dropped
to earth again to twinkle and sparkle,
chattering softly to one another of the
fun they had had. Only an old man
and small child light of heart and
heels dancing out there in the wide
country. do you say? Oh. no. oh mo-
Santa Claus and his little sweetheart
And. as If. that were not happiness
enough, there were the others besides
the snow fairies (and no dancers are
Ike them anywhere), and the spirits
Of the plains sending back the gay mu-
sic and laughter. and the spirits that
dwell in the woods in their soft, sha-
dowy robes winding between the trees
IN stately measure, and the spirits
of the wind laughing softly among the
snow laden, Ice gemmed branches. and
the spirit of the high blue sky smiling
down on everything.
Hitherto the little maid had only
danced by herself or with her shadow
or her d0lls-those rather unsatisfac-
tory partners whose limp legs went ev-
cry which way. But she was happy
at all times because she kept the
fairy. Content. in her breast. Now Joy
came to her in larger fashion. She
waved her hand to sparkling earth and
smiling sky as she darted up and down
like some beIated butterfly caught ten