Year: 1872

''This is a sweet old place for man to be
in on New Years Eve," soliloquized Jack
who, like men generally who are much alone
had contracted habit of talking to himself
Its just as good though after all, as to be
down town. What's Christmas or New
Year more than any other day to fellow in
the mines Let me find the lead once thai
the Fleming boys had and I'll get to civ.
ilized country, quicker"


Oh, no, Mr.. Morton. So its search for a
lost lead that keeps you resident of Hum.
bug. Well, we know great many miners
who have hunted for pay streak that some
body bad in former years, but it is not very
often that they find it.


His eyes wandered sleepily around until
they again rested on the old shovel in the
corner.


you've been pretty good shovel in your
day." said Jake, apostrophizing the battered
tool. you've helped me work out the best
spot l ever found in the Gulch. I'd like to
find another spot like that,


'What good would it do you ?' returned
theEshovel, which seemed to take on some
semblance to the human form anc advance
toward him.


Jake started from his seat at hearing the
shovel address him so curtly But the shov
ell was sitting just as he had left it, and he
settled back in the old chair again.


''Steamboated again." muttered Jake,
Though | could almost swear it spoke to me.
But it's as big humbug as the Gulch it.
SELF"


There was no mistake that this time the
shovel did walk out of its corner, and slip
| ped in between Jake and the fire.


$50 you think Pm n humbug, do you p
Well. since we are on Humbug and on hum
bngs, what are you, sir ?'


The idea of an old fire shovel walking
about the room and punning in this manner
was too much for him he couldn't answer
a word.


You're an arrant humbug youself, Jake
Morton, said the shovel, answering it's own
| question. And now | want you tell me what
good it would do you to find another good
spot ?''


''1'd go back home" responded Jake.


Fudge Why didn't you 90 when YOU
had finished working the first spot?''


Jake couldn't form suitable answer, SO
the shovel answered for him again:


"You were to proud to do it. You thought
you might be laughed at if you came back
from this golden land with few hundred
dollars. You would be Just the same way
again. You're pretty good fellow, Jake,
and generally mean well. but you've got
your fault and must get rid of them. You
must, to morrow, commence with the New
Y ear, and turn over new leaf"


Jake did not know whether to be angry or
not, at being talked to in such plain Ian
guage. But he wisely concluded he could
make nothing by quarreiug with the old
blade, so he held his peace.


"You went to town on Christina. Day and
IL ALL. Il


ham and some little things besides. and
came back broke" How. did you spend
your money ?'


companion seemed to read his thoughts and
answered for him as usual


'I'll tell you, Jacob. You bought a rattle
ticket for something that you couldn't have
used if you had won it. Then you fell in
with some of your old chummies and treated
them. TO wind up with, you played few
games of cards for the drinks. and came home
without cent"


Jake felt that he could not dispute word
that was said.


"And Pm sorry to say, Jacob, that this
fault is growing on you. Once you played
those social games Just TO pass away the
time. Now, you think that glass of liquor
occasionally does you good. In this way
you squander enough every year to take you
back to your old home, where loving eyes
grow dim watching for yourretu Look to
the East"


Jacob turned his eyes in the direction in
dlcated, and looked upon a scene which
brought his heart to his lips. 1t seemed as
though the broad expanse of mountain, hill
and plain which stretched between him and
bis former home had been leveled down, and
while every land mark of the long and ted-
ous road which he had travelled years before
was marked down with Photographic mi
nuteness, yet space seemed to be annhilated,
and he could look into the old farm house of
his parents as easily as if he were standing
by the kitchen window. 1t was familiar
scene to him and one which he had often re-
called in imagination-an old couple seated
by the table-the old man reading aloud
from newspaper, while his wife piled the
knitting needles.


AS Jacob looked, the old man laid down
the paper and taking off his spectaces, drew
his chair nearer the fire. For few mo-
ments there was silence, broken only by the
click of the knitting gneedles.


eff Jacob was only with US to- night" said
the old man, half to himself and half to his
companion


The knitting work fell into her lap and as
she bent her head 'over it the tears flowed
silently upon it. Poor boy she said at
last, Il was thinking of him all day."


''It's nigh onto fifteen years since he left
us, wife," said the old man. after little
"He was only to be gone three years, and it
has stretched out to this time"


ITS not his fault that he hast come I'll
be bound,' said the mother, coming at once
to the defense of her absent boy mo, in
deed, it cannot be-"


May be not wife we'll think not any
way. Pve sometimes thought that if Emily
had waited little longer. it might have been
the means of drawin' him back. He used
to think power of that girl"


Emily did just right, responded his wife,
"She waited four years and that's long
enough for girl to wait for anybody. She
had to look out for home for herself after
her father died, and there could be no home
like her own. Suppose she bad waited un-
til now. as we have done ?"


well, I'm not blamin' the girl, wife;
was only supposin' a case, as they say
Well, God bless him, wherever be is"


As the mother uttered fervent Amen, u
Jacob turned his head away to wipe the
tears which had gathered in his own eyes
When he looked again, he saw nothing bui
the walls of his cabin.


'.I'Il be with them" muttered Jake,
clearing his voice, they won't be waiting