Show TI 11 ae client IN TH I 1 dag I 1 L LE 1 lr A TALE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY IN THE TIME OF SILAS WRIGHT by ay BAL M nELLER tow AUTHOR AUTHO OP OF EBEN HOLDEN DRI AND 1 I PARREL DARREL OF THE BLESSED ISLES ISLE UP va WITH ITH LIZZIE ETC ETC comm comiono iwa CHAPTER XI Continued 12 I 1 caunt this one of the great events of my youth nut but there wits MIS a greater one although it seemed not so BO nt at the time of it A traveler on oil the road to ball ba been find dropped his pocketbook c 0 lita ining it large amount of money 2700 was the ilie rum bum if I 1 remember rightly ile iio was ft as a man who being justly suspicious of the banks had withdrawn ills his money posters announced the loss and the offer of a large reword tile tho village was pro stirred still ed by them searching parties went up the road stirring its lust dust and groping in its grass nud and briers briera for fop the great prize was supposed to be lying there it was said however how that the quest had been unsuccessful so the lost pocketbook become became a treasured mystery of the village and of nil all tile the hills and volleys galleys toward Bally been a topic of old wives acs and husbands at the lie for unnumbered years ily by und and by the f fall ill term of school ended undo uncle peabody came down to ket get me the hie doly day before christmas I 1 had enjoyed enjoy id my work and my life at tile ho on tit the whole but I 1 was wag glad to bo be going horne home again my mi uncle was in high spirits and there were many packages in the sleigh A merry christmas to yo ye both an arity the lord love loe yol yel said mr blacket as lie bade ua goodby every day our thoughts will lc be going up the bills to your house bouse the belts bells rang merrily as we hurried through the la in the bard snow were goin coin to move said my uncle presently weve agreed to get f rf out by the middio 0 slay may 11 how does docs that happen I 1 asked 1 I settled with grimshaw end and agreed to go if it hadrit liu drat in na been acen for wright and baldwin we a got a cent they threatened to hid bid against win at tile the sale so it ho settled were coln to have a new home weve bought a hundred tin an bofty acres front from abo abe leonard golno to build a new house in it will be nearer tile the village lie ile playfully nudged my ribs with Ws Ms elbow t weve had a little good luck dart bart on ill tell ye se what it Is it you wont vont say anything about IV it I 1 promised 1 I dunno qs as it would mutter matter much lie be continued but I 1 dont want vant to do any braggin it aint business anyway an ali old uncle over in vermont died three diecks ago and left us thirty hundred drillars dollars rt it was wag old uncle I 1 baym babii 0 II died without a chick or 4 ebaid your aunt and slipped down to potsdam on an too is ie E tage stage tin an went over tin an got the nivy it was moro more money than I 1 ever ei i see before in my life we put it in tile the bank in potsdam to keep it out 0 grimshawe GrIm shaws lands bands I 1 trust that man as fur is as you could throw a bull hy by the trill all it was a cold clear night and when we reached homo home tho the new stove wits vac with the hent in its firebox nod the ho pudding puffing in the pa po and old shell dreaming in the chinin tsy corner aunt deel nip n hug nt at the door shop barbed and looped leaped to my shoulders why dart I 1 youre crowin like a wed 0 I 1 n aint I 1 n it Y sea 0 ageg yo e he be my nent aunt said as she stood ant and looked nt at ire ice set right flown here tin an warm ye yc 7 ie e lone dono nil all the chores fayeg ill how wnm and o was the dar old room with those faals faca in it I 1 wonder if itself can seem more pleasant plea stint to me I 1 have lind the liest best food this his world can call provide in my thae but never anns anything thing that I 1 ante with a keener relish lhnn the alio pudding milk and beena tind butter tind chlome nud plo pie alch which aunt deel rave gave us that night supper river nver I 1 wiped lpyd tho the ll bics for my mint while uncle Pe almly went ent out to apo alid water tile the then ea we sot in the genial while allo I 1 told old the story of my uto alfo in ill tile the busy town os as they called it it what pride and attention they gave me thell I 1 4 my bly tine flue clothes and the story of how w I 1 had come by them taxed my ingenuity somewhat although not lintrop oly ily I 1 find to be careful not to let them know that I 1 had been ashamed of f tile lie homemade suit they somehow felt the truth about it and n little alence the story then alion aunt acel dagher chair near me nad find touched toy my hair very gently and looked into my face speaking ayes I 1 I 1 know site presently ux ti a kind of caressing tone willi a of fodness in it they aint dmd to enaise homespun stuff down there in the hie village linge vi they mado made run 0 ye they dart bart 1 I dont care nhouy that I 1 assured them hero file minds the measure of the he ninn nm n I 1 quoted remembering the poet tile he scotto Sc had repeated to zue lue sou sound nill I 1 uncle peabody Ie exclaimed with enthus enthusiasm lasin aunt deel took my hand in hers and surveyed it thoughtfully for a moment without specking i you atil aint t gain to have to suffer buffer that way any no more site she said in a low tone were coln to be more coffta ble ayes yer yc uncle thought though twe wo better go west but I 1 bear to go oft off so fur on nn leave mother tin father nn nna sister susan an nil all the folks we loved laytn here in the ground alone I 1 want tint to lay jay down with acin cm by an ana by an wait for the sound bound 0 the trum pet I 1 el ayeal ayes 1 debbe bobbe be for thousands 0 years to our astonishment the clock struck twelve I 1 its merry Christinn si said uncle peabody as lie he jumped to ills his ft feet and began to sing of the little lord jesus we joined him film while lie stood beating time with his right hand after the fashion of a singing master with alth yer blots fri fi lendl endl he exclaimed when tile the stanza was finished we c dont have hac to set up and watch like tile tho shepherds wo we dl dica cna our boots on the chair round with hands clasped over tho the knee how familiar lb isa the process and yet i et I 1 seen aben it in more than half it II century I 1 I 1 lighted it a candle und and upstairs in my stocking feet untie uncle peabody Ic following follow ing close und and slapping shipping my thigh as it if my pace were not fast enough for him in the of our larking the candle tumbled to the noor floor and I 1 lad to go buck back to the stove and relight it ilow how good it seemed to bo be back in the old room under the shing shingles lest 1 the hent heat of the stovepipe had warmed its hospitality its been kind 0 lonesome here sidd unile uncle peabody Ie abod as he ie opened the window 1 I always lot let the wind come in to keep me company it gits alta so warm arm ye ie cant look tit nt yer stock ln sit bald aunt deel when I 1 came downstairs about eight having slept through chore time I 1 remember it wis was the delicious aroma ot of tiding frying hani ham and buckwheat caked cali es which a woke awoke me und and who rise and shake off the ilsuk of slumber ou on a bright cold winter morning with such provocation lails nent no common chrismas Chrls mas I 1 tell ye e aunt A went on 11 santa claus wont git here short 0 noon I 1 wonder nonder acal about eleven eleen uncle utraro and aunt 1 ellza and their the five children arrived with loud inua and merry greetings then came aine other aunt and uncles uncle told and cousins with ith what noisy good elmeer aln cr tile thu men entered the house after they had put up their horses 1 I 1 remember lenn abor how they laid their hard heavy hands on oil my licad and shook it a little is as ley sholie of my up or gove gave tile me a playful slap on the shoulder an ancient token of good will the first form f 01 m of the accolade I 1 fancy what joyful good humor there was in those simple men and women enouyeh to temper tile tho woes boes of a city if it could lave have licen lioan applied to tn their relief they stood thick around the stove warming themselves and taking oft off its gr friddles griddles iddles ond opening its doors and surveying it inside tin and out with much curlo curiosity sIty wow now for tile the christmas tree said uncle peabody as lie he led tho the way into our best roon room where a fire was burning in the old Frnnk franklin lin grate como come on boys tin an girls what a wonderful sight was wn tho the christmas christinas tree tho the first farst we u lind had in our hoube n flue spreading balsam loaded with presents I 1 uncle allram jumped into the air and clapped his feet together and shouted hold me somebody or ill grab tile tho hull tree trea art an run anway with it uncle held bield one foot in both illinois hands before him and joyfully hopped around the tree these rein tives find brought their family glik some gnys before to be hung on oil its branche tho the tiling thing that caught my pie eye was a lilg hig watch hanging by a n long golden to one of tile the boubli bou cli uncle peabody took it down tin and held it kloft by the chain so that hint none should miss the sight saying from sonia claus for dort bart I 1 A murmur of ran through the company which gathered around me as I 1 held the treasure in ny my trembling bang linnzi Is for dort bart too undo uncle pen pea body shouted ns na lie to took down a bolt of soft blue cloth and laid it in my arms now ow theres so methin jort jest debont as stick slick its a kittens ear car locel of it if TVs its for n sult suit ol 01 0 clothes colne nil the way from burlington now getup get yet up ap there youve got your load I 1 moved out of tho the way in a hurricane of merriment it was his ono one great day of pride and vanity llo ile did not try to conceal them the other presents floated for a moment in fa this irresistible udo qt of laugh ing good will mill and found their owners I 1 have never r forgotten how uncle jabez chused chased aunt minerva around tile the house with it 11 wooden snake cunningly carved an aud colored I 1 chinned there wen ninny many things ou on tho the tree which I 1 had aa not been taken down when we younger ones gathered up our wealth and repaired to aunt beels room to feast our eyes upon it and compare our gond boull fortune tile the jovien and tile the big girls rolled up their sleeves and went to work with aunt deel preparing the dinner tile tho gleat tent turkey and the ilie chicken plo pie were veto made ready nad lind put lu in the oven und and tho ho botn s and ad ibe oni onions ons and the he winter squash were soon boiling in ID their pots on oil tile tho stovetop stove top isreall meanwhile VI tile the children were lying in my aunts bedro oui and uncle allram and uncle jabez were nere pulling sticks in a corner while the other men sat upped tipped the wall wirt watching ching and making playful comments all save my luy uncle peabody who was trying to ing to touch his head fiend to the floor and then straighten up the aid ld ot of the broomstick in the midst of it aunt deel opened the front i and old kate the silent woman en ell ed to my surprise she wore a decent looking dress of gray homespun cloth and a white cloud word looped over her ter head bead and ears eais and tied around her neel and n good pair of boots Il merry lerry Chris christas was I 1 wo we all shouted she smiled and nodded her head und and sat down la in the chair which uncle peabody had placed for her at tile the stove side aunt deel took uio the cloud oil off her head whilo kate drew her mittens newly knitted of thu the best yarn then ruy my aunt brought sonic settle stockings and a shawl frow from the tree and laid them on the lai hip of old kate what a silence tell fell upon us las as we saw tears coursing down tho the cheeks checks of this lonely old woman of the countryside tenis of joy doubtless for god knows know s how long it lial had been since the poor abandoned soul ila biad seen a merry christmas and shared its kindness I 1 did nol fall to observe liow how clean her face and hinds hands looked sit she was greatly changed she took iny land hand as I 1 went to lier her cdo and tenderly caressed it A gentler aler smile came to her face than ever I 1 had seen upon it the old stirn stern look returned for a moment ns as slie site held one fluger finger alft in it gesture which only I 1 mail and my aunt deel understood we linow it signalized signalizes a peril and a mystery that I 1 should have to meet it up the hidden pathway I 1 tind find no doubt whatever dinners ready 1 exclaimed the cheerful voice of aunt deel then what it stirring of choirs chairs and feet ag we sat down at the table old 11 N R 1 from santa claus for bartl kate sat by the side of my aunt find and wt w wore were all at her good man vers we jested and laughed and drank elder find reviewed the years history and ate as only they may eat cat who have big bones and muscles and the vitality of oxen I 1 never taste the flavor of sipe and currant jelly or hear a hearty without thiril ing of those holiday dinners in the old log house ou on vint christmas brought mo me nothing boiler better than those words the memory of which Is 13 one of tile tallest towers in that long avenue of my post past iowa down which I 1 have been looking these many days about nil all you call do for a boy adorth while Is to give him something good to remember the day had turned dark the temperature pl pera grature ture had risen and the air was dank and chilly the men began to hitch bitch up their horses so one by one the left us with cheery good bys on and a grinding of runners and a jingling of bells when the last had gone uncle peabody and I 1 went into t iu house aunt deel sat by the stove old kate by the window looking out ut at tho the falling failing dusk how still tile tho house bouse seemed I 1 theres one thing I 1 forgot I 1 said as aa I 1 proudly took out of my wallet allet tile the six ore one dollar bills which I 1 had find earned by working days and handed three of them 0 o my iny aunt and three to my undo uncle saying that Is my christmas present to you I 1 curried it myself I 1 remember so well their astonishment and tho the trembling of their hands ila rids and tho the look of their faces its grand adest area 1 aunt deel said in a low tone sho she rose in a moment and beckoned to mo me and my undo we followed her through tho the open door to tho the other room ill tell yo what id do she whispered id alya cin to 01 ol nato ento gyesi ayes I 1 ashes goin to lui 1 f tilt till tomorrow morrow good nod idee I 1 solid undo uncle rv Pv abod so I 1 took the money out of thor hands anil and vent in nui and gave t ue it to tile silent woman your present from we me I 1 sold said how can I 1 forget how sho she held my arm against her with that loving fit familiar rocking motion of a woman who la Is soothing it a baby at her breast abild kissed my iny coat sleeve she re rc my orni arm and turning to the window leaned her head lloil upon its sill and lbook with sobs the dusk had thickened As I 1 returned to my seat beat by tile tho stove I 1 could dimly see her form against the light of the window wo we sat in silence for a little while then uncle peabody rose and got a candle and lighted it at the hearth 1 held field the lantern while uncle ilea body fed the sheep and the two cows and milked it a slight chore these will tet tei days you and I 1 tire are to go off to bed early he said bald us its we were going back to tn the house yer aunt deel wants to see kate alone and git her to talk it if she can 1 I dunno but shell swing back into this world agin sold said uncle peabody when we had gone up to our little toom loom 1 I guess all she needs Is to bo be treated like a human abeln yer aunt keel deel an I 1 git over th chinkin inkin 0 what she done for you iou that night in |