Show leome I 1 I 1 V P of the ley icy air coill 0 shook the tho groat great feather bed and turned it over iler her black eyes cyca sparkled as sho she sang bang chero oer eer we go well not forget l ianni you ever comial to help get breakfast john henrys got tho the chores done I 1 hear him comin with the milk 11 sue calling from the kitchen was skimming frozen cream yellow and thick froni from earthenware crocks 11 flurry II mollie take up the sausage rind and put the eggs in tile the skillet set bet the plea pies on or johnnie wont kneir hos hes bad breakfast here ho be comes open the door quick aro ara you most froze johnniel V by golly it Is cold sue ne ila deposited tho the huge pall pulled off oc his frozen gloves laid them on the stove hearth to thaw and stood breaking bits of lee ice from its his mustache scraping caked snow from his boots on the edge of tho the wood box lio lie said now ive got an aided if this keeps up lip well havo a white christmas jolce joke it if gona bo be hung you know tomorrows christmas an spoil everything too deep for sleighs now sli sh hero here comes ma 11 aint breakfast 4 really yet corn ned ma ila since mollie and suo had grown up ma ala old at 0 t forty five had donned her laco lace cap retired to her chimney corner to her pipe knit and piece quilts her husband had been shot by bushwhackers bushwhack ers her youngest son eon had never come coine back from war so BO she broaded brooded and grieved pretending preparations were for their 11 school crowd the young folk had invited her brothers arid and sisters to spend christmas with her arid and cheer her up do you think uncle ike mollie began but at a kick under tho the table she eho turned to ma do you think undo uncle iko ika will ever come back bacar land sakes sake no whatever put that into your head child leavo leave Call forny to comeback como back hero an freeze to death V werl wen I 1 reckon most folks wanta go to Call forny some time commented jolio john henry but I 1 guess the old farm aint so BO bad after all when the crops Is s fair an most generally theys still plenty a 0 firewood and they s app s an turnips ate on aters an a few other things in the cellar bossy an baldy baidy aint f failed us yet an theys plenty a 0 meat in the smokehouse oranges an fresh lettuce la is mighty fine but they dont lay heavy on yer stumm mick lck 11 sour grapes chided sue s you know youa lovo love to go out there an see bee all them hewers flowers an go at christmas time an never have hava to go out in tho the cold to do the chores chorea danged if I 1 would responded the loyal one the old farms good enough for me christmas aint no proper time for fer ln en an I 1 aint never been hurt doln chores throughout the meal the young people continued their banter then john henry followed the girls to tho the kitchen theys tracks around tho the barn he confided dont scara ma but it night might be ba that half wit hired man I 1 fired last fall up to the lord knows what I 1 you gals keep to the house an dont let no stranger in ampro ampre bentive of the worst they promised presently the sky cleared sunshine and melting snow were making roads more impassable throughout the day 1 atit alt at al it t breakfast ready yet complained ma that thai night as they sat around the fireplace a gust of wind overburdened the snow on the root roof and a portion slid to the ground with a thud and the rattle of breaking icicles the girls screamed realizing their gervous ness was due to the tracks tile the barn john henry laughed set some apples roasting on ta t hearth by way of diversion and cracked black walnuts on the side of a flatiron sue sua fretted about all them mince pies ma ala said etwas it was a shamo shame killed both turkeys and mollie declared she was never so put out in ler her life suddenly tho the wind howled angrily golly ma ala its gettin cold again def bet y crust the snow over tonight like as not ma agreed and the driving wind continued john henry added a log to the ore fire and began shelling popcorn sue nudged her sister lie ile means make the popcorn balls mollie began to ring king al though wo we cross the oban ocean blue no friends well find one half so true john henry carried a shovel of 0 glowing coals to the kitchen an and started a fire going to the door ho ez ix tho the can and set it near ho dont like ilka them tracks mollie suo sue confided over the boiling ill bet it Is that half wivi wit their eyes grow grew big an and around round early to bed and whistling wind rought brought b restful and with mom ing camo came sleigh bells mollie scratched a peephole peep hole holo in tho the fantastic frost forest on tho window pane its undo uncle jimmie and mary ann meet em cm quick nn an tell em cm not to let ma ala catch on bet y were first ones here ho he began but suo sue cautioned him as he gave her a snowy hug by theotime tho tIme undo hiram and aunt betsy and their ethelbert and aunt emerine emerino and hannah had arrived ma ala had be begun gunto to surmise but at the alio next faint familiar ilard jingle ingle she actually arose and peered out th window herself for fer the land sakes it if it aint sister catherine and sary jane ano and billy all tho the way from pike county johnnie what f are you children up to anyhow who ISO Is comin depends on tho the weather matteck ma heck on youve guessed its your party ma dropped into her chair speechless and began vigorously on her pipe her eyes told them she was almost happy drippy by noon they were there those brothers and sisters and their children some had traveled many miles of course they expect ike but lie was often in their thoughts and conversation guess ikes about forgot what christmas back homo home Is like somo some one ventured but ike had not forgotten he had bad long been yearning for a eight of gods goals country and somo some real snow As soon as ho ha heard of tile tho reunion lie he decided to cat turkey back home iko ike had gono gone out west with tho forty biners found much gold but tho city had spread out all over his land and lie he had got rich in spite of himself 11 down on the farm the dinner table presented a typical feast of the early eighties turkeys done wheres johnnie said mary ann aan taking up a hot minco pie alc ril ill got go am im impulsive mollie forgetful of his warn ing ng ran to tho the barn no sooner hai had in the end all agreed with the scotch proverb sho she stepped inside than she saw the half wit dash out into tho the corral sho screamed A moment later she heard an intensified 4 gosh and a scuffle in the frozen snow grasping a pitchfork she started to follow when a rough hand band caught her and pulled her back blindly sho fought like ilke a YOU young ng tigress biting and scratching through the barn door came john henry halt half dragging his victim see you dont need no help said the man who held mollie in his grasp was cumin comin but this young wildcat gave mo me too much to do reckon youre john henry and this one a 0 Saman thys gals im your uncle ike just dropped in for that christmas dinner but that varmint youre draggon dragg tn in yond aughta finished him you sou dont say so sol I 1 you know who he Is asked john henry reckon it if took a second look coif d a knowel yourself with a loud guffaw he caught the now reviving young man by the arm and said george meet your affectionate brother and acknowledge your hearty welcome home well ill be got gol dinged danged I 1 thank the lord I 1 have the gun ill 1 hugging and shaking his brother alternately john henry added its sure one on us mollie 11 he explained how he had been gayln fer the barn loft boarder when ho he heard her scream and caught the man whom he fully expected to bo be the halt half wit wil mollie said shed a swore it was him after the war george had bad heard that the family were driven out by order no 11 not knowing where to find them ho he went to california hoping to find his undo uncle and obtain news newn nis ills long search ended just as iko ike consummated sum mated his bis plans for christmas eo 90 they decided to make the trip together and give lem cm a big surprise arriving aforetime afore tinie they slept in the hay bay and spent a day hunting down by the river our horses aro are down in the old corn crib ho he concluded and hero here wo we nrc are a fine looking pair to present at tho the banquet table disheveled they were but oh all how welcome I 1 ma ida looked twenty years younger undo uncle ike told his dreams of remodeling tho the old home ma said she have nono none 0 them newfangled things in her house ike and george finally decided to stay and help harvest the spring wheat john henry conceded lie ho might go back with them and pick somo some oranges off the trees so homo home and california went round the long table in the end all agreed with the old scotch proverb east or west homes best but bat many a grandchild heard the tale of 0 tire the wanderers unusual welcome home for Chrls christmas tas qa 1928 wittem Nawa Now paper |