The Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 44, Ed. 2 Friday, December 19, 1902 Page: 1 of 16
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CHRISTMAS, 1902.
HEREFORD, TEXAS, DEC. 19, 1902.
NEW YEAR. 1903
The Bushranger's Gift.
Christmas in Australia.
It is hard for us dwellers in the
north to realize what Christmas
weather Is in the antipodes. Hot and
dusty and dispiriting, it would seem
there conld be little thought of re
joicing at such a season, but the fes-
tival spirit was strong in the race
which fashioned far-off Australia into
a great country, and it will not be
robbed of its traditional merrymaking.
Such a merrymaking had been
planned at the farm of John Wickham,
near what is now the city of Victoria,
but then (in 1842) a lonely sheep-herd-
er's home, for in February, Milly.
Wickham's daughter, was to marry
Frank Goodwin, a rider on the adjoin-
ing farm, though many miles away,
and Frank was to spend the week
with them.
Naturally the girl had been looking
forward impatiently to this visit of her
lover. Distances in those days were
immense, and the only means of travel
waa the horse, so that the young peo-
ple did not see each other very often,
and Milly was almost counting the
hours that must elapse before his ar-
rival.
trail, and peering anxiously on each
side, dreading to see what might meet
her gaze, but ready for anything that
would end the suspense. Several
times dark patches of rank grass took
the shape of the object of her search,
and after each slight pause she rode
on with her heart alternately lighter
and heavier—lighter because the sus-
picious looking object was not the
body of her Frank, and heavier as she
realized that each step into the bush
carried her into danger from the out-
laws who had their hiding places there
and it was in one of these she well
knew she would find her lover, if, in-
teed, she was fortunate enough to find
him at all.
Riding at an easy canter, Milly was
well into the "bush" when the gleam
of a light from a camp fire shone be
fore her. Fitfully it showed, as if in
a gully or among rocks, and on the
soft grass she drew closer without dis-
yond the glare of the fire, a dark bun-
dle which her heart told her was what
she had come to find.
Uncertain what the advent of their
visitor might mean, the men stood
silent, for a few minutes; then the
leader said gruffly:
'"You're a long way off the trail,
ain't ye. miss? Did you come to spend
Christmas with us?"
The gang good-naturedly echoed the
guffaw their captain gave at this sally
of wit. but the girl now realized the
danger she was in, and her brain
worked rapidly. Rough, and often
cruel, were these rangers of the bush,
but deeds of generosity were not un-
known to them. She would make an
appeal.
In a voice the steadiness of which
astonished her, she answered: "No, I
can't stop. I came for a Christmas
present."
Milly saw in an instant by the faces
ed man in an agony of fear.
The band drew closer, and one of
them said: "He ain't hurt bad. May-
be his arm's broke. Let's bring him
to the fire."
As they lifted him, and Milly bent
to See his face,she caught her breath
in fright, for he was unconscious, and
* wild fear that he might be dead
.\;ot through her.
The movement, however, must have
caused him pain, for he groaned, and
Milly tenderly passed her handker-
chief over his lips and face.
"You can have him, now you've
enme for him. though he'd make a
likely ranger," spoke up the leader;
"though I don't see how you're going
lo carry him. He can't ride a horse,
that's sure."
Still somewhat surprised at her
friendly reception, and wondering
dimly if the men were cruelly joking
v/ith her, Milly determined to play
tfmnrnmr>TTTjffiff#j iniunnam <utnninint7riL
A Christmas Carol*
There's a song in the air'.
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer
Ami a baby's low cry!
And the star rains Its fire with ths
Beautiful sing.
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a
King.
There's a tumult of joy
O'er the wonderful birth.
Por the virgin's sweet boy
Is the Iiord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains Its tire and IM
Beautiful sing.
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a
King.
In the light of that star.
Llethe ages Impearled:
And that song from afar
Has swept over the world.
Every hearth Is aflame, and the Beauti-
ful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus
is King.
We rejoice In the light.
And we echo the song
That comes down through the night
From the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they
bring.
And we greet in His cradle our Savior
and King.
-Josiah Gilbert Holland.
As well as she was able, she bound
up the injured arm in audi a way as
to ease the pain, and supporting his
head on her arm she waited anxiously
mi -r
til
V bs-i- JSri
Ml t ** O <J 1 41
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Vanderburgh, F. L. The Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 44, Ed. 2 Friday, December 19, 1902, newspaper, December 19, 1902; Hereford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth142329/m1/1/?q=hamilton+county: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Deaf Smith County Library.