Bloomington Progress, Volume 18, Number 43, Bloomington, Monroe County, 24 December 1884 — Page 1

REPOBLICMi PROGRESS.

KSTABUSHRD A. D.

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY

WLOOMIMOTOH,

Devoted to

AdvHiicernpjit

IHIHAMA. I A T,fTTiiblican .faei

V. TiTnnMnvmON INDIANA. WEDNESDAY,

TWUafh Qgta: "-tt-offrws awwj JbSUUHISIieU A. JL., OtW. ..wm- ,

am mm uouef -am- i : - : r

Local Interests of Monroe County.

DECEMBER 24,

New Series.-VOL.XVIII.-NO. 43.

REPUBLICAN PROWL A VALUABLE ADVERTISING IIEOHIH.

5f 'aSi

1

Circulates Among the Best Fan

Monroe County,

And is Read by Every Member of Each Family.

Fib PoXmt tfedUlm Adrrtiimnta miUed to Quae Column.

CHRISTMAS TREASURES. by EuoKxr naa X count my treasure o'er with care TLo little toy that baby knew A Jttle sock ot faded hue A little lock of cokfen hair. Long years o thas Christmas tine. My little one my all to me Sat roled in white upon my knee Ai d heard the merry Christmas chime. -Tell roe. my little golden-head. If Santa Clan should come to-night. What shall he bring my baby orient t hat treasure tor my boy?" i aW. And then be named the HtUo toy. While in his honest, mournful eyes Tiieri cam" a look of sweet surprise That spoke bis -in1?, trust tot ley. J.nft as he lisped Uls cvenin? pray'r Heaskedtbe 'ioon with:hildish grace; Then.todiU rto the chimney -place. He hna his lit. le stocking there. That night, as 1 nsth'nmg shadows crept, I raw the white- winged aneels coma Withhcav-jnly i luslc to oar fcemo And lass my lsrfcng as he slept. They most have hesrd his baby pray'r. For in tne morn, with smiting f see. He 'oddled to the chimney-place And lomid the little treasure there they came again one Christmastide That angel host, so tan- and white And. singing an he Christmas night, 1 hey lnrod my darling Irora my side. A little sock a little toy Httle lock ot golden hair The Christmas sitnte on the air watching far my baby boy. lint if again that angel train And tolden-hcad ccm back for me. To hear tne to eternity. My watching will not be in rani.

A PBF0r CHBISTMAS. JW WlIXTAJl . 3TODDARO.

i-'j H

CHAPTr R I. There ws not a larger boose in all ihe val'.eythan Grandfather Vrooman's. It was old and comfortable, and seemed to lie sound asleep, with a anew blanket a?l over its roof. Nothing short of a real old-fashkmpd

Christinas could wake np such a house as that. Christmas was coming! Unless Santa Clans and the Simpsons and tlte Hopkinses should forget the da; of the month, they would all be there at waking-up time to-morrow Tporning. Jane," said Grandmother Vrooman. that afternoon, to her daughter, Mrs. Hardy, who lived -with her "Jane, Fve aot 'cm all fixed now jnst -where they're

aome to sleep, and I've made np a bed

on the floor in the store-room." "Why, mother, whoa' thai for?"

"Yon -wait and see, after tiiey gei

r here, and we've counted 'em. "

"Anyhow there's cookies enough, and

doughnuts."

"And the puss, Jane."

"And Tm glad liph gathered such

OSes o:: buiternuis."

-Oh. mother,'' exclaimed little Sue,

"1 gathered as many as he did, and beech-nuts, and hickory-nuts, and " "So yon did, Sue; but I wonder if two turkeys 11 go round, with only one

pair of chickens?" "Mother," eaid Mrs. Hardy,

plum-pudding?' "Yes, but all these children I I do hope they'll get here to-night in time for me t icow where I'm going to put

h pushed his face out between the branches. The trees all looked a if they had beards of snow, but none had a longer or whiter one than Liph's grandfather. "Bijah," said he, "did you know Christmas was coming?"

"Be here to-morrov," piped the dot gray, "and we're going to have tur-

xondon taay: .(us juu "

I cut a tree down and I'll come out auu

bear all about it."

"Is your name Santa Clans?" "DW von hear that, Liph ? The lit

tle chap's miles from home and I don't j

belitive he knows it.

"Is that your sleigh?" "Yes, Bijah, that's my sleigh." "Those ain't reindeer, and you're

bigger 'n you used to be."

-Hear that, Liph?" Bimh had not the least doubt in the

world but that he had discovered Santa i

Clans in the very act of getting ready for Christmas, and his black eyes were growing bigger every minute, until T,nil liecan to climb over the fence.

Then he set off on a run as fast as his legs could carry him. "Hold on," shouted Liph. "Ve won't hurt you." "Let him go," said Grandfather Vrooman. "He's on the way to our house. We'll pick him up.' "Took me for Santa Clans, I declare! Liph, this here treell just suit yonr grandmother." It was a splendid young spruce tree, with wide-spreading boaghs at less than two feet from the anow level. Grand

father Vroomau worked his way carefully in until he could reach the trunk with saw and axe, and then there was a sharp bit of work for him and Liph tn mt that "Christmas tree" stowed

safely on top of the sleigh load.

"Sow for home. Liph. xonr grand

mother '11 cut into one of them new pies for you when you get there."

"Look!" snouted Liph, that- littio fellow's waiting for us at the top of the

hill."

The hill was not a high one, and the road led right over it, and there on the

summit stood Bijah.

"I'm so tired and hungry," he said to

himself, "and there comes old Santa

Clans, sleigh and all." He was getting colder, too, now he was standing still, and when Grandfather Yrooman came along the road, walking in front of the sleigh, while Liph perched among tho evergreens and drove, there seemed to be something warm about him. . It was not so much his high far hat,

or his tremendous overcoat, or his long while beard,.or the way he smiled, but something in the sound of his voice almost drove the frost out of Bijnh's

mince pie in his lap, and Bush, the big houfe-dog, sitting beside him. "It's Santa Glaus" dog," said Bijah to himself; "but his house isn't as big as the 'sylum."

. . . i mi ii.. : TT -- 1.-Ira

Mrs. Simpson tried to unmix her clnl- j hip way me mpuu u -I, frrnn the Hokinsos lone enough ' families got mixed up, with Liph and

of thorn hud dronned ; Sue Hardy to help them,

out of the sleigh on tho road. Then Liph sot to work to introduce his cousins to Bijah, and Bush oamo

was some

thing wonderful. Old Bush wandered from room to room after them, wagging

his tail and whining.

CH U?TI2lt II.

There wero fire-places in every room I see that it was properly done, on the ground floor of Grandfather! wheie'd yon come from?"

Vrooman's house, and some kind of Simpson. stove in more than half of the rooms "'Sylum," said Bijah

up-stairs. catch you

"Mother," exclaimed Mrs. Hardy at

the bed vou made on the floor in

and stood bv his new friend in gray, so ;

; last,

said Joe j tho store-room!" "Jnst tho thing for him. All tho rest

Where'd he ! go in pairs. I'll put tha t poor little dear ! right in there."

So she did, and not ono of her own

He got up very quickly and looked

mound him. It was not dark m the utora-room, for thero was a groat s jnare hole in the middle of tho floor, and a glow of dull red light came up through :t which almost made Bijah feel afiaid. There was his little gray suit of clothes, cap and all, close by his bed on the floor, and he put them on faster than he ever had done it before. "Whoro'ri my other stocking?" Ho searched and searched, but it was

of no use, and he said, 1 can t rurt

"Catch what?" said Joe, but Liph

yjA .umw i fmivi wt ghhb

CHRISTMAS SHOPFING. j

nose.-

"the

"Well, my little man, don't you want

to come to mv house and get some pie .'

- "Yes, sir." Bijah could not think of one other word he wanted to say, and he mustered all the courage he had not to cry when Grandfather Vrooman picked him up, as if he had been a kitten, and perched him by the side of Liph among the evergreens. On he went, and Bijah did not answer a single one of Liph's questions for five l-ng minutes. Then he turned his black eyes full on his driver and

asked. "Do yon live with Santa Claus

in his own house?"

"Yes, sir-ee." responded Liph, with

a great chuckle of fun; but all he had

amount of small en- ! to do the rest of the way home was to

spin yarns for Biiali abont the way

thnv lived at the house where all the

Christmas came from. When they got there, Liph's fathe:

and the hired man and Grandfather Yrooman were ready to lift off that Christmas tree, and carry it through the front door and hall, and set it up in

the "dark room" at the end of the hall.

That ought to have been the nicest

room in the house, for it was right in

the middle, but there were no windows

in it. There were doors in every direc

tion, however, and in the corner of the ceiling was a "scuttle hole" more, than two feet sauare. with a wooden lid

on it.

"John," said Grandfather Vrooman

to Mr. Hardy, "we'll hoist the top of

At that very minute, away up the north road, two scales nearer town, there was a sort of dot on the white

road. Xf yon were far enough away from it, it looked like a black dot, and dig. not seem to move. The nearer yon came to it the funnier it looked, and

the more it seemed to be trudging along

with an immense

. ergy. Very small, indeed, for anybody close up to it would have seen that it was a 5-year-old boy in a queer little suit of gray, trimmed with red. He hod on a warm gray cap, and right in the middle of it were worked a pair of letters "O. A." but there was nobody witfe the gray dot to exphdn that those two letters stood for "Orphan Asylum. " So, nor to tell hew easy it was for a a boy of 5 years old, with all tho head under Ins gray cap fall of Christmas

ideas, to turn the wrong corner waere the roads crossed sooth of the great Orphan Asylum bnOding. That was what he had done, and he had walked on and on, wondering why the big building did not come ill sight, until

his small legs were getting tared, and

his brave, bright little black eyes were j

all but ready for a crying: spell. Jnst as he got thoroughly disoouraged, he came to theedgo of the woods, where there stood a wool sleigh with two horses in front of it, drawn, close to the roadside, and heaped with great green boughs and branches. "The sleigh's pretty nigh full, grandfather,'' sang oat a clear, boyish voice beyond the fence, and a very much

older one seemed to go right on talking. "Yonr grandmother, Liph, she always did make the best mince pies, and she eaa staff a turkey better'n any one I know." "Grandfather, do yon s-pose they'll all come?" "Guess they will. That there spruce 'II do for the Christmas tree. Your

grandmother said we muss fetch big

one.

"That's a whopper. Bat will Jce Simpson and Bob Hopkins be bigger 'n they were las4, summer?" "Guesa they've grown a little. TheyH grow tins time, if they eat all their grandmother 11 want 'em to. Hello, Lipli, who's that out there in the wad?" "(rseflB it's a boy." I deulare if H isnt one of them little gray mites from the 'sylum! Way out hero! I say, bub." "I'm Bijah." There was a scared leek in the black

eyes, for they had never seen anything

ittite like Griuutiatner vrooman, ,

the tree through the We. You go up

of

to

and open the scuttle. Hitch the top

good and strong. There'll be lots things to hang on them branches. Linh's father hurried up stairs

open the scuttle, and that gave Grand- ! father Yrooman a chance to think of Bijah. "Where is he Liph?" "Oh, he's all right. Grandmother's sot him. She and mother caught him

before he got into the house. He tried to run away, too." Bijah's short legs had been too tired to carry him very fast, and Grandmother Yrooman and Mrs. Hardy had caught him before ho got back to the gate. The way they laughed about it gave him a great deal of courage, and he never cried when they took him by his red little hands, one on each side, and

walked him into the house. "Jane," said grandmother, "what will we do with him? The house '11 be choke jam, packed full, and there isn't an extra bed."

"Father found him in the snow somewhere. Just like him. But what a rosy little dot he is?" "Are you Santa Clans' wives?" asked Bijah, with a quiver of his Up in spite of himself. How they did chuckle whi -r tried to answer that question! made clear to Bijah was that for him was in a big chair t

T.". -with 9

hearth down-stairs, and Liph got hold of Bijah after a while and made him and Bush go around with him to help

poke them up. Bijah had never aeeu

fire-place before, and it was a great

wonder to him, but Bush sat down in front of each fire and laughed at it.

It was getting dark when they

reached the great, front parlor, and tho

fire-place there was wonderful,

"Woof, woof, woof," barked Bush. Bijah stood still in the door while

Liph went near enough to give that fire a poke, and he could hear Grandfather Yrooman away back in the sitting-room :

Now, my dettf , wfc'U stick him away

somewhere. Put him in one of the

stockings, and hang him up."

"That's me," groaned Bijah. "He's

going to make a present of me to some

body. Oh. dear! I wish I could run

away."

But ho could not, for there was Liph

and there was Bush, and it was getting

dark.

VNow, my dear," went on grand

father, "111 just light up, and then I'll go and meet that train. I'll bring Prue and her folks, and Pat'll meet the

other, and brinsr Ellen and hers. Won't

the old house be full this time?

"He's caught some more somewhere,"

whinnered Biiah to himself. "I wonder

wholl get cm ? Who'll get me ?"

That was an awful question, but Liph and Bnsh all but ran against him just then, and he heard grandmother

say : "You'll have to stick candles on the window-sills. I can't spare any lamps for up-stairs." "Bat, my dear, it's got to bo lit up

every room of it. I wan't 'em to know Christmas is coming."

"That's what they were all saying at

the 'svlum this morning, thought

Bijah, "and here I am, right where it's

coming to."

So ho was, and he and Lrph and Bush

watched them finish setting the supper table, till suddenly Bush gave a great

bark and sprang away toward the front door. Grandfather Yrooman had hard

ly been gone from the house an hour, and here he was, back again. Jingle, jingle, jingle. How the sleigh bells did dance as that great load of young folk came down the road, and what a racket they made at the gate, and how Bush, and Liph, and grandmother, and the rest did help them! "He's caught 'em all," said Bijah, "but they ain't scared a bit"

No one would have thought so if he

had seen Mrs. Prue Hopkins and her husband and her six children follow

Grandfather Yrooman into the house.

They were hardly there, and some of them had j;beir things on yet, when there came another jingle, and ever so much tftlkinc and lauar liter down tho

other road.

"He's caught some more. Some aro little and some are big. I wonder who'll

get the baby?"

Bush was making himself hoarse, and

mancged to choke off the chuckle he

was going into, and to shout out:

"Why, Joe, we ibund hmt in the road

io-daj". Ho thinks grandfather's old

Santa Claus, and this house is Christ

inas.

"So I am so it is," said Grandfather

Yrooman. "we'll make him hang up

his stocking with all the rest to-uight."

Bijah could not feel scared at all with

so many children around him, and he was used to bein;; among a crowd of

them. Still, it was hard to feel at

home after supper, and he might have

had a blue time of it if it haon t been

for Liph and Bush. It had somehow

got into Bush's mind that the dot in

gray wsh under lus protection, and lie followed Biiah from one corner to an

other.

All the doors in the "darh room

were open, ana n was me injures room in the house, with its big fire on the

hearth and all the lamps that were taken in after sapper; but there was not one thing hanging on the Christ

mas tree until Grandfather Vrooman

exclaimed :

"Now for the stockings ! It's getting lat. children. I must have you all in

bed before long." "Stockings?"

They all knew what that meant, and so did Bijah, but it was wonderful how many that tree had to carry. Bob Hopkins insisted on hanging two pairs for himself, and Thad Simjwon was begging his mother for a second pair, when Liph H.rdy came in from the

kitchen with a great, long, empty gram bag"What in the world is that for?", ftalrnil trrandmother. perfectly aston

ished. "Why, child, what do you mean by bringing that thing in here ?"

"One big stocking for grandfather.

Let's hang it up, boys. Maybe Santa

Claus'U fill it."

There was no end of fun over G rand-

father Vrooman's gram-bag atoekiag,

that was all leg and no foot, but Uncle Hiram Simpson took it and fastened it strongly to a branch in the middle of the tree. Ittras olose to the trunk,

and was almost hidden; but Liph saw Uncle Hiram ivink at Aunt Ellen, nnd

he knew thero was fun of some kind that ho had not thought of.

Grandmother Yrooman had been so busy with all those cbUdreu from tho moment they came hit ihe house that she had almost lost her anxiety; but it came back to her now all of a sudden. "Sakes alive! Jane," she said to Mrs. Hardy, "every last one of 'em's got to be in lied before we can do a thing with the stockings." Bijah heard her, for he was just beyond the dining-room door, with a cruller in each hand, and it made him shiver all over.

"I wish I was in the 'sylum. No, I don't either, but I kind o' wish I was. Bijah was ii very small boy, and he had not seen much of tho world, but his idtias were almost as clear as those

of thu otnor children sad Uranama

rand-children was tucked in warmer

than was Bijah. He did not kick the

bed clothes off the next minute Jeither,

and he was the only child in tho house of whom that could be said. Grand

father Yrooman paid a visit of inspec

tion all around from room to room, and

Bush went with him. It took him a

good while. When ho canio to the

store-room and looked in, Uijahs tired eyes wero already closed as tight as wero the fingers of the little lifted on

the coverlet, which was still grasping a

cruller.

He was fast asleep, but Grandfather

Vrooman was not; and yet, when Bush looked up at him, the old man's eyes

wero shut too, and there was a stir m his thick white beard as if his lips wero moving. Things got pretty still after a while, and then there began a steady procession in and out of the "dark room," which was not dark. Boxoh went in, and bundles, and these wero opened and untied, and their contents spread out and looked at and distributed. It was no wonder Grandfather Vrooman's big sleigh had been so full, and the one Pat had driven, when they brought the Hopkins and Simpson families from the north

and south railway stations.

Grandfather himself went away out to the barn once for something he said

he bad hidden there, and while he was

gone Aunt Ellen Simpson and Uncle

Hiram slipped a package into tho grain lmir. and crrandmother handed Uncle

Hiram another to slip in on top of it, and Uncle John Hardy and Uncle Mar

tin Hopkins eiich handed him another,

and the bag was almost half full, but

you could not see it from outside; and then they all winked at each other j when grandfather came in with a backload of sleds. . Grandmother may have . thought she knew what they wero wink-

ing about, out sue uiuu v, iui- uuiw Hiram whispered to Aunt Ellen: "I'm glad it's a big stocking. One'll do for both of 'ero." It was late when they all went to bed, and there was so much fire in the fire-place they were half afraid to leave it, but Grandfather Vroorman said it was of no use to try and cover it up, and the room would he warm in the

morning. When they got up-stairs the children must all have been asleep, for there was not a sound from any room, and the older people went to bod on tiptoe, and they had tried hard to not so much as whisper on the stairs.

nAn l utiBg-iwvni r

r

tad to be spoken t y Mr. Hardy, wiile I Vrooman foi the next fifteen minutes.

CHAlTEK III. Oh, how beautiful the country was when tho gray dawn came next morning i white and still in the dim and growing light. So still! But the stillest place was the one Bijah woke up in. He could not guess where he was at first, but he lay awhile and remembered. "Santa Claus house, and they're all real good. Ho's going to give me to somebody as soon as it's Christmas."

nwav in the snow with a bare foot.

He had been getting braver and 1 braver, now ho was wide awake, and , ho crawled forward and looked down 1 the scuttle-hole. He knew that room 1 in a mir ute, but he had to look twice before he knew that tree. "Ever so many stockings! And they're all ML Look at those sheds ! Oh, my!" Whichever way he looked he saw sometliing wonderful, and he began to get excited. "I can climb down. It's just like going down stairs." It was just about as safe and easy,

with all those branches under him, and all he had to do was to sit on one and get ready to ait on the next one below

him. He got about halt-way down, and there was the grain-bag, with its mouth wide open. Just beyond it, on the same bough, but further out, there

hung a very small stocking, indeed.

"That's mine !" exclaimed liijah. "It s cram full, too. They've borrowed it, after all theirs were full. I want it to

put on now, but 1 can't reach it out

there." Just then he began to hear noises up stairs, and other noises in the rooms bolow shouts and stamping, and peo

ple calling to ono another and he could not make out what they were saying. "Oh, dear, they're coming! Santa Claus is coming! What'llldo?" Bijah was scared; but there was tho wide mouth of Grandfather Vroomau'n grain-bag "stocking," and almost before Bijah knew what he was doing ho had slipped in. Poor Bijah! Tho moment he was hi

he discovered that ho could not elimo

out. He tried hard, but there was nothing on the sides of thn bag for hi feet to climb on. Next moment, too, ho wanted to crouch down as low as he could, for all the noise seemed to ba coming nearer. So it was, indeed, and at the head of it were grandfather and grai.dmoth.er and the other grown-up people, trying to keep back the boys and girls until they should all lie gathered. "Where's Bijah?" asked grandfather, after he had counted twice around, and was sure about the rest.

'Bijah!" exclaimed Liph. "Why, I looked in the store-room; he isn't thore " "Hope the littio chap didn't got scared and run away." "Dear mo through tho snowl" ex

claimed grandmother. "Of course not," said Aunt Jane. "He's around somowhere. Let's le?. the children in. They're all here." ' Steady, now!" said grandfather, O" ho swung open the door into the "dark room." "Don't touch anything till we all get in. Stand around the troe."

Ho himself stepped right in front of it, and ho looked more like ft great, tall, old Sauta Claus than ever as he stood thero. Tho children's eyes wove opening widor and wider as thoy slipped around in a sort of very unpu-

tlent circle; but grandfather's own eyes shut for a moment, as they had a habit of doing sometimes, and his-white beard was all of a tremble. It was only for a moment, but when he looked around again he said: "Now, children, wait. Which of you

can tell me what child it was that came into the world on the first Christmas morning ?" They had not been quite ready to answer a question that came so suddenly, and before any of them could speak, a clear, sweet little voice came right out of the middle of the tree : "I know. And the sheiierds found found Htm in a manger, and His mother was with Hun. He sent down after my mother last Hummer. " "Bijah!" exclaimed grandfather, but

grandmother was already pushing aside the boughs, and now thoy could see him. Only his curly head and his Lttlo shoulders showed above the grain bag, and Uncle Hiram shouted : "Father Yrooman, he is in your

stocking? Who could have put him

ihere?"

"I think I know," said grandfather.

in a very low, husky kind of voice ; but all the Simpsons and Hopkinses and Hardvs broke loose at that very mo

ment, and it took them till breakfast-

lime to compare with each other the

shings they found in their stockings,

and all the other wonderful fruits- of

;hat splendid Christmas tree.

Bijah was lifted out of the bag, and Lo got his stocking on, after it was empty. For some reason he couldn't

guess why all the grown-up people kissed him, and grandfather made him

sit next to him at breakfast.

That was a great breakfast, and it

took ever so long to eat it, but it was hardly over before grandmother fol

lowed grandfather into the hall, acd

they heard her say :

"Now, husband, what are you wra;o-

ping up so for, just to go the barn? "Barn! Why, my dear, I'm going

town. I told Pat to have the team

ready." "To town? Why, husband "

"Mother, there'll be stores open to-day. I can buy cords of toys and .candy and things. When I get to the Orphan Asylum, to tell 'em what has become of Bijah, and why he won't -ome back there again, Tm going to have enough to go around among the rest of 'em I am, if it takes the price of a cow." "Give 'em something for me." Uncle Hiram heard it, and he shouted, "And for mo," and Uncle John followed, and all the rest, till the children caught it up, and there was a

contribution made by every stocking which had hung on that Christmas

tree. They all gave just as fa3t m thev understood what it was

for, and the la3t one to fully under stand was Bijah. "You ain't going to take me?" His lip quivered a littio.

"No, Bijah, not unless you want to

go. Wouldn't you rather stay here.' "Course I would."

That was not alL for both his hands

were out, holding up the store of thinira which had co nie to him that

morning, and he added, "Take 'em

Something was. the matter again

with Grandfather Vrooman's beard,

but he told Bijah lie would get plenty

of other things in town.

"Keep 'em, Brjah. Uood-by, au or you. I'll be back in tune for dinner. Children, you and Bush must be kind to Bijah. He came to us on Christmas morning, and he has come to stay." Bush and the children did their part, and so did all the rest, and so did Bijah, and so it was a perfect Christmas.

AN INDIAN DOLU BY fan:jie m. johkboh In her quint chamber Ditunf, Pondered Bnsy Bee, "What to give to Cousin Folly, On the Christmas Tree. And her little stores ot treisnra Simple wore, and plain. For her home was in a cot tag InthewilJaof Maine. Jnst a half-a-dozen volumes. Books well-read and old; Little bits of sftk and ribbon. Choicely kept ae sold; And a box of beads and bogies And a rabbit's for. CT was an Indian girl, last summer. Gave them both to her.) Then a happy fancy stride her, Oh. Ifcnow!" cried Bee: "I'll make an Indian dolly For the Christmas Tree" Then she counseled with her mother. Took some cloth ot dan. (Hue like choek of Indian maiden Tinted bv the-sow. Carefully the stepa she fashioned Body, head, and feetr Filled the rounded form with sawdust. Sewed it ilrm-and neaiy Drew in ink the brows sad lashes. Eyes as black as night;. Ai.d the cheeks and lips-and nostrils '.,'ouchcd with oar-mine brisht. Then the erowniof hair was added, Mother helped her thnv, pi sited it with dark-brown trtases Cut from. Bee'' own hair.

Then the made some olothes ot

Fitted to her needs; Moccasins of wool ahe fashioned.

Trimmed them bright with I

Hade a pretty dress of sorlet. Trimmed with dainty down. From a bit of scarlet flannel Left of Baby's gown. Then she made oh. Drowning triumph! Softly lined within. Such a royal robe of ermine From the rabbit's skin. Last of all the cap was addedV Just a band of down. With a tuft of rooster's feather Waving from the crown. Loving work ot little fingers! Happy Cousin Poll! Every one exclaimed "rim saw "What a pretty doll !"

So tho Christmas gift w

Bnsy little Bee! And she finished It and hung.it On the Christmas Tree.

-HI

Evergreens at Christmas,

m

WATTING FOR PAPA. EBES E. EK: TOED. Tho day before Christmas was stormy. And the night fell cold and gray.

With a wind that was full of frost

As I went my homeward wayDown by a rook in tUo roadside,' Hiding tway from the storm; I came on two Httle children Muffled in garments warm. "What wre yn waltine tor, chndrenf I asked, as they smiled at mc, For that they were waiting for soniothina: In their eager eyes I could see. I wanted to hug and kiss thorn, The roguish little elves. As sweet, why! there's nothing sweeter Than their little laughing selvos.

"We're waiting for papa," thoy

"It's time for him to come; We always come here to meet bin And kiss him a welcome home.

And you know that papa would

If he didn't flndna here. For you cant tell how he loves nst He don't know, does he, dear?" Then the motherly little woman. Who may have been eight ytars old. Pulled her brother's cap down clojor To keep ont the wind anil cald. "No. ho doesn't know," he ans wered. And laughed at tie wind's wild glee, -Ou'd oughtersee how muts faster Sinks o' Dolly an' me!"

The use of the Christmas tree, with its fruit of presents, is recent in Engand was introduced from Ger

many a few years ago. There is great dispute about its origin, whether in India, or whether it does not represent the tree Yggdrasil, or world tree the ash tree of existence of Scandinavian mythology. But the use of evergreens in England is as old as the days when the Druids brought tho mistletoe from the woods with solemn ceremony. In Stowe's time every man's house, and also the parish churches, were decked with holm, ivy, bays, and whatever the season of the year afforded to be groen, and the conduits and standards in the streets (a hint for tho present telegraph companies) were likewise garnished. In the year 1444 he says, there wa3 on the 1st of February a

great tempest of tmuiuer ana ngntni;;g, which set Paul's steeple on fire; and at Loudenhall, in Cornhill, a stand

ard of wood which was set up in the pavement and nailed fill of holm and iw was torn up and cast down by the mnliminnt sfiirit (as was thought). On

Christmas eve, at the time the Yule-log

was brought in and lijhted with the last year's brand, it was oustomary to decorate the windows of every house, in

cottage and hall, with bay, laurel, ivy, and holly leaves. An English gypsy told Mr. Charles G. Leland the reason for using evergreens on Christmas. It

m this: "The ivy and holly and pinetree never told a word whero our Saviour was hiding Himself, and so they keep alive all winter, and look green all the year. But the ash, like the oak, told of Him when He was hiding, m thev have tc remain dead through tho

whiter. And so we gypsies always burn i

an ash fir j every Great Day." Charles Dudley Warner.

Ohuistmas cards should be ao

eilgv'd by sending other Cp cards'. 4

NED'S CHRISTMAS TREE. BX BESSIE CHASM JET"I thought it was stich an awful suamo." My dear little laddie earnestly e.tid. "That Christmas Day should be jnst tho sane As a common day, to old dog Ntk "So I found some greens and made-a tree. 1 had to lean it against the will. But it was as pretty as isooold be. With three red candles and oae clmas ball. "The presents did look a little qnecs. For I hadnt a thing bit bones and bread. But 1 knew that they vrould be far more dear Than sleda and skates, to a dog ltkn Ned. I saved un the bones for days, yon know. And I tied them on with ribbon knots. And the bread was buttered -he Hked it so. And I had snob, a plentylots and lota. "And Ned. old Nod, when he saw the tree. Stood still a minute, then didnt ha bound! He was as surprised as he oould be.

And barked and barked ana jumpeaau.ro ono. Then I gave lilm hi presents, oue by one. Till there wasn't a bone left on the tree;

And now Ned's had Christmas, and loUof fun.

Juat like the met of tb boys and rne.lllstened and laughed at this tale of the tree. There gleamed through it all mchahumaa spark:

When we have our gifts, alter an. own t we

'Jnst Jump around and bark and batkr"

PRIGIN OF CHRISTMAS GREENS,

BY ADELAIDE O. WATSB& Good Santa Clans remarked one day, "Pray U there any reason Why trues should dress the thinnest way Within the coldest season? When I should certainly suprooe The maple, elm, and chestnut Would look about for winter uiothea. Instead it seems they dress not." And nothing covered could be seen Until, so blithe and merry. He spied the thrifty evergreen. And brlght-faoed holly berry. "Anal" he said, Tfe found them oat, Trees that have no such folly ;

Henceforth VII wreathe myself abont With evergreen t ad holly."

JANUARY FIRST. The farmer peddleth his garden saas. The buramer tippeth bis festive gtastt.

The oaretul doctor pmsorlbeth blue i

The young man oourteth the gentle las. Osnsuming the old man's coal and gas. And the editor seekcth tho annual pas. fS. Louis Timea-JoumaL

And smaller growota the Sunday -nohool elaefk For the festival Is thing thut was; And the girl counts the eattent' card she bftV And sighs because they're so tow alas! j And tho man that swore off says hoi an, M; And diary-writing toes smooth aR jlasa. i Next! . - ,

i. --a ; . V

a!

This is the very 'witching

when literary folks Stuff

"selves nigh unto bursting with llOlidy '.

fare, and thon burn toe mianigpv -wsfss

o-rnaninc. and writing essays ofl Sl

American tendency to gluttony.?

ever, if one fellow furnishes mil

only fair that some ot

supply the practice

a.

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