Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 52, Number 12, Jasper, Dubois County, 24 December 1909 — Page 6
The Littlest Boy and Santa Claus Edwin 1 Sabin
(Copyright) 'HE GREAT hall clock, sta tioned opposite the foot of the stairs, struck two From his bed the Littlest Boy listened with a sense of awe. Never before had he heard It striko so late an hour Once, Indeed, he had heard It strike ten, but usually It bad struck eight and when next he was awake It was striking six ond morning had come. The Littlest Boy lay and listened. The bouse was impressively still. The only sounds audlblo were the stately ticking of the monitor clock below, and the regular breathing of tho Biggest Boy and the Biggest Girl in the room adjoining. The Littlest Boy's eyes were wide open and gazing into the velvet blackness close above his face. When he had gone to bed it bad been Christmas eve. He was not fully certain as to the line of demarkatlon, but it occurred to him that now It was Christmas day! Then he began to blink and think. He wondered if Santa Claus had come yet. Before the grate-fire, down In the library, were ranged three chairs; a rocking-chair for the Biggest Girl, a straight-backed, ordinary chair for the Biggest Boy, and a huge, roomy arm-chair for himself. In addition, he had hung up his stockings to the tried to picture to himself how, if Santa Claus had been and gone, that chair and those stockings must 'Hello!" Said Santa Claus. look. At Intervals, as some particularly alluring fancy stood out before blm, he gave an ecstatic wriggle and a few blinks extra. Oh, the red wagon! And the silver napkin-ring! Supposing he got them both! It did not seem to him possible that he could exist without either, and yet and yet he mustn't exact too much. If he might take one peep Into the library just one tiny peep to find out whether or not Santa Claus had been. He felt that he ought not to yield to this temptation; and he sighed bard and twisted. But even In the midst of his struggle he did yield, for first his disobedient right foot stole from beneath the blue coverlet, and next bis disobedient left foot; and in a moment all of him, enveloped In his long, pink-flannel night-gown, was moving resolutely towards the doorway. At the landing the stairs turned Bharply. The Littlest Boy also turned with them to continue his journey. Now there ahead of him was the monitor clock, staring him In the face, and ticking loud reproval. From the library, off the hall, catne the reminiscent glow of the grate-flre with which the Christmas eve had been celebrated. Down sped the Littlest Boy. boldly ignoring the astonished clock, down the remaining flight, and across the square hall, whose rugs were soft and comforting. On the threshold of the library he stopped short, frichtened at what he had done. He bad caught Santa Claus! Aye, there was Santa Claus, bending over the big chair, which, the Littlest Boy glimpaed, was overflowing with packages and things. 1 do not know but that the littlest Poy would have beat courteous retreat (although, of course, his farther curiosity was simply tremendous) had not Santa Claus suddenly glanced up and descried him a small, pink figure, made still pinker by tho glowing coals, framed, wide-eyed, in the library door-case. "Hello!" said Santa Claus, not moving. "Hello!" responded the Littlest Boy. Ml didn't know you were here." "Didn't you7" remarked Janta Claus, straightening up and slowly stepping backward. "No," assured tho Littlest Boy. "Did you get In throush the chlraley?" During hla whole life th.tt Is. ever since he could talk the Littlest Boy had been trying to say "chimney;" but, somehow, that "I," being, so slim
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and hatchet-faced, always nimbly slipped in and elbowed out the "a." "Did 1 get In through the chimbley!" repeated Santa Claus; and then he opened his mouth In a silent laugh. "Yes, I dumb down the callable v," he said. "You say 'chlmbley' and I say 'chimley;" but my father says says each chlmneley la right." informed the Littlest Boy. "You don't mean It!" returned Santa Claus, who. having backed to tho window looking upon the sldo porch, now, with his hand behind him. was deftly sliding it up. "Please don't go, Santa Claus," besought tho Littlest Boy. "We'll talk real low. so nobody'U hear. That Is. if you'ro not In too big a hurry to stay." he added, politely. "Sure," responded Santa Claus. "It's almost empty. Isn't It!" asserted tho Littlest Boy. "V "t I s'pose you've lots more up In tue balloon. Had you got all through with me? My chair Is the middle one there, and these are my stockings in front of it." "Well. I was kinder foolln" around when you come in," confessed Santa Claus; "but I reckon I'm through. Them other chairs are your ma's an' pa's. I take it?" "Yes; mamma's is the rocker and papa's Is the other," Informed the Littlest Boy, hurriedly. "Did you bring me a red wagon and a sliver napkinring?" "Aren't they there?" queried Santa Claus. ".May I look?" asked tho Littlest Boy, eagerly. "Sure," grunted Santa Claus, with his favorite word. The Littlest Boy was not slow in taking advantage of that permission. In a twinkling be was at the chair, and. oblivious to the rustling that he was producing, was burrowing amidst its contests. He did not have to burrow to And
the red wagon. Its two front wheels were sticking straight up against the chair's back! "Oooo-ee!" jubilated the Littlest Boy, turning with sparkling eyes. "Will Its sides fold over?" " You bet!" assured Santa Claus. "Just bushels and bushels of thanks, Santa Claus." purled the Littlest Boy, rapturously. "I hope It's bigger than my Cousin James' is! Is It?" Sure!" said Santa Claus. "Now, about the ring? Ain't It there?" "I don't see it?" replied the Littlest Boy, rummaging. Mebbe It's in the stockin's," suggested Santa Claus. And It was! a beautiful shiny, silver napkin ring. Oooooo-eee!" gurgled the Littlest Boy. unwrapping IL "I bet It's the very solides' kind!" "Lemme see," demanded Santa Claus. "That's what I Intended It to be. anyhow, an' I hope 1 ain't mado no mistake." "Yes. It's solid, all right enough." he said, weighing it in his band, while the Littlest Boy watched him. anxiously. "But don't you think that that there wagon an' this here ring, both together, are too much for a kid like you?" "1 don't know," responded the Littlest Boy. abashed. "I've tried to be awful good. I've picked up klndlin' and went on errands and brushed my teeth and and gone down cellar after dark, and and and I've hardly ever cried when I got hurt!" "Still, seems to me," persisted Santa Claus, gazing at the shiny ring ' In his fingers, "that a wagon alone Is good enough for one kid, besides all them other things you've got In yon chair and socks. I dunno but what I'll take this an' give it som'ers else." "Well." agreed the Littlest Boy. gravely, "If If you can find some little boy who ought to have It more'n me, then you can can take it; and p'raps next Christmas" "God!" roared the Biggest Boy, like an angry Hon, leaping through the library doorway. With a slam up sped the window; with an oath, out whirled Santa Claus. "You've scared Santa Claus! You've scared Santa Claus!" walled the Littlest Boy. In despair. "I have. have I!" exclaimed the Biggest Boy, gathering the waller Into his arms. "And he took my ring." further lamented the Littlest Boy. "He did. did he!" repeated the lion that is. the Biggest Boy In a commiserating growl. "Never mind; we'll get another" "But 1 told him he might. If there's some other little boy who'd ought to havo It more." explained the Littlest Boy. truthfully. "Maybe he'll bring me one next Christmas." Here the Biggest Boy shut tho treacherous window; and with the Biggest Girl, who by this time had ar rived and was hugging and kissing the Littlest Boy's two rosy feet, as they hung down Inside the Biggest Boy's arms, close accompanying, carried him upstairs to bed. What do you think! Evidently Santa Claus repented, or else he had only been joking, or else ho could find no other llttlo boy who was more worthy; for, after all, at daylight there was discovered, lying on tho mat before tho side-door, that very Bame ring wrapped. It Is true, not In flno tissue paper, but in coarse brown paper. However, Upon the paper was scrawled. In ragged but unmistakable lines: "for the kid "SANTY CLAWS." Effect of Self.Satlsfactlon. Netl That was a frlghtfuly long sermon the minister preached this morning. Belle Why, I didn't notice it was unusually, long. Nell Of course not; you had on a new, hat
Midnight's Mistletoe Bough Br Dekna Martcen Eugones
00 D mawnln', Mlsf Robert! Fine Christmas wuhor. sah! Flno Chrls-flno Cameron bluntly ignored the cheerful greeting and tho newspaper which Midnight, tho colored newsboy, held out for him. and walked on briskly down tho street, his gaze directed toward the pavement. MIdlnght tumbled back against his news stand, a queer expression of bewilderment and sadness spreading over his face. "Dafs de firs' time dat Mist Cam'ron evah done buy a papah from somebody else," ho soliloquized, a lump gathering In his throat "Dat's do firs' time ho evah pass ranh place wldout sayln' 'Good mawnln'.' He ain't nevah got no kick an' no complaint f make f me. Dat's de firs' time Ah evah see him go bustln' by like dat an' so cogltatln' he ain't lookln' whar he gwlne. Dah am sholy somethln' de mattah." All tho rest of the day Midnight was in a sort of a trance. He watched tho elevated stairway from early afternoon for the return of Cameron. His fitful vigil was rewarded when the young lawyer walked wearily down the steps. Midnight watched his every move Jealously to see whether he purchased an afternoon paper from his rivals. Cameron stopped at tho llttlo negro's stand. "Good evening. Midnight." he said, languidly. "Merry Chrlstmus, Mist Cam'ron. De world am treatln' me fine as silk, an' Ah ain't got no complaint t' make t' no one." returned the boy, bravely.
Half Unconsciously the Two Young Persons Reached for the Bough.
concealing the anxiety that had been overshadowing him all day. "Yas, sah," said the lad aloud to himself after Cameron had passed on toward his borne, "dah am sholy somethln' de mattah but It ain't me!" Midnight closed his shop that night in a happy frame of mind and wandered off toward his home, whistling. He was around bright and early the next day, and when Cameron came along on his way to his office made It a particular point to see that he was not overlooked. Hours later, when the flying snowwas painting tho dusk a speckled black, Cameron came back along tho sidewalk more slowly and uncertainly than ever. It was Christmas eve. and Midnight felt at peace with all tho world. People were flying past, their arms laden with presents, and all anxious to be home. As ho stood in a sheltered corner of his booth, counting up his profits of the day, he called to Cameron: "Mist" Cam'ron. Ah got a Chrls'mus present fo yo' motha. Ah wan's f ax you ef you will come 'roun In de mawnln an' be de firs' pussen f buy a Chrls'mas paper It's good luck fo me. you know. Why, Mlsf Cam'ron ! suddenly exclaimed tho lad as the young man came under the light, "am you sick? Yo race am white as a ghos an' you wa'k like you done git dis grip what ev'ryone ta'kln bouL Mist' Brown, 'cross de street hyar, he rft It; Mist' SImpklns, up at de coraah, Lordy, he git do misery so ho stay In do house nn dat Iobely Miss Wllloughby you know do ono Ah mean Miss Helen Wllloughby not dat alBtcr she como 'long dls ebenln' an' dough she smllln an happy like. Ah know she mus git It, too dat mus' be why sho ain't wa'k down do street wld you fday an' yestlddy." -Yes I I I guess sho must bo fcellnp a little under the weather," Bald Cameron, as he turned away. "Merry Christmas, Midnight!" exclaimed a musical voice. "Why why good ebenln', Miss Wllloughby. Merry Christmas. Skuse
me fo not seela' you, but ah done fo'got my mannahs, Ah ku&sh, fo de time boln'. Ah was Jus thlnkln' 'bout do fo'ks ob mah family. "Why, Midnight, you never told us about your folks as long as you have boen serving papers at our house. Are your folks alive?" "Jus" mah olo gran'mammy, an' she lib wld some ole fr'ens ob de fambly. an' Ah Ben's her de monoy dat she need t' lib on. Ah aln had no daddy an no mammy fo de longos' time, 'cause dey bofe frozo t' def In de blurzard what come 'long 'bout six year ago." "How did you ever happen to come here?" "Mlsf Cam'ron done brought mo hyar. You seo, mah mammy been a cook an' mah mammy's sister a nurse In Mist' Cam'ron's fambly fo near 30 year, an' when Mist' Cam'ron como hyar mammy ax him t' git me a Job some day an' den ho sen fo' me. Ho try mo fo a cook, but Ah guess Ah'm a pretty bad cook enny way Mist' Cam'ron ho say ono day why not staht a nows-stan' an he give me do monoy an' dat's all de hlst'ry what Is 'bout me but, Miss Wllloughby. Ah'm glad you come long to-night, 'cause Ah got a Chrlsmus present fo' you some mistletoe, a fine big branch what mah granmnmmy sen's up from Marylan' git It offen do trees right in de swamp back o' do shanty. Ah wan's t ax you of yo' will pleaso be so good an' kin' as f como 'roun' in ndo mawnln' an' buy de firs' paper, 'cause it means good luck, you know." Hardly had the Christmas horns blown their first greetings of the day when Midnight saw two figures coming down tho street from different directions. One was Cameron, walking slowly along tho main thoroughfare, and tho other was Miss Wllloughby. "Merry Chrlsmus!" called Midnight, even before the young lawyer had reached the stand. "Ah hopes you Is feelln' bettah dls mawnln'." "Thank you, Midnight; I feel all right Here, hurry up with that mistletoe nnd give me that first paper you wanted me to buy," he added,
quickly, as he glanced up the street and saw Miss Wllloughby approaching briskly. "Ah Ah Ah doan know Job' wha' Ah did wld dat mlstlemtoe aln' Ah ono fool nlggah? Ah put It right hyar. under dls shelf Jes two minutes ago, but Ah can't find It." he replied, rummaging nervously among a pile of papers underneath the top shelf. "Merry Christmas!" called another voice, and Midnight raised his head nnd smiled into the face of Miss Wllloughby, who stood nt the other end of the stand, taking great pains not to see Cameron, who was striving equally to avoid her. "Where Is that mistletoe you wanted me to have, Midnight? You see. 1 got up very early to be the first ono here, and you know you promised It to me." "Well, ef dat aln' do funnies' thing," replied Midnight, laughing mischievously. "Ah sholy had two flno pieces ob dat mlslemtoe right hyar, but Ah can't fin' 'era t' save mah soul. Ah done promise dls t' you, Miss Wllloughby, an deed Ah done promise It t' you, Mist' Cam'ron, fo' yo motha, an' Ah sholy doan know what t" do 'bout It. Ah can't bus' It In two." Half unconsciously the two young persons reached for tho bough, then hesitated. "Why, of course, let Mr. Cameron have It for his mother," spoke up Miss Wllloughby. "Give It to Miss Wllloughby," said Cameron. "Perhaps you will find tho other' piece nfter awhile." "Ah'll glvo It f MIbs Wllloughby ef Mist' Cnra'ron'll toto It homo fo do lady." Tho girl glanced at Cameron, and In nnother moment tho young couplo wero walking away from tho stand carrying tho bunch of mistletoe between them. Mldnlgnt grinned as ho leaned ogalnst his stand and commented: "Ah guoss Ah'll take dls otha piece right straight up t Mrs. Cam'ron manself, 'cnuso Ah know dat piece ob mla tlemtoe aln nevah gwlne t' leavo Miss Wllloughby's house ct Mist' Cam'ron klu he'p iL"
COUNTRY WHOSE SOIL SPELLS WHEAT AND OUT OF WHOSE FARMS THOUSANDS ARE GROWING RICH.
WHAT PRESIDENT TAFT AND OTHERS THINK OF CANADA. Another Fat Year for the Canadian West. Our Canadian neighbors to tho north uro again rejoicing over an abundant harvest, and reports from reliable sources go to showthat tho total yield of 1909 will be far abovo that of any other year. It is estimated that $100.000,000 will this year go into tho pockets of tho Western farmers from wheat alone, another J60.O00.00O from oats and barley, while returns from other crops and from stock will add $40,000.000 more. Is It any wonder then that the farmers of tho Canadian West are happy? Thousands of American farmers have settled In the abovo mentioned provinces during the past year; men who know the West and its possibilities, and who also know perhaps better than any other people, the best methods for profitable farming. President Taft said recently In speaking of Canada: "We have been going ahead so rapIdly in our own country that our heads havo been somewhat swelled with tho Idea that we are carrying on our shoulders all the progress there is in tho world. Wo havo not been conscious that there i3 on the north a young country and a young nation that Is looking forward, as It well may, to a great national future. They havo 7,000,000 people, but the country Is still hardly scratched." Jas. J. Hill speaking before the Canadian Club of Winnipeg a few days ago said: "I go back for 53 years, when I camo West from Canada. At that time Canada had no North-West. A young boy or man who desired to carve his own way had to cross the line, and to-day it may surprise you one out of every five children born in Canada lives in the United States. Now you are playing the return match, and the : N?orth-West is getting people from Aho ' United States very rapidly. Wo ! brought 100 land-seekers, mainly from Iowa and Southern Minnesota, last I night out of St Paul, going to tho ' North-West Now, these people havo . all the way from five, ten to twenty ' thousand dollars each, and they will make as much progress on the land in one year as any one man coming from the Continent of Europe can make, doing the best he can, in ten, fifteen, or twenty years." It is evident from the welcome given American settlers in Canada that the Canadian people appreciate them. Writing from Southern Alberta recently an American farmer says: "We are giving them some new ideas about being good farmers, and they are giving us some new Ideas about being good citizens. They have a law against taking liquor Into the Indian Reservation. One of our fellows was caught on a reservation with a bottle on him, and It cost him $50. One of the Canadian Mounted Police found him, and let mo tell you, they find everyone who tries to go up against the laws of the country. "On Saturday night, every bar-room Is closed, at exactly 7 o'clock. Why? Because it Is the law, and it's the same with every other law. Thero Isn't a bad man in the whole district, and a woman can come home from town to the farm at midnight if sho wants to, alone. That's Canada's idea how to run a frontier; they have certainly taught us a lot. "On the other hand, we aro running their farms for them better than any other class of farmers. I guess I can say this without boasting, and tho Caandlans appreciate us. Wo turn out to celebrate Dominion Day; they are glad to have us help to farm tho country; they know how to govern; wo know how to work." Another farmer, from Minnesota, who settled in Central Saskatchewan some years ago, has the following to say about the country: "My wife and I have done well enough since we came from the States; we can live anyway. "We came In the spring of 1901 with the first carload of Bottlers' effects unloaded in these parts and built tho first shanty between Saskatoon and Lumt.den. We brought with our car of Bottlers' effects tho sura of $1800 In cash, to-day wo are worth $10,000. We 'proved up one of the finest farms In Western Canada and bought 320 acres at $3 per acre. We took good crops off the land for four years, at the end of which wo had $8000 worth of improvements In the way of buildings, etc., and had planted three acres of trees. Two years ago we got such a good offer that we sold our land nt $45 per acre. From tho abovo you will seo that we havo not done badly since our arrival." Prof. Thomas Shaw of St Paul, Minnesota, with a number of other well known editors of American farm journals, toured Western Cannda recently, and In nn interview at Winnipeg said In part: "With regard to tho settlement of tho West I should say that It is only well begun. I have estimated that In Manitoba one-tenth of thn land has been broken, in Saskatchewan onethirtieth and in Alberta, one-hundred and seventy-fifth. I am satisfied that In all three provinces grain can be
grown successfully up to tho sixtieth parallel and in the years to come your vacant land will be taken at a rata of which you have at present no conceptlon. We have enough people In' the United States alone, bo want homes, to take up this land. "What you must do in Western Canada is to raise more live stock. When you are doing what you ought to do in this regard, the land which is now selling for $20 per aero will bo worth from $50 to $100 pre aero. It is a,, good land as that which la selling for more than $100 per acre In tho corn belt "I would rather ralso cattle In Westem Canada than in tho corn belt of tho United States. You can get your food cheaper and tho climate is bettor for tho purpose. Wo havo a bettor market, but your market will Improve faster than your farmers will produco tho supplies. Winter wheat can bo grown In one-half of tho country through which I havo passed, and alfalfa and ono of tho varieties of clover in three-fourths of it. Tho farmers do not believe this, but It Is true." Keeping paco with wheat production, tho growth of railways has been quite as wonderful, and tho whole country from Winnipeg to the Rocky Mountains will soon bo a net-work of trunk and branch lines. Three great transcontinental lines aro pushing construction in every direction, and at each siding the grain elevator is to be found. Manitoba being the first settled province, has now an elevator capacity of upwards of 25,0oo,000 bushels, Saskatchewan 20,000,00. and Alberta about 7,000,000, while the capaclty of elevators at Fort William and Port Arthur, on tho Great Lakes, Is upwards of 20,000,000 more. Within tho provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta there are flour nnd oatmeal mills with a combined capacity of 25,000 barrels per day, and situated along some famous water powers In New Ontario, there aro larger mills than will bo found anywhere In tho Prairie Provinces. Last year tho wheat crop totaled over 100,000,000 bushels. This year the crop will yield 30,000,000 more. A recent summary shows that on the 1st of January, 1909, tho surveyed lands of the three western provinces, totaled 134,000,000 acres, of which about 32.000,000 have been given as subsidies to railways, 11,000,000 disposed of in ither ways and 38,000,00 given by tho Canadian Government as free homesteads, being 230,000 homesteads of 160 acres each. Of this enormous territory, there is probably under crop at the present time less than ll.oon,. 000 acres; what the results will be when wide awake settlers have taken advantage of Canada's offer and are cultivating the fertllo prairie lands, one can scarcely imagine. OMINOUS GESTURE.
"So your fiancee is smaller than you." "Yes, sho comes up Just to thereJust Married. Gwendolyn seemed a bit unhappy. "Whnt is It, dearest?" murmured Harry solicitously. "I was merely thinking how terrible it would have been!" said Gwendolyn, with a shudder. "Terrible? What would have been terrible?" gasped Harry. "Oh," returned Gwendolyn, "If your father and mother had never met! Or mine had never met! Or we'd never have been born! Or hadn't loved each other or, Harry Oh! wouldn't It have been too terrible!" Illustrated Sunday Magazine. A Pair of Them. No. i "Now mind, Johnny," said the mother of a five-year-old, "there's a ghost In that dark closet guarding the jam." No. 2 (two hours later) "Oh. roamma!" cried Johnny. "That ghost in the dark closet has eaten nearly hall tho jam!" Important to Mothors. Examine carefully every bottlo oi CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for infants and children, ana see iuaj. Bears tho SIgnaturo of In Use For Over ,K) Years. Tho Kind You Havo Always Dougnt The Noisy One. Bacon Every man in tho concern belongs to the Anti-Noise society but one. Egbert And who is that one? "The silent partner." The Strategic Point. "General, we are outgenoraled. Carnmba! But how Is that?" "The other sldo has beaten us to the cable office." Some people suffer continually ; with tired, nchinn and wollen feet. ''"'f.. thoy know how Poothing i. J'nf tj've ard Oil. Rub it in at night and hae thankful, happy feet in the morning. You cannot hurt anybody without receiving a greater hurt yourself. Cobtlcn. Dr. HW. nrKnt Vt JIM trW "JSSSS, Unr granule, fiy ui Uta m cnodrDid anybody ever ask the wecpln willow why it docs it?
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