Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1879 — HOW JOE BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

HOW JOE BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE.

“Well, girls, there is one way we can help both father and ourselves in these hard times,” said Bessie Foot, while her elder sisters looked up from their occupations with kind, interested faces. “We can give up our birthdays or Christmas,” began Bessie, slowly. “That is a good idea,” broke in Emily the older sister. “These numerous gift-days and pleasure-makings draw too heavily upon all our pockets. “ But what will Joe say ?” This time they nearly all spoke in concert. After fi little pause, Bessie said, with hopeful decision: “ Oh, perhaps he won’t care.” Now Joe was the last, but by no means the least, member in Mr. Foot’s family. He had arrived late, after, this goodly row of girls, and after his parents had given up an earlier and often expressed desire that a boy might be among the number. And if helpful bands and warm hearts make the reception, Joe came —“to the world as a jrentleman comes, To a lodging ready furnished.” He was now twelve years old, but had not “ worn out his welcome.” Of a pliant, pleasant nature, he fully answered, so far, all the demands made upon him. No one had ever heard him speak a rough or unkind word, and in all the little affairs of every day he was easily helpful enough to satisfy his loving family. It is true Mr. Foot, .who had struggled up through a hard and self-denying youth to an honorably position in the law, began to have some uneasiness about his son’s character, and to suffer the first disturbing and perplexing doubt as to the future of a boy to whom life was such a holiday affair, and who would never be able, he feared, to take any other view of it. But these fatherly thoughts and fears Mr. Foot carefully kept to himself. His family was very loving and confiding; and Mr. Foot was not without courage, but I doubt if he would have been willing to contemplate, even in the retirement of his own thoughts, the shock that would have come to al! if this beloved son had been closely criticised. So J6e spent his thoughtless, pleasant days undisturbed by criticism, and when Bessie broached the question of the morning for her brother’s decision— Christmas being nearly a year away and birthdays close at hand—he chose in his easy way to keep the near pleasure, and so it came about that there was to be no Christmas celebration that year in Mr. Foot’s house.

Bessie's plan worked admirably. The birthdays, scattered through the year, had been made much of, and Joe’s, coming late in September, had really been a great affair. Joe himself had enjoyed it wonderfully—even beyond his usual happy way. It was very gratifying to have so many new things in advance of all his playmates; even the latest fashioned sled had been procured by extra trouble and expense, and the balls and the books and the knives and the marbles were of the best, for “ Joe is to have no presents at Christmas,” was the often-expressed re.tson for extra indulgence on this particular birthday. It was all very delightful, and it made Joe quite the hero of the autumn, creating any amount of envy in the minds of other boys who must wait until Christmas. But Christmas was drawing on, and Joe soon found himself face to face with an anticipation which was not pleasurable —an entirely new position in his experience. In fact, the numerous preparations in the world outside began to produce a slightly depressing sensation in other members of Mr. Foot’s family; even Bessie, usually firm in her decisions, cauld not help wishing they had chosen Christmas and ? riven up the birthdays. But it was too ate now, so they all carefully avoided any allusion to the coming, festival, each hoping by silence to create the impression in the others that the whole plan was eminently satisfactory. Mr. Foot, quietly reading, in his easy chair, was really the only one quite at ease, all the minds of the family being more or less ruffled, on Christmas Eve, by some thoughts as to what might be going on in .Joe’s mind; for, contrary to his custom, he had betaken himself to bed aC an unusuallv early hour. Mrs. Foot and her older daughters were busy with their sewing near the table where Mr. Foot was enjoying the cheerful fire and his evening paper, when Bessie suddenly broke into the room with the exclamation: “Joe has hung up his stockings!” Mr. Foot laid his paper on his knees and the busy needles made slight pauses, but no one spoke. f . “He has hung up both; he never hung up but one before!’.’ added Bessie, dropping helplessly into the nearest chair. “That was naughty in Joe,” said Mrs. Foot, in a ton 6 in which despair and apology were oddly mingled. Mr. Foot meditated, apparently unheeding, while the girls went on with their sewing. Some time elapsed, during which. no one ventured a remark, and Mr. Foot still looked into the fire. Strangely vivid re aembrances came to him of a country boy, long-forgotten Christmases, an empty stocking and a disappointed heart. He slowly took down his eye-glasses from their perch and put them in his pocket; he folded up his paper softly, and carefully laid it on the table, ana. with the air of a man who would rather the fact should not be observed, rose quietly from Us

chair and in a very indifferent voice said: “Bessie, will you hand me my coat?” “Why, are you going out?” exclaimed Mrs. Foot, looking up, excitedly. “ Yes, I think I will take a short walk,” replied Mr. Foot, still- indifferently, though knowing perfectly well a walk was a most unusual performance for him in the evening after a busy day. “ I believe I will go with you/’ said his wife, cheerily, and going at once for her hat and shawl. “ Let us go, too,” said all the girls, with that liveliness which indicates relief from a dilemma. All were soon ready, and, Mr. and Mrs. Foot leading the way, they were soon on the pavement of a well-lighted street, and moving with the crowd or pausing at the shop-windows to see the unusual and final attractions of the season. If people would dream facts, instead of dreaming dreams, Joe Foot might have smiled to himself as he lay asleep in his little bed-room in sole possession of the house, while the whole family had gone off, moved by one impulse, on an errand which not one of them would have told to another. Joe awake and on ‘his feet might have been resisted; but Joe asleep, with those two expectant stockings yawning in the basement, was an impersonation of that faith which moves mountains. It all came about ven' naturally and easily, Mr. Foot himself, first expressing some regret that the knife he gave Joe on his birthday had not been of a better quality, and, now that the boy had lost it, it seemed only fair to get him another. This accomplished at the first cutlery store, his mother followed in the purchase of a new boy’s-book, which she very much regretted she had not beard of in time to get for his birthday. His sisters, too, remembered various little things that Joe liked, or had their memories quickened by the sight of new devices for good boys as they walked along, and so they were each well laden wit h Christmas things when they finally reached their own door.

I cannot doubt that Joe smiled then in his sleep, and, if the faithful stockings ran over with their numerous gifts, the family wisely concluded not to make any remarks that might bring into light the inconsistency of the givers’ purposes and actions. The next morning all but Joe awoke with a slight feeling of uncertainty whether it was Sunday or some other day. Joe knew before he was awake that it wasn’t Sunday, still he did feel a little doubtful if it was Christmas. But stowed away in a seldom-used nook of his closet were some .very, good reminders of Christmas, until he should descend to the basement. Joe’s father would have been pleased enough if he could have looked into his boy’s closet just then, as Joe was taking out from their hiding-place six small packages, all neatly wrapped and tied with long loops, so that they could be hung on door-knobs. These presents he had purchased with some money given, him to spend for himself. With the little bundles arranged on his arm for distribution, he stole softly in his stockingrfeet through the hall, hanging each article on- its respective knob, without disturbing the occupants of the rooms, who were still cozily abed. This done, Joe went on to the basement in easy hopefulness. And he was not doomed to disappointment, the contents of the crowded stockings yielding more than a usual amount of joy anil admiration. And when the family came down to breakfast, how delightful it all was! Every one was so pleased with the pretty present Joe had purchased for them, that it was a long time before the happy family could subside to the formality of the morning meal. Joe himself became conscious of a 'higher pleasure than Christmas had heretofore brought, when his father expressed his hearty satisfaction in the gift his son had, unassisted, given him; and, turning to bis youngest daughter, he said: “Bessie, let us have Christmas next year,” which caused a general smile all around. .—Marion Conant, in St. Nicholas.

—A rich and ingenious mechanician constructed a safe which he declared to be burglar-proof. To convince the incredulous of the fact he placed a SSOO note in his pocket, had himself locked in the safe, with a liberal supply of provisions, and the key cast into the river, declaring that he would give the money to the man who unfastened the door. All the blacksmiths and carpenters in the country have been boring and blasting at that safe for a week with every kind of tool and explosive mixture known to science, and the man is there yet! He has whispered through the key-hole that he wilt double the reward if somebody will only let him out. He has convinced everybody that it is the safest safe ever invented. Fears are entertained that the whole concern will have to be melted down in the blast furnace before he is released, and efforts are to be made to pass in through the key-hole a fire-proof jacket, to protect the inventor while the iron is melting.—N. Y. Evening Post.