Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1905 — Uncle Jack’s Gift [ARTICLE]

Uncle Jack’s Gift

BY Helen WatsEn Beck.

BREAKFAST was usually a very peaceful meal in the Irwin household, but on Christmas morning the children chattered together so hard that poor Mrs. Irwin was finally obliged to call them to order. “But it’s Christmas, mother,” they all objected, turning toward her three faces shining with happiness and excitement, “and we're all so happy! Oh, mother, do you think Uncle Jack will come today?” “Let us look and see whether his ship has been sighted yet,” returned Mrs. Irwin, as she turned to the newspaper. “He said he would try to be here for Christmas, but you know he could not promise in such stormy weather as this.” The children crowded around her; even little Alice climbed down with infinite difficulty from her high chair,-and poked her curly head under her mother’s arm as it held the newspaper, pretending, sly little tot, that she, too, was looking for the arrival of the ship. Uncle Jack was a great person in the estimation of the children. He had the charm that lies in the mysterious, for they seldom saw him. Mrs. Irwin knew that Captain Dornan had expected to reach Philadelphia before Christmas, but tlie stormy weather had delayed him. His ship was now four days overdue, and every one was becoming anxious. Mrs. Irwin exclaimed with joy when she saw that it had come safely into port the night before. “Oh, children, how thankful we should be that Uncle Jack has come safely home again,” she said to them. "We must watch for him all day, for I think he will be here to dinner.” Christmas Day slipped by and Captain Dornan did not come. Gradually the children deserted their post at the parlor windows, and turned their attention to other things. When the beautiful winter twilight finally enveloped the city, Mrs. Irwin was the only one who saw the captain come up the street. The Christmas dinner nearly shared the fate of the breakfast; the children were too excited to eat it. They chattered merrily with their sailor uncle, whose bronzed face and kindly eyes attracted them strongly. "V\ ell. children, let’s see what I brought you from the East,” he said after dinner, opening a bag which the children had only refrained from touching by the exercise of great self-control. “Here, Jack, is the kind of book that little Chinese boys use in learning to read,” and he put into his nephew's hand a small roll of clothlike paper, printed with strange characters. “Here are some little shells for Ethel; they seemed to me to be very pretty, so I bought them from an Indian boy on the wharf.” Jack thanked his uncle as politely as he could, remembering just in time that boys never cry. Ethel also put a brave face upon her disappointment, though she had to bite her lips to keep them from quivering, as she assured her uncle that the shells were quite as pretty as he had thought them. But little Alice, seeing herself apparently forgotten, was too young for such politeness; sitting upon the floor, she lifted up her voice and wept. Mrs. Irwin watched the brave courtesy with which her children shouldered the disappointment that had come to thgm, with pride and with some little amusement. for she had noted a secret twinkle in Uncle Jack's eyes. “Why. how surprising,” said the Captain suddenly, looking into the depths of the bag. "here is a package for Ethel. How did that come here; the sea fairies must have sent it to a dear little girl tn Philadelphia, I think.” Ethel's hands trembled ns she untied the strings. The sea fairies certainly understood how to tia sailor knots of a curiously nautical character. “Jack, you go out in the hall nnd see if you cannot find something sharp to help your sister in cutting those knots,” commanded his uncle, his eyes twinkling more merrily than ever. In the hall was a long package. He tore the paper that covered his gift. It was a saber of shining steel, the edge safely dulled for the present. It was just what he needed for his gymnasium work with the broadsword. Along the finely tempered blade he saw nn engraved motto. On one side he rend: "Never draw me without cause,” nnd on the other, "Never sheathe me without honor.” When he reached the pnrlor again he found his sister hugging Uncle Jack enthusiastically, while little Alice danced up aud down before the mirror attired in a soft gown of embroidered silk that had been made for her “very self" away off in China. She looked like a veritable “sea fairy,” with her bobbing curl* and her brilliant flower decked gown.

“See, Jack, what uncle brought me,* cried Ethel, holding out for his inspection a beautiful necklace of delicate pink coral carved with wonderful skill by some artist of the distant Orient. The chain was formed by stringing together pieces of coral as big as Ethel’s thumb nail. Each piece was carved in the likeness of beautiful classic faces, half of which were laughing and the other half crying. These two faces were so like the sensations the children had endured during the last hour that Ethel noticed it, and when she held up the chain and explained the resemblance Uncle Jack laughed more heartily than any one else, —Philadelphia Public Ledger.