HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1924-12-11, Page 7THE SIGNAL,
— :>iODEIt1CH, ONT.
Thursday. llc.cluta•r 11,, .L-.4
AN UP TO DATE
SANTA CLAUS
B y SUSAN BROWN ROBBINS. , 1
pAI 1, FLFYfI'I1En nail lu the
drawing room waiting for Lida
to come. IJda lived with h r
brotber,innd every time Flesch
sr called to see her either .the brother',
wife or his children were Ili the n.,n1.
tW there wag never a chance to say
$nythlo,; to her alone.
At last; bowever. hifire.prtunity had
Cote. It was the day before Christ.
Mae, and Mrs. Safford and thee reit :
had gone to her mother's for seve
days.
Now. ivitti Lids left al home .ltb
the two servants cud her brother nut
Coming till erentti , Fletcher could say I
to her those things he had been long -
tog to say, but which he t•nnld 1o:
ring himself to write 111 a letter lIor .:
do declare before the n.u.eniblsl family.
At length. •fte, w hat Keene,' a iery
bag waiting, some olio was eotililig
Me 'toed up and baked eagerly to -
Ward the doorway. Tpe portiere was
thrust aide. and in walked Teddy -
%eddy. "ho. In 1'Ieteber's opinion, wag
the w,.r•r ;fill -In (lie whole tins as fa:
as std) lo„ power and keen obseres- ,
Mon were concerned.
"IIclfo, Teddy," 4e sntd, trot veer
cordially_: "1 thoucht 700 had.g•.ne to
miend Chriatluas stab ytrur rna tlmu."'
"1 didn't go" said Teddy.
"Do you expect a vlalt (rote Santa
Claws tunigbtY'
"Oh, 1 'I04&' a.." wrnrllr"I'd just
Ike to tee him. though"' Iles manner
grew more nutrtla(mi.
"Why. what w,.1110y'ou eior
"I'd te!l 141::1 what t.think of lieu.'
"And wttat is that?"
"Oh, Ilia1 thio. he's a fraud' Pre-
tending he comes In a sleigh when tbe,
ground has been bare for a month:
And reindeers too: Who does he thank
hi going to believe that? Why doesn't
M come on a bicycle?'
"Mia fur overcoat would be rather in
the way." said Fletcher gravely._ "And
S ANTA CLAUS STOOD 4(174(441 HID
their waj, well. protected from the
cold, bracing air by an abundance of
furs uud wraps. There wax no moon.
but after the lighted abets of the
town were past the stag shone down
on t1eui brightly.
'teddy war wild with delight. and his
tongue ran'on rapidly. At leugtb there
were oecaslonal pauses, then longer
Dura luterrupted by disjointed remarks.
Finally there WADS total silence. 1•'lelcb-
er bent over so that be`con*4 see the
child's face; then be looked at Lida
and stalled.
They went on for a little In silence.
Fletcher was trying to compose his
'speech.
•1 don't know bow to say It." he
horst out desperately at length. "1
keep forgetting how I look. and If 1
any It the way I want to it will be per.
rosily ridieoloou. And yet 1 must
say It, for 1 tnay never have soother
chance."
r was looking at him, bear startled
ey.w dark and luminous In the star-
light.
"Perhaps you pot need to say It,"
she said, gently.
oras you meats that YOU understand
.wltlitiet my telling yon?" be asked
•eagerly: s \
"Yes," she answered very low,
'When they reached the house Fleteh-
ertooe 'I'e.tdy lu tits arms and carried
tljuI In. Ile laid him gently on the
conch In the hall and turned nway.
thinking the child still slept.
"I elm itup only a moment." Fletch-
er said. "1s It later'
At that IusLlnt Tedt}y sat bolt up-
right, staring about him wildly. He
caught sight of tale' father 1n an ad -
)(Aping room.
"Oh, papa,!" tie cried, bis voice ring -
Ing out clear and shrill. "Oh, papa.
Santa Claus Is kissing Aunt I,1dn!"-
Bustou Herald.
THAT CHRISTMAS PIE.
Confession of the Sinner Who
Doctored the Mincemeat.
It bad been our -family custom to put
brandy lo all the mince plea and to
put in at Chrb@tma time • sudlcient
amount to enable eke partakers therts.t
to detect that there was really some-
thing to It. It often went so far as to
deserve the remark 'of my grandfather
that we put minae pie In our brandy.
1t-Itb this as the family precedent:
Imagine the consternatioy when R was
learned that Rev. Jeremiah Scroggins,
our new mtalster anti an avowed ter.
totaler, bad ae-rpl(d mother's Invita-
tion to Christmas dinner. A vote was
taken at the fawi'k table (we were a
democratic hollselIddi, and It was de
fitted that Dot of respect to our guest
the brandy would be omitted front the
big mince pie.
Now, each of Its In his heart of heart•
felt that the pie would be unproved if
just a wee bit of brandy were added.
So 1, for one. resolved to do the deed.
Aeennlingly 1 .ought out the big atone.
crock in which reposed the mince-
' meat and poured In what 1 thought
was a moderate quantity of brandy.
It's wonderful how true 1s the adage
shoot great minds running la Cattier
ebannels, for every otber r member of
the family, itncluding my father, sur-
reptitiously did the same thing. Later
we figured that the mincemeat must
have been treated to nigh unto a quart.
Mother reserved her brandy until
Christmas day, when, before the pie
was baked, she added a generous
amount of the strong stuff.
With hearts as high as the flaky pie
trust Itself we all watched mother
carve that pie and serve It.
The Rev. Jeremiah Scroggins, be-
cause of an expressed fondness for pM
was given a big portion.
No sooner had we tasted of the fine
dish than we discovered that that pie
was nothing short or a small sized dis-
tillery. It was brunched as no other
pie bad been since the birth of time.
You calf imagine the cold chills whish
went round th t festal board as we
watched the Rev. Jeremiah begin to
eat 1 believe 1 actually shivered 11
the first forkful went mouthward.
The first mouthiel was followed by
a second and the second by a third
Finally he hnd finished the whole par -
'Ion. anti he a •stied Week In his ehalr.
We lave he was a bit embarrassed and
expected a real old fashioned temper -
!MCC Itrture right then and there.
The Her Jeremiah Rcrogglna cleared
his throat. and. turning to mother,
said: ":\h-er-mr good sister, permit
air to eel, plinieut you poo the ex-
celleuce of dila pie. It has ■ most
dellclons tint or I confess I never
t!1,t1.11 anything Ilk( 11. t1'nt11d yo0
1!th-1, nu• lit erl.,l.l If I risked for ate
ot(4r nitrer- Nett lark '(1111 end Et-
letwit.
he's pretty old, too, and maybe does
Dot know bow to ride, and. besides.
bow would be bring the presents?"
"What's the use of presents, any-
way? 1 never bare anything that's
any good."
"1 think you have the blues today,"
geld Fletcher, and th o be did not
speak again, tbaugb Teddy tried to
draw him out.
He seemed to he la a brown study,
and nothing roused him till Lade came
In, aqd even then he did not ay mach
and stayed only a short time.
It was In the evening that a card
wee brought to Teddy. On tt was
wrltfeo "Santa Class:" Teddy's eyes
sparkled. "Tell him to come In." he
said grandly.
A moment laser Rasta Claus stood
beton him, a tali, for clad figure with
dowing hair and beard. Teddy shook
bands and Introduced the guest to his
suet.
"Did you find tt good sleighing?
Teddy asked. "And how are the. refs-
"1 did not come oo runners. young
Aiwa," said Rants Claus. "Perhaps you
did not know that there 1s no snow oa
the grand."
"Bicycler asked Teddy.
"No; 1 earn* In a motor carriage."
"A motor earrlager cried Teddy is-
'credo/misty.
o-'credeloesty. Then he ran to the win-
dow and looked cwt. "it 1b Aunt
Ltda." he aid excitedly, coming hack.
"Yoe can see 1l jest •e plain out no -
.ler the electric light."
"1 did not bring you any preeenta,"
geld Rants Claus. "•e 1 heard you did
ant care for them, but i would Ilke to
take you for a little ride, If your suet
w111 go too. 1 earns early," glancing
'et the elect. "en that 1 ran get beet
and attend to the boys and girl* who
Ilike to have pr*sswts."
"Or ewew we w111 go." mild Tvddy
promptly. "1 have never bees la •
Illmotor earners.'
la a few memesti the three were Al
av •
Star Up Maeefully.
Don't take the. lithe that yon are
:tilt! ow' If mina. rine for *holt, you
Iltitt• n"tultlit rite. on a present The
Ibite t Is not snppm•etl to he n nianer
,1 4,.•e•nlnina *'Noelle n di'eut twin.
',tip,. of n Cheri tame eplrh 1(141* repay
.•b:.mi*.•I.. too l.y a tartly weptrlltY
Ina 1(1ft. 1.41 In scour other *17 *1
�., Je Mbar 11u,e U i 4441 wens es.
•
•
THE IRON
REINDEER OUR CHRISTMAS
I'M up to date, and, be it said,
I certainly this year
Shall break and born the ancient
sled
And cook the ancient deer.
Those things are out of date for me;
They're now a shattered dream.
Oh, I'm as happy as can be
About my brand new scheme.
That sets all hearts aglow.
And I shall call, and not in vain,
While stockingward I head
ile a minute flying train,
Christmas Limited."
FULL soon across the boundless
plain,
Beneath the Christmas stars,
I'm going to travel on my train
Made up of baggage cars,
And they'll be simply stuffed with
toys
And other precious things
For little girls and little boys
For whom I spread my wings.
OH, yes, in jigtime, down the track
I11 gayly glide along,
From home across the land and back
To fill all hearts with song.
And to my agent at each town
I'il toss a bundle great
Each artless child with joy to crown
An' mak^ its 'it•art elate. -
ILL run along on schedule time,
Through wind swept drifts of
snow.
My bell shall be the Christmas
Chime
THE train's made rp. ' Already I
Am getting up the steam,
While piling in the cars sky high
The gifts of which yon dream.
With joy I stand upon my head
And shoot both fu and near,
"Ooodby unto the ancient sled—
All hail the iron deer!"
—IL K. Munkittrick in Success.
ON THE PLAINS
I
I\ I:V 1'*l shall forget our Christmas
limner 1n a conerruction camp 1a
the year Intl((, saki a former Colo -
I' radoan We were building a res-
ervoir
efervoir out, on the _plains about ten
miles east Of Pueblo. We had 150 men
on the Job• all white men.
We had a poor cook on tee Job and
co0klil'1 1.rm to find any other. Asa
result there had been men leaving -
etery day nod constant grumbling all
the fat1 and 1t come to a head Christ-
mas day. .
It was a beautiful, bright Cnlbrado
- Christtnas.\ The -sten were to work
in tlw morning, -hate a turkey dinner
at noon and lily off in the afternoon.
The. old man had bought three pounds
of turkey per man -4'O pounds. Ths
birds hart Come oil the day before.
About ten minllter-afterlloon 1 heard
' n kind of an an4ry'•fe a nntalde, I
never pearl niirthing\like It lichere,
'rand it 'Made ale 1limp. it 10141114 tniu-
b1te of some kind. t hurried out and
-saw n surging mob nt the door of rho
cock tent. The—men were alt shaking
their lists l0 the air and yelltng wltb
one steady, hoarse, prolonged yell. 1
went around behind the tent and allpt.
1.41 kr. There stoat the cook raging.
tiat,tlog drunk. brandishing a meat az
and emitting a steady atrenm of pro
s faulty. In front of him stirred. the'
mob. hest net of reach of the meat ex,
crazy mad. 1 didn't b)nme them.
They bad came off work with thetr
mouths all made up for turkey. and
not a table was set, not a spark of firs
1n the stove and J;.O p,,urda of mirk.*
aratterd °ter the se. tion of alkali.
plain which formed the floor.
The battle was abort The men gas
In behind the cook. tripped him and
the .minute he was dowti had a rope
around hila
"Hang him. hang 111ni!" they roared
and Matted off with hire to the meal
pole.
in nit my life 1 never was so scared
as 1 Was that day. 1 didn't rare in
the least whether the man 'was hang-
ed, drowned or diets in his bed Vert
civilization rose up In mo. anti 1 knew.
I had to save him. I ran like a deer
t0 get around the crowd :end reach the
meat pole drat, and alt the while 1
SOME EARNEST
HOLIDAY DON'TS
DON'T think that you are tu(r;ioot
to keep Christmas You can't he
so poor, as all that.
Don't evend •04 much eln Christ
IMAM that you can't gel even with the
butcher and grocer until March
don't give presents that ere n Wear 1
''pie for ten minutee and a Gulden soul
a worry for ten ycnre. f
Don't, young women, buy. nec'k'tie.:
for your men folk; don't encourage!
them ID being bigger guys than titres-
sary.
Don't glee a drum to the children of-,
your enemy who works/nights. .t
watehmas's rattle is just as mond. and'
It Is cheaper. 1
Don't give your wife somethln.- s',e
ddryyl't care for Jut because 3ou'tnnt
It- yourself. This "don't" works the
other way joist ns well.
Don't for et that a basket of fruit or
• box e'f Miners 1. Jost ns Alt, a urea-,
ent
rea-
cut Io many eases ns sgmetbing that;
will Inst, a 00,041 deal lunger.
Ikm't try,to find the prier marks en
the Fitts you recelre: If the gifts are'
worth having they mean'-somet!,Ir.
°hove (loiters and emits. .
Don't forget 11a. Bob Crarchita and
the'flny TimethatJ*. unless 7011 -are
nnregener4te 4114 Srillvige, In, tt bleb
case firg.-tfnlneen ran be expiate. el. '
Don't pug off etei'ythin4 to the last,
hcca•use yidn had better for the j•,y of ,
your (Aridic give nothing than %teat
yourself out nod he es cross as two;
alleles when the blessed day eom.'s '
Don't -whgto-41-tf Or-yotIr pity,on flea-:
kung 1i lreil youths who Ile at the bob
tom of the heap to football serim-
mimes 1.nu io1II need all your pity for
pummel( .Io therush at the holiday I
counter. '\'
Don't check off eltch Oft .you receive 1
against each 'press that you gave t
and calculate whet! you made or
lostChristmas 1s nM he time to be 1
any smaller or rummer nn yn0 can ;
h elp. • -
I Don't epprens children w o are ea- 1
' doted to endorse with toys a eady by
giving them' f or07---T•here-n other •
ways of making them happy, Or 1r i
there are not It in because they\ are
strolled with runny pleasure. and are
the moat pitiful being's alive: In that
e erie let them try doing aom.thing.'
for poor children, who are *IFK.etil In
powers of eti;joymcnt, nod !WO if the
rapacity went prove catelling.
Don't ,neglect. If you are n woman,
to 1117 In a stock of Lorne simple things '
like handkerchiefs and achwt•bngs for
unexpected emergencies If you. like to
greet varlone people with a reasonable
token
Don.'t set your owl) happiness up all
the chief thing to be looked out for at '�"
Chri.tmss time. Try to make other
people happy and forget yourself, then' _sus
y0o will 1,e surprised to see how really 4
►appy Sou ate.
Don't give a book to a man with a
beg library or a picture to the man
who m.kee a specialty of the line arta
.uel.es you know pretty well what he
wants. Ten to one he'd rather do the
buying of such things for himself.
Don't write your name or anybody
else's On cards If you .end them. No
one can keep's lot of vouch truck, and
It is often highly convenient just to
send them on their travels to carry
Christmas greeting to otber people.
Aad why not? -Buffalo Express.
Be Well
And Happy
—end you have Nature's
Frater j1t ',ism's'.
rnnvdr , Tables) •
vegrl.ble Inutne. Ione•
the organs and lettere@
tipation, Biliousness,
Sick Headaches.
r�-n.ew:ng et vigor and good bel.
Ina so neer ry to b..ng w.11 and
hip11y. U.ed h. Ow.
4:e.; Year.
.17•7&!'s.r ),
,gym. /.
r�
Chips off the Old Bloc
Id JUNIORS—Little tdo
The s.,mr tli ._n. o. -Il od do.r,,
randy ., qtr-:. P,4 ;drew and ...kilts
Sold Sy Neer Druggist meow s•
1'
1,4II'RF:1 1:14 DRUG ••••1 ORE
J. R. Wheeler
Funeral Direct,* and
mb•Its.er
111 c::11' Ili/inllltIV ..!'' k
t•1.11:1\' ill' 114:1:'.
PHONES •
',tore 3,35 - Reside°, a 355w
Hamilton Street,Cnaer;th
Brophe
r
'1 111. Lk %11ING
I I '.1;1? 41. Illk1:1 Tel::'
1\li I '1:11 111 -.NS'
ulr. I;1111
Christmas In the Colonies.
Two the merry Christmas season. and
the palms swung In the breeze
Of the lovely hot December In an tslllnd
°Ver Free,
And a meditative maiden or the kind
called Philippine
Bat and gazed, with pensive visage, on
the sultry winter scene.
Well she knew that on the morrow all her
folks would celebrate,
Place a Palm tree in .the parlor, bang
their anklet■ o'er the grate.
On the heaped up t'hrislmee table, groan-
ing with ..e iead. there'd be
Appetizing bird • nest frames and ba-
nana fricassee
"Let me see," she murmured softly; 'Ya-
ter 'II get nu string of beads,
Blue and yellow. 1 am certain they're the
very ktod he needs.
Ter bis old ones looked Quite shocking.
though he never seemed to care,
And hte new est'• gulf. the @wettest thing
• gentteatan can wear.
i
"And for mamma there's the noes ring
that 1 bought on Thursday week,
With the handsome whalebone stlekpl•
for Insertion In the cheek.
Aad tittle brother's boomerang! Hill be
Immensely please*.
That or a bamboo jumping leek are the
things for which bis teased.
"And es for me, 1 only hope tbey've got
the things 1 need—
Itlat one or two nice costumes made of
genuine Doral beat
A toe ring would be lovely. and • piece
of copper wire
Te wear around the instep make op W
that 1 desire.
"tizcept. of course. some other thing@ that
every girl receives.
fifth as various kinds et grasses made of
nicely ripened leavee.
Ter surely." sold the maiden as she
smiled a scornful smile.
'Pm not BW those American girls who
always think of style."
—Chicago Record -Herald.
A Timely Caution.
Don't glee any one bric-a-brac or pic-
tures
igtures unless you are morally sure you
koow his taste. Present' that must he
displayed are apt t0 be a greet strain
en the affections. No matter how the
receiver may hate them, he most fa-
ther them and deface his rooms with
them or Insult the giver. Now. a book,
roe inatAnce, even If the receiver
doesn't like It and doesn't want It, can
be tucked away among other booke
and forgotten. bet an egty vase we
have always with es -at haat 1111 we
ma is east* it
Christmas With Stevenson.
Passengers aboard the steamship
Lubeck uuetpa•cteslly spent Christmas
at sea in the year 1ri)U. but she fact
that Robert Louts Stevenson. the fa-
mous story writer. was among them
made that a most memorable bollday.
The Loins k we. en route rrnm Austra-
lia to Samoa Sbe broke a shaft and
Ilwpesl nloug several days under salt
"Mr . Stereu.on," says the captain 10
relating the incident, "cheered every-
body
verybody op by telling funny stories that
were better. coming offhand from his
lips, tban most literary men coulu
write if they worked over them for
weeks. Ile knew, too, that It was only
• question of • short time before be
would die of consumption and that he
could Dever again go bouts for more
than n brief visit it was simply won-
derful what a difference that one man
made among the passengers. and 1
goes. almost ■II of us *mod gladly
spend the time to Leake port under
all, with machinery disabled, ff we
could hate a Stevenson •board"
A Polish Custom.
Penitent lade In the villages of Po
laud hare n pretty Christmas custom
which affords grent delight not only
to tbemselrea. but to the other rib
lagers. This Is called the pr.ceasfon
of the star. At Chrletmns time the
boys make a large hollow star. two
or three feet between points, lighted
from the Interior. 'rids Is carried
aloft at the end of a pole or stuff. 1t
symbolizes the star of Itethlebetn The
three wine Men of the East -Casper.
Melchlor and Italthnzar--are luger-
aonated by boys Others In the party
bear a little puppet show cnbinet, In
which are performed the drnlnn of the
Nativity and other Scripture Incidents
appropriate to the oeMslon From
house to house nrotind 11ie t111nge title
procession trudges In the snow at
night ninging enrols. and the villagers
present the boys with small coins as
Christmas gifts.
Mistletoe en Apple revs.
The growth of the ntl•+tl,t.s• nn aIle
1. now of very mere rerurrenee, but 11
flourishes luxuriantly In many parts of
Llgland on the apple treja.
RRANDIWIN" A 'LAT A.X.
rat 1 was cursing the cook. Who•
they got to the meat pole they found
me oo a box facing them with a gun.
"What do you want?" they roared.
"Get quiet," said t.
Whose in front called out. "Shut opt"'
When they were still 1 said: "Boys, I'm
sorry this thing ba happened. Ir.
my fault far not watching this foot
closer. But we can wash those tars
keys and have a good dinner yet .11
soma of you'll turn to and help ma.
They aren't bort any. As tor tide
scum of • cook. 1 don't care any more
about him than you do. Ilut I'm he
charge here and 1 can't let him be
hanged. You can go ahead and bang
him If you want to, but you'll hove to
kill me first Now go .head."
i waited, but no one stirred. There
were plenty of guns 1n the crowd. bee
no one was ready to undertake the
Pt,I • . ., ♦: .,.i'.t
I. ..t
1 • .. . • . era
1 . . ... • 'p
AND BAGGAGE SERVICE
Ittis mets a!I trains. ('all. made for
paa.u•ug.•rs and haggnge to ally part of
the town. Prompt nervi guaranteed.
Telephone 51, Day or Night
H. R. STOWE
Residence. Cambria Road, opposite the
Organ Factory ()thee
1 "Have you good ehances of prom-
' o(lon?" naked Mr. Potts of the aa-
! plrant to hle daughter's hand.
1' i• ('.hlriCv
Jinn -mil says 1.111%11. optimistic
The youth wag one of those cheery,
optiamistk' sou*.
w rnl puzzle• were known In ZINNI It.1 ;Rather!' he e=mbalmed. "Except
It must have limit tough 4oilig• for the *thee boy, I hold the lowest
with 1141 dietion.(r . I01trolt Free position In the firm!"-.
Press:
Job of killing me. 1 gave them only •
minute to think. Then 1 said to the
man that bold the rops,_"t3ntie him."
He did 1L "Ort oat of here," 1 said
to the cook. The fellow got up, white
as death with fear.
Then 1 turned to the men and asked
If there .fere any who had ever done
any eooktag. who would belp me. Halt
a doaen volunteered. We washed the
turkeys and pat them on to boll. 1
Dever worked over anything In me
life as 1 did that Cbriatmaa dinner.
The men were st111 silent and sullen.
and i didn't know but they'd bang see
if the dinner didn't soft them. 1 tried 1
deeperstely to remember all the e.s►
Ing I'd ever seen my mother do. gad
thanked find when 1 foetid that eu
of the men weld make pies sod nee
other soda biscuit About 11 o'clock w
hnd the Mat dinner the eased celled
torn ant, boIled hitter. boiled petetsll,
ceased equelk. tweeted corn, sagged
peaches, deed apple phi. hot hlallr
pad crass -New Tort 1?rwss
This Little Brandon Lassie
Is Never "Dosed" for Colds
The Browns Now Use the "Ex-
ternal" Treatment for Croup
and Cold Troubles.
Mrs. John Brown, of ,122(5 24th St,
Brandon, Man., is the mother of this
fine little girl and one of the many
Canadian mothers who now use the
vapXiriring salve. Licks l'apoRuh, in
treating{ the colds of all the family. After
using Vicks for some time Mrs. Brown
writes:
"1 have eight small chiktren--aged
'from one to twelve years ---and can cer-
tainly say that Vicks is tie only cold
remedy 1 have in the house all winter.
if the cold ie in the child's head 1 just
pal_ a little up each 'nostril and it gives
relief in a short time. 1f it is in the
chest 1 rib Vicks well. in at nicht
and by morning the cold -has almost dis-
appeared. i also use Wicks for chilhlains
and for burns --in fact, 1 use it her kir
,evef'e head: -cher and find r.lwf in a very
short time. 1 always recommend Vicks
to my friends especially those who have
children."
Vicks is the external direct treatment
for cold trtarhles-aberirbed like a lint
ment and inhaled as a vapor. ft is the
ideal treatment for children's colds just
as good, too, for adults