Loading...
The Wingham Advance, 1912-12-19, Page 2CABIN DAYS RECALLED A CHRISTMAS STORY BY ELLEN R. C. WEBBER, in Vancouver Sunset Nita tiekele aiiliee glistawe oktiatie lake house, Mae icloehe pole kali sagaitile. LYhee islatitwa oaoole 1110,1110. 'ken** eultaa potlaelo Ityin Quito* hoe - Mike, weewa helorenika Ityin sick trunetlinei-ohyin ear Mika Sikhs, I was living just beamed. the raggea fringe et civilization when Oleo inea. tatiaaa Were went out to my neighbore, Nat eeroete tale river; the only' neigh - Imre Within, ten Milos. eabin home Was in tine heart of the Oaiteades sind just on the bark of the reser where it comes Wielding. evalte fleeked and roaring 0'011, high. welled canyon. The riaer it% narrow here; and just D n the other aid e lieed Capt, George sued Copt. Jim, two brothers, with their fandliela It 'wee early in December when "Loy George" eonio across in her canoe to visit me and tell me of her enxieties about theasreat holiday seasoto Lucy wee slim and pretty, with hair glossy smooth and braided. Her print dross was tie'," her white apron Apt - lose end her braid ;shawl, when remov- ed from the head end elioulders, was neetly folded end hung over the back of an tattooed chair, "Baptiste is more bad," elle told me eadly, "the Fleet, he soy we mud not go to the 3nines1011 this Christmae day to meet all the people, cause this met wind he blow $0 cold melebe 13a,ptiste be be etaid in the canoe, Baptiste, be Iieap cough eek; some day he not get out ais bed; he not eat nothinP and he no more fat atop his bones. "I think pretty Won he go wey long o' Alec, be not come back no mere, no morel" The words came with a plaintive moan am the little mother wit() bed lost one boy just a IOW MOntild before through Oils same dreaded white plague, clasp- ed 'her heats and rocked her boy for- werd in grief for ber oldest eon; her first-born, And so it tame that we planned out Christmas party and that these curious invitations were sent out. We hurried an order off to the store for toys and gifte for our friends, and there we cooked and baked. Ieall probability U wits 13aptitite's last Christmas here, and, it must be made happy and merry one, Now. I had often imagined -I vra,s somewhat weak in Chinook gremmar • and conetruction, and the note of ac- ceptance vvrittert by Baptiste and deliv- ered by Jimmie, jun., strengthened, my &Wets on that subject. I This ie Baptiete's note: Mrs, 'Webber, .1 ,. % Kind friend, Dear Madam: Your nice kind letter ask us come over to your house, reeks me very glade also make my father glad, and 'mike my mother glad, and my broth •t and sisters, they were glad also, •1 read your very 'welcome letter my rather he laugh till he most doe he elf. We think you like learn Chinook siome day we learnyou talk it alright. So good-bye; we, much oblige you; we teure cane over in our canoe on the big day for your potlatch and good time. Your friend, Baptiste. The novelty of the preparations for this unique Ohrietmas party gave ;est an4 employment to every. hour of la- bor expended upon it. Britieh. Columbia woods hold many treasures for the decorative art. Scar- let berries which may be dug from under the snow, long coral -like green moose* vines, everlasting, and a plant so densely reeembling English holly that it is diffioult to detect the points of difference. No labor was ;spared in this line, and in one earner of the large living room the la,deit trait, lb- bon-trinimecl and be-tinsiled proved attraetive to the children, white and Indian alike. Acreels the other earner a big damp t*Veet"Was stretehed, and excited much curiosity. The long table down the centre of the rooni held three very attraotiye pieces, aside frora the cold chicken and wild duck, the jel- lies, cookies and candies. These were the deeorated Chflitmas cake, and two large tissue paper. "pies" made in large milk pans, and ea.& "ple" showing eighteen bits of baby ribbon protuding from the "crustal' The evening that these were all pre- pared proved. eold and. threatening. The east wind rushed intermittently down the eanyon, a eoyotte howled on the mountem side. and now and again away up the creeke a rush and rear told of snow and rook eliding down some of the sheer cliffs Met are so numerous. Lonely and wild, but grand- ly beautiful were the surroundings of this isolated cabin home. Not toe early did our guesta arrive; native etiquette and Ind1an prtle for- bids that any shell appear too eager to aceept hoepetality, kinianees or gifts. When We heard the canoes, or rather the clatter of the Indians ae they beached their eanees we went out to, the porch to wait their coining and to show that We cordially welcomed thern. risah one of the ten, even to little tot Cluttlie canie to nee lint with a bow one the greetings "Ityas Moshe, Christmas." Amongst these people, ci woman, the oldest present, is fired in all hones. hold or family 'Maim. All gifts Are from her; all smuttiness and meanness al credited to her; a man has no voice In eaie, barter, gifte Or Los- pitility. Aa they entered the living room Captains George and Jim stopped short on the thresithold with an em- phatic "Wheel" expressive of admir- ation. Limy and Mary laughed at their tespective "men' and gently ehidea them on their bad ustennere, But the old met absolutely turned their backs On Indian etigitette, anti boldly walked %bola looking and ad - as they exelaimed, "Whoo, fakooktun'liyiit tikoekuml" (Ah, good, Very gociall And Mary and Lucy at with their ehildrea alieut them and told Meekly*, "Oh, X atteened my old teen stet to bad!" And then when I exteleatiied in mock Sternness, "Dail you *ay thatThose two fine old nista; my Imebalau tilltettneet hyie$ klotatie tillieizinsi" (Highly vatted, or extremely good friends). Tliey laughed gleefully and looked their lords more in pride than *hone, My ebilarett 0001 had their pier matte before the tree tout oath wee allearly eateoisitig *Welt gift he hoped liets 1i1s but not 4 elrad, not even little 011014, aged only three, touched that, *peeled table or %ekedfor it thing to be itisren them. Xelthsr at any time Wiasti -stoke reheat above et leW twit tate Coat teitalti not annoy US and there erre five betides MY tr who were tot so weil beheiami tita elatteletent 3e& there ass The elieet tieemekt to ettraet inueli Attention, su I told them if they would i4t-14 the dark I would *how them what it bid. They looked like , frightened eltildren, but played braved and I took the lampa luebintl the name where I had arranged for ehedow pictures. Vixdt a lone moun- tain shone on the curtain, then an antlered deer awe stoma followed by an Didion, with a gun. Uound and round, the mountain they went, then U) one slope aiit down the other. The race was long and the excitement of the ainlienee Wal great and their ad- ✓ ice to header was no doubt good, but at last the deer rimed skyvearel and out of sight while the 'hunter was left on the top of the mountain, "Whool Tamenoutii" exelainied the men, which IgnheoasIly.tthat the deer Woe Magie or fatext eame a canoe rate which emted by each canoe slipping down the open mouth of a big stnrgeon, vaulting eauelt laughter. Many games were played, games that did not seexn to entertain very plea,eantly, and then eame the tree. Baptiste dressed in fur oat, pillows* eeal skin tap, dud eotton batting beard made a jolly 014 Santa Olaus. He was o pupil of the Mission school, $o he eouid read the names on the gifte nicely. Itibone, dolls and. aprons, ae Well as the goodies, went to .each child ex- actly alike, and the boys also faired equally, But when Santa ealled Captain Jim's name, and gave him, as he stood be. lore the three, a long-haired, blete-eyed doll, I really thought the women would go into hysterics with laughter, while the old man hngged, kissed and. petted it, till little Katie, his daughter, pulled it from his arms, when be professed great clisappointnaent that ot was for her rather thon for himself, I never „paw a Christmas party so thoroughly enjoy each gift or so joyoua. ly appreciate each little joke. After stripping the tree we sat down to a supper, Do you imagine that my guests were greedw, or noisy at table? Their visits at the Miesion eeleaols are too frequent for tide, and the sisters have taught them very nicely, But one little Indian custom they re. tain. To one uniniiited in their manner and their meanings, it would bear an itp, penance of greediness; but it is not this patty vice which prompts the act. Upon leaving the table, each Indian guest placed in a clean handkerchief the remnants of cake, pie, fruits, etc., left upon the plates. This was to eignifty that they had received more than they could possibly desire of food too good and tempting to be refused or rejected; a, delicate compliment you una derstand, to the hostess. The bran pie with its lottery of gifts ea.me next, and amid numli giggling and changing of strings all waited Captain Jim's signal to pull. With a "Wa,h Hoo, wah II -o -o! Captain, Jim and his relatives, big and little, gave mighty pulls, and hauled forth small gifts; MOTO laughter and noise and trading of prizes, and the second pie was eagerly sur- rounded. The zest elf gambling was in this, to fish for a prize and enjoy for a. brief 3nornent the uncertainty, the "might. be" of the half doubtful, half hopeful results. After this the entertainment of the elders proved a puzzle. Baptiste with his paint box, hie pattern books or flows ere end landscape, and his natural hies tory had gone into 4 corner by him- self and was lost in the enjoyment of his gine. The children were looking at their pieture books and caressing their dolls; and there is no little mother more loving than the little Indian girl •oyer her dollies. . But tsuddenly an Inspiration eatne to me, and I flew to the bean bag. I soon taughtmy guests the mysteries of "Birds in the -Jim]," and over the lose or gain ta:thoso beans they grew hilariously excited till I was almost afraid they would become crania The women never lot their heads, though they enjoyed alie game hugely, but when the men' laughter or Intense watchfulness become too noticeable, they would selee their arma and shake them into a 'realizing sense of where they were, with a few sbarp words in their native tongue. "Birds hi the Buell" kept them well entertained till midnight, when with words of thanks and, kindly farewell they bade me good. night. In. April of the next year, little Annie Jim was laid to rest with her flaxen -haired doll in her arm. Later from the hop fields eame a. letter to Me from Baptiste. "I think you like to hear bout dear little Charlie: Heat dead, He just sick little whiler died quick. Be take that little tin gun you gave him for present in bed all time he Melte My. mother she put in it grave long imn, maybe he like take it long of him. I think maybe notli. ing up there he like better, laity)* so I go see little 'Charlie pretty soon now. Your true friend, Baptiste, But Baptiete waltea still, till "the fall of the leaf" in this same "New year," and hie paints and his books Were hie last companions, when Weeks of confinement and inability to walk about fell to his lot at last, Ms last gift to me WU a atring of bear's teeth, a, necklace that should ensure me from danger and secure to inc always • breve heart. Dear little Charlie, and Annie, and Baptiste, I trust and believe that in that better land eaeli (lay is a "ITappy Ohrietnias" and that your gifts are many, and your joys unending, and may your white friend be worthy to receive your welcome "maybe ea, pretty goon." 44.40, THE JUNE Olt0011 TAO/KLES HIS FIRST 0111/STMAS, *IVA 40 Mamie mid I were beginning to drive the matrimonial ear without ekidaing, along comet; Chriettrois. Now, rne for Christmas-, firsit last and all the time. It's the easesort of good cheer sant would be still if Mamie wasn't SO unteaeonable. "We'll spend Clatetneita Day with my folkii," mild she. "Not ell dty," said 1. "I want to be vritit my people part of the time." nen the horses Werti eft. A pro - °petition to epotal Cheistmes morning with her people and the aftetneton awl evening with my people was rejeeted seotnfully. The reverse of tho pien Waif likeWite tested Aside'not worthy of consideration, "We've alletsye made a sena deal of Chriettlette," said 1 during Oria of the disouseions. 'Ton haven't made any more 41 it than We have," Mamie retorted, derer—" t mr 41erte me. There* Ite 4 -hr 4.11.10-1, 4,11116•1114 s Vinitt ip ceot4e* tick), I3Y JOHN H. COOK see" a-044 Qua good St. Nick iaT his waY I His prancing steeds are near. We hear the sound of the silver bells; His sleigh is Almost here. A lad of gifts is stored for all Securely in his pack, Vor he travels like the lightning, When his whip goes CRACKI Through all the year with plane and saw") He worked in his wondrous shop; So much there was for him to do, That he never dared to stop; But when the gifts were all complete They made a mighty stack. He will surely bring them with him, When his whip goes CRACKI Now when we light our Christmas tree, Oh, what a glorious sight! With countless waxen eatidles lit, And burning there so bright. Our good old friend will load it down, There will surely be no lack; He always keeps his promise, When his whip goes CRACK! So hang your stocleings, large and small, Convenitnt in a row, For they will look so .tempting when They 're filled from top to toe. Our generous sairit will never fail; He has a curious knack Of giving right good measure, When his whip goes CRACK! FROM TILE DECZIIIIER ST. NICHOLAS Copyright, t9r r, The Century Co ••••••••••=1•000.10 'but, my dear' about it. I've accepted an invitation to spend the day at home and we're going to. We can spew" some other day with your people." I felt then, that 1 had Ma,mie waver- ing, but before I could follow up my argument) she called me a "mean old thing," and burst into tears, Now, I ean answer argument with argument; for every slap she takes at my side of tile family 1 can give back a wallop at her side; I don't think any more of her cousins titan site thinks of mbee; she's got nothing on me when it comes to picking flaws with the table manners of family ties. But when she bursts into tears she gets ley goat. Mtn a diecussion reaches the sob stage I can't reply. aVords fail me and mill sob back worth a cent. Ae a eigher and sobber I am a disnia,1 failure. So a now write myself down as hav- ing lost the first Christmas argument. We shall spend December 2,$ with her folks. It is useless nOW to wish me a • merry Christmas. faiE PRESENTS OF YESTERYEAR. Cgew Tork Treraid.) 0 where Is the present from father, The razor that never would raze. The neckwear from sister and mother, _(hose patterns of Pliocene days); 0 %Ogre Are the books without number, The volumes in vellum hedight. The inkstand that never would open, rahe• filigree nen that caret write? 9- were IS the pipe made of -.phautn, QtS merit lay only in looks), . !bat was sent by a friend who was A- twenty-four day trip with Cook's? AI where are the trinkets of silver, The trifles resembling real gold, net have Journeyed from each Joyous setteon glarlen, d,sinee days of old? f have them, arrayed in their ribbons, These little attentions abhorred. Ana int send them again on their er- rands. To ethers as friendship's reward. And so they shalt travel forever, - And never Again shall we meet, Unless fortune grow mean and vinaias eapre lay them again at my feet. ineers 1 CHRISTMAS CANDIES II Sugared.. popcorn.- ex WO ited corn, tablespons butter, a eupe Irewn sugar, 1-2 eup water. Put butter in saucepan and when it meltea add the eugar °and water. Let boil 10 mita utes. Pour over popped eorn, stiffing until every kernel k well-eoatede Maple Caramell.—lirealc 2 pounds of maple ugar into a quart of milk, and boil steadily until a little dropped into cold water will harden, Then pour in greased pans, and before entirely cool, mark off into equaree, Half cream in- stead of the quart of milk makes rich- era'kiaolniadeY' ses Cantly.—Two cupo molasses, 2-3 cup sugar ,3 tablespoone butter, 1 tablespoon vinegar. Put butter in the kettle and when melted add moitteees and swear. ee:tir until sewer is disselved. Boil until when poured in eold water the mixture becomes brittle. Add vine- gar pet before taking from the fire. Pour on well -buttered plate and when pool enough to bandle, pull until por- pus and light colore'd, allowing eandy to come in collo:set with tip ef fingers and thumb, not with palm of the hand, Cut in small pieees, using eheirs or a sharp knife, and arrange on buttered plate to cool. Olmeolite`Fudgeo-Boll toeether a cup- ful of sugar, 1 eup of grattett rhoeolate, 1-2 cup of milk, 1-4 cup of molasses. Stir often and let boil until it hard - in Ngd Water, Beat in a teaspoon aanilla and 61.1r well for a minute. Pour in greased pen to cool and cut in square, 4 while eooling. es7tuffed Date"eau f fed de t e nuke one of the meet palatahle of Christmas are easily preparedand of - fee a great variety of fillings. Oat the date e with at, sharp pointed knife, the full length ana remove the etones, be- ing emeriti not to tear the fruit. Fill the cavitie-s with English walnuts, pe. cane, almonds, or any kind of nuts, broken to nicely fit the cavity. Partially ekoe and roll in granulated sugar. Another delicious filling is made With white of 1 egg, 1.2 teaspoon water, van- illa to flavor; 1 pound of eonfectioners' eugar, Put the egg, water and vanilla in it bowl area beat mita blended. Add sugar gradually until stiff enough to knead. After kneading to proper eon- eieteneee 1111 dateno with WAS and roll in sugar. English walnuts may be chop- ped in this cream for filling. tfoltioses 'Walnut Candy --Boll it quart of molasiees for a half hour, then add a ealtepoon of bakittg t3oda antaboil un- til a littledropped in cold water will be- eoate brittle. Stir in Libelled and halved \vanilla; and pour luto. greased pan. MOWties tkk Catnip—Boil together a pint el molasses, 2 tablespoone but- ter, pound of brown sugar arid 2 table- epoone vinegar. When it hardens it: void water remove from fire and as it tools Dull into long light etrips with tire of fingers. Lay on waxed paper to harden. Chocolate (rams- Beat the white of an egg ligat, with a teaspoon of sugar add a te ospoon of vanilla, and enoUgh confeetioners's ougar to make a mixture stiff enougla to be formed. Beat very Nino 0 th form into little belle and spread in pan to Cool. Cover eboco- eate coating. Thie 13 imply melted sweetened chocolate. Each ball is dipped in th:o chocolate until covered, using any kharp instrument to hold erearas while (1ipping. as A YULETIDE THEORY. (Louisville Courier-SournaL) "I wonder how the Venus of Alba lost ht -r arms I" 'Wore 'am uf f during the holiday see - soil, pc rhaes, ltggh II li erne Christmas DP4Si •••••16,•*011 ASLE /T THE W1TCH. (lav Jui&iIi Dwiglet, 'Whitney, in ti e Evening Pot.) This is the stor,y ot the only men who ever 0411 truthfully trey that he bete seen tlie of the Snow Children in El- Tbe Eileitintrg graveyard Lies on the title of a beautiful 'Lill hieing a great meadow, and. in the atentre stands the Moet beautiful spraee tree that ever WU seen, with the roundest, , most tiyminettioal lines, tapering to ea ex- quielte %dot at the top. Every year it seemto grow prouder and more nerdy titan the year before* although the oldest inhabitant say that the seedling was brought over feom ahundred Nor - wan by the esreetayearsti?rago. the .V11141sulno t one in =eat/3v is AS Old as that, or even feels that old, the story le only a story. However, everyone in Ellenburg except the village celetiler, who is by eeeanatiOn and temperament a narrows mieded persou, knows perfectly well that the allow Children celebrate ChristmAs eve around the Norway Name every atth of Deeember, just its the clock 15 striking 21114'40A. It is not given to everybody to see them in faet, nobody but John Cheistian ever really OW them. They say that those who gp to the hillside eut of mere eurioeity. neither hear nor .40e anything, while some who have acct. dentAlly strayed with their minds busied over the prospective llappiness of their children on the morrow itave heard sweet music playing, of a sort that no orehestra in Ellenburg. Ihseboren, or Jensen's Ford has ever been known to produce. it came from the diree. tion of the great sptuce, and. some say they heard shouts of childiell laughter mingling with, the musie. But when they crept cautiously over toward the tree and peeped out from behind a broad headstone to see what the festivity might be, forgetting en- tirely their own chicks and tile morrow, the spruce WAS dark and deserted, save that most people -declared that a bright star in the cast seemed to be burning more brightly than any star Was ever known to burn,. directly over the bean- tifnl tapering summit of the Snow Chil- dren's tree. Hans Engeborg, the eldest inhabi- tant. sus that the optima was plantea by one of the early settlers whose lit. tie daughter died in the middle of winter. a be child was buried, so Hans says, with wild. strawberries and snow - flower, on a Christmas eve, in the white hillside; and the seeding spruce was placed over her grave, where, even though the ground was frozen AS deep AS the gravediggers penetrated, it took root and grew into .a goodly tree before the thaws set in. The father came and pitteed the toys he had bought at the Loot of the evergreen, and while he sat on the new -made mound with his face in his hands, lie saw a vision of the lpfant Jesus, lying in a manger in Beth- lehem, and there were augel voices sing- ing joyous music—whieh left the father very, very sad, but seemed to cure the bitterness in his heart. And so the spruce has grown for these hundred years --at least, that is what Hans Enge- berg says. Perhaps he embroiders on the story AS the years lee by; but lit any rate Hans declares that all the little ones who have been laid itivey on that hillside since the first settlers' little girl died celebrate Christmas eve by daoe- ing about the reat spruce. And Bans and all the ether people in Ellenburg call them the Snow Children, although they have never seen them ; end, they say that the reason why John Christian saw them WAS that he loved little chia dren as muelt as arty mortal man could, and happened to be on the hillside one Christmas eve when ile came very near to giving his life for One of them. * * * * * It WAS a hitter nigha that starlit evening when the stoekings were be- ing hung! john Christian had risen from a elekebed and gone Aer0S4 Mtn - try five miles afoot, in fulfillment of his Annual custom .of taking a basket of Christmas things, a fat goose, some CranInitirlt and appios—red-e1ieitke4 Sari tzerbergs—a nd plunopuilding, to eel aged dame who lived aloue'in a eoftage by a wood. Once upon a time, a dozen, yes, more than a dozen and a half, years ago, the old woman had done it single kindly net to a flaxen -haired elald of three who ealled Christian father; and John. had never forgottee, though on 'a night like this he would have preferred, to stay 'at home and make himself ,as comfortable as it sick man might about hie own roaring k,gs, ° "ZiltadeS of Thor, 118 a eoId eight, mother!' he cried, ae he entered the little cottage and Sal* alto it eltarel taa'nd the fielde are rough botween here and Eller:burg." "Vold weather makes a merry Christ - mai," croaked the old dame. "And the good Lord ,should send one to you, who remembere this old wreck like a on. A merry Christmas to you, Johni" little to remember you reetliet, and 4 sorry gristmill 'OA dohn Caristian will be having, es usual. It Was eighteen years ago, mother, eigh- teen years ago, that the iittle Chris- tina, was taken away on the flood; and twelve alto the wife wee taken and 'left. John Chtation Mote ie 'the world. And Cfirietmas, when the cilia area have the happiest Inne, briugs th% little Cheistina back --and she laughs and I hear her say 'Daddy, t have ne hug for you!' and •tai joy in Any heart` goes 04 and leavest ta' cruet Tamil lee etead." xou. eamild forget all that," tsaid h theoso0 'tdhainnige: -iWoll,z0catirlitietdiariOn.sevea 44 bycela the only vieltor she had, "The Xaster will eortifort, for he toot: the little enoW.flower to be Hie own. Who kfloWel l iltreertigledigteht,d,luees with the Snow Chil- "No no! Not that!" field Chrititian, And ihen for a long time he set gaz- ing et the flames ASthey loped up about the hickory legs in the fireplace. Ana dethintly he bade the dime good- oight and wettt out. It W4/3 eolder then ever as Christian took ide way homeward ° through the fieldo, drawing his sheepskin coat elosee about hhn.s The ground was - 'Mae with the thinnest imaginable cov- erlet of feathery snow; the mooh threw the ShAtIOWS of the tall ehestrutts itua beeches in long, pale etreamere across the brilliant earth; and timdiet the triteery of the woods lay a $oft, inef- fable Mist. Presently a flake of iinOW JAI 011 John'e note. Then n breeze Sprang up and drove eleuds up from the horizon till the moon WAS hidden, At last the flekee flew thick soul fast and Chrbitiatt swung hie ertue lustily to drive o tit'elmleOAway.fhiS' walk Carrit4 Mtn 14 the nestle bridge over the little etreeen Whielt vvirele itA evey• through the Meadow Overlooked by the burial - ground. The snow WAS blinding nowi John ehrietiees blood inuldettly ting - ]ed and reit hot at the eound of 4 faint ery of dtetree$ atom near the bridge. To him it Watit the same voice of it +child witielt hod celled to him iu terror eighteen years before, when the dericnese Anti flOnd had closed about the one child whieh God haf given Ifelpi Oh, the cold water —some one!" Christian stumbled down the embankment and 114W it struggling figure in the water, He ran out on the we, end it broke with him also. Then it pair of hands clutched Lim about the neck and dragged aim under, tightening on him, like the grip of death. "For her saleel It might have been Chrietinal" he cried to bino self, 48 the ehill water cut to the marrow of Lie bones and 'he halide choked ithri till he sank completely eine _der. It was not diffieult to rehiese the ohoteng hands, but John Christian, Welt, cold and exhausted, found it harder to extricate himself and the owner of the hands from the hole. Each time that be tried to lift aim - self up, the ice broke. So the struggle vent en till at last, when Christian eucceeded in pulling himself out an the shore with hie3 precious burden, he WUS neArly eXhftliSted. ' It WAS she that was helping him now, 'Come,' she eeemed to be saying, ave most run. We obeli freeze. Runl It means death to stay here.' And the halide that had before eitoke4 now helped Christian to his feet. Oh, but it seemed eold to poor John Christian! The wind drove the snow into his face and bit MB flesh like needles; his temples seemed to be :sheathed in a helmet of iee; and his Wet clothes beeame as teel and, tor his' fish as be walked. Yet he most get home. Over the bridge he drag- ged himself and up the hillside through the burial -ground, just as the, town clock colluded the midnight hour. "It might have been little Christina," he kept muttering's Suddenly all, Ohristien'S suffering ecu sed and the air about him became ae warm and balmy as it summer's day. He saw a Chriatmos spruce before lam in a blaze of light, and the Snow Mal- dren were "oh"-ing and "all'aing about it. The branehes hail never loOked quite SO beautiful, and at the very top shone a Mat wblelt was brighter than the brightest flaming are-ligat you ever SAW. There were twinkling dandies whiell burned in all the most dueling colors; and apples and oranges of the reddest red and the yelloweet yellow hanging on the titre of tile boughs. The &IOW 0111b aren looked up at the pretty baubles on the tree, the tinsel and pap -corn stringe, the colored glass balls and the brightly paiptcd toys. Then they laughed a joy. ons laugh and danced round the tree holding lands. The ground under the tree was oovs ered with sparkling snow; it seemed as sufa as velvet, and the children's feet left no marke. The children all wore thin • whete 'dresses, and did not seem to be cold at all—and, for thet mattee, neither ,was Christian, who felt himself SUrrounded by the twist delleious warmth: awl heard a chorus as of a thouvand newels obanting enrols in the sky. "Christina! Ohrist• inal" be eried aloud, 13ut no little flaxen -haired 4114 answer- ed the °all. The Snow Children etopned their daneing and stood looking at lune wietfully. One seddi "He would have given his life toe mi.° * e Christian could not have told you liow it woe that he woke up later io his owie bed, feeling very weak, -oath a yellow - haired num atanding beside him, wear. lag the ettme wistful expreesion be hut seen on the laeee of blie Snow O'Hare'', "You have been very sick. You are getting over pneumonia," elle said. 'What has happened to mer askea Christian, novelmoving his eyes troll% the nurse, , taroa' dragged in out of the water or Calroietnme eye. was e,oneing ta Ellenaurg on a hurry eat that night—a, Wins Engeborg is it great-grandfather now! I had never been here befere— leiret, not for a great many years. I rniseed the turn at the bridge be the Winding snow and walked Rao the ereek. You -pulled me out. It was brnve of you. You did it because you one loved a little girl of your own." Ohriattian lay sileot for a, long thus after this. Ite was thinking back °vet the years to the time when the spring :freshets aad come down with smell in. heaecitof violenee a,nil ewept pea.rly the whale town of Ellenburg away as sud- denly as a Owes player sweeps the board with- it stroke of las arm., aaev hie three-year-old elrild dinging to it board and trying piteously to be helped—then earried beyond sight. "Yes, there was 4 tittle girl whom X loved once," said aehristian at 'last. 0S1ie Wtta marled away in a, flood that teod wifled sbould be too big for us, . and—we never—found her. Perhape she is alive to -day; perhaps' net, She • had golden hair like yoors, awl the largeet browo eaess, waielt was etrenge for one et ns, but beautiful. She gave her father more Patin any grown wo- man eouid give—that perfect love and cortfidenee of it ehild. If she were it woman to -day, she might met that her father is a rough, mangerlees (log, wile% no china to anyboare love or admires* tion. Bt it theee days Ole was too yotnig knowe was the beat man in the world to loir eyes, and in return she eitte adoredi" "Ailds her name WAS Chrietina," 81141 the guttel Itestliy. She had turned away from Ohrietion and WAS looking out of thewindow, iliacting her eyee with the main euriedh. "How did you know?" aektel the man in lied. "lieettuse when you were freezing to ileabli in the buritti ground you cried out ‘Christina!' twice, and I thought it WAS strange, for Ott is my hante. Mei don't yOti See that my eyes are browni"—Ohristian could not have told what eolor those eyes; were ne slie turned them on him, so full of twits Were they --"And, father—daddy—Tee got a hug for you!' RABOIT WITH MO SDARFPINS. Three boys and a hound in puma of • rabbit rot the bunny into a holt of the eity. After pulling out several vides one of the boy s draw forth & peek - ages tinwrapphig it, he found about 100 eearfeins, evidently hidden h,y some thief. It teethed the care of the police that A men toy wee remembering Ms Mende * bit prerolturely with seatfpine et Christmas gifts. Inquiry developed the story of the find, lint the pollee have not discovered from whet *hop the Jew. elle" was obtained. The rabbit got awi.y.----Clevehen4 paw' tO alitiUtOrs AI:6400M 1 011111491 AT CIIIOE STIS TIME. We watched the trooping cadre* play About the old house ianeo so grey And OW. Then &Amex 411, A.ml. one by one they sOl IstreWsli. •The nyeete A u4 the leughter *topped, • TM play Was dent. the (KAMA droptd. The waning lamp of mirth burned vr With es.ch last err stress the 41301r,, And we, old Mend, were lefi. 413one. • What was it lost that we had knewnt 014 blend and true, newt even we Viinci nevermore what used to bet Nan 111'00 by change; through ebb And $19 y The new lives wine, the old lives go, We lose and gotta yet year by year • *The aging heart grove more austere. lt may be the strean and Arena Of our mad times tempt joyleeetiess; It may be that the our feverish days Forget the old more generous ways.; It may be, toot, the ashee of Dead hope* Anti 41toants Lev° mothered hovel llut plein it stande, no more we hold Earth's fond good fellowship of ohl, Yet tbanks to one small spark, ola .41.-i down in* dusk of things we trends Age shall not strip our very heart Of all its old congeoial art, Aye, thanks to each small voice Ana Fight That lent it you4h to na to -night, And *honks to thot strange fleetly() liludwing love by -which we live •Tlizroneh eliSlalike eyes and eldallike act Vito ret ll bold our youth intaett Anal thanks to One still Jovial. day We° atilt, ord.friendx sholl mike due nosy By thought and merrary through the IMAM T.Q Youth and thei lost lonr,o, ago Where laughter, holdbeg both ids sides, Mute all, of our days seem Christmas.. tide! --Arthur Stringer, t THE 01,D SHOP WINDOW. There's a holiday, Christmassy feel itt the air, - A bubbling spirit that nothing can ride - 4 whisper of seerets in ballwayand etair, And flitting of shadows where treae- ures are hid; 4. Christnaaasy, holiday feeling tient Wings A touch to the heart that you scarce understand, As though it were menfry caressing the stings And charming us bitek to a happier land— Wonderful land! — with its tined and, show, And, back to old Christmas compare - ions again • — To the .best friend of all in the long, long ago, The gingerbread man with the pep- permint. cane, By some trick of mem'ry the yeare liaven't been, e Nor worries, nor woes, nor the thirigs that distrese— The world is still people with • roey- eheeked men - And wee little women in veiniest of dress, So small they must stand on their tips toes to see! • The little shop windows are &wing • with lights, And children, piled deep. as the children • can be, • .Are marveling much et the wonder- ful sightsl- 4 row of 'briglit faces all filleit with • surprise— And. there, under guard of the white. frosted pane, With coat made of frosting, 'and ep. ple-seed eye*, Is the gingerbread man, with a pep- permint eatiot There'e a holiday, Cltristmasay %Aug, , to -night, that nothing ean rid— • waisper of secrets and Christmas dee bulibabhlg spirit ti: And flitting of shadow where are hid; beetle ti:- holiday feeling that parents must asra A. And be of their holiday pleasures, and yet There's none of the old-fastlioned par- ents but spare • feeling of sorrow and sigh of 're- gret That Yhtwountki Latungnhott_know what To -day The spirit of pleasure and Christmas • refrain T 1 t snrroony1144 ashristmae of other days be The gingerbread man with a pepere mint cane, —John D. Wells. _ THE OLD-FASHIONED OHRIST- MAS. IV° didn't have no high-toned gifts, like touring cars or nueb. And evnitt we got was simple quite and did not cost so =tell. We °raveled out to the early Moro quite anxiously to see what eanta Claus- had one and left tiDon our Christmas tree. We found a. lot of face popcorn, an hung upon a string. And then, perhaps, a homemade eled mat tether built, au painted red. And maybe wee oleo 'pair ot "boots with copper tote. by ling. We didn't find no stoeks and bonds or sparkling tlient0114 rings. Or phonographs or cameras or ether costly things, Bnt homeennede nIghtgOwnS and the like We never fail to get. And these gay -colored mufflers we can au remember yet. A bona of raisins for each kid was ming upon the tree; There also was a sock,you know. 'With one big orange Inthe tee. Topped Ott with nuts ahd candy, a de, nelsons sight to see, We stuck to the parental roof and mother cooked the bird. To think of leaving home that day was teens- quite absurd. The relatives all sttlek around and stay- ed till late at night, And that Was When the OW/Mum dtty wail celebrated right. You're weleome to the higliepeieee gifts and fashien and the rest, 'or after all is said and done always had a lot of fun. And T 11,118t SAY that r enjoyed the old• One ChrlstMas hest. **lir THE quEst OF THE AUTO. Mrs. Xewlywed—i 41`n hoping and praying that my hubby will give me an auto for Christmas. Iter Friend—Row long ate you mar- ried? Mrs. Newlywed—six months. Tier Friend—Went hoping and praying may fetch it this yehr, but noxt year it n have to be sobbing and jawing.— Jtglge. Hi& MODEL. (oir vt5tk eon.) aleeterrield eirolitinted- *tete he got bie inn tenets. • ereitternea motieit on the aerator the week hetet° atbrietroestat be tried. it the bleteinge that otte reOeteet were, written down eaele day tnetead of dwelling on. troubles, oithor roal bor- rowed, it would b a bettor tan1'e then any ,phyatelsn «mhlprosoriho - tor i!aion. erettztelakieeditratieteaette ikfaiti*-4