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“Bettefonte, Pa., December 17, 1909.
re mre
FRANK H. SWEET
Ano.
{Copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.}
T was the night before Christmas
—and stormy.
“Squash, squash!” went the
wheels of the carriage in the
mud.
“Whew-ew-ew!” whistled the wind.
And it blew Peter's hat out into the
middle of the road.
“Whoa!” yelled Peter and climbed
down from his high seat.
The princess poked her head out of
the window. “What's the matter?”
she asked.
“My hat blew off,” Peter told her,
“and the wheel is stuck in the mud,
miss.”
“Oh, Peter, Peter!” the princess
chided. “You must get that wheel out
of the mud at once.”
“Which is easier said than done,”
Peter grumbied. “It's that dark I
can't see my hand before me.”
“There's a light back there among
the trees,” the princess informed him.
“Perhaps you could get some one to
help you.”
“I'l go and see, miss, if you ain't
afraid to stay alone,” said Peter, after
some effort succeeding in quieting the
plunging horses.
“I am dreadfully afraid,” she adwmit-
ted shiveringly. “but 1 suppose you
will have to go.”
Now, in the middie of the pine grove
was set a little cottage. Peter knock-
ed at the door.
“Who's there?’ asked a childish
voice, and a little girl poked her head
out of the square window,
“Our wheel is stuck in the mud,”
Peter answered from the dark, “and I
want to get a man to help me.”
“There isn't any man here,” Jenny
informed him. “There Is only me and
Jessie, and our mother has gone to
nurse a sick neighbor, and she won't
be home until morning.”
So Peter went back to the carriage
and reported to the princess.
“I shall freeze out here,” said the
princess. “1 will go up to the house
and sit by the fire while you look for
some one to help you with the car-
riage.”
She climbed out of the carriage, and
with Peter in the lead she plodded
through the woods, and the wind
blew her long coat this way and that,
and at last, wet and panting, she came
to the little house,
* And once more Peter knocked, end
once more Jenny came to the window.
Then she flung the door wide open,
and so tall was the princess that she
had to stoop to enter it. It was a
dingy little room, and there was a
dumpy black stove in the corner, with
a bubbling iron pot that gave forth a
most appetizing odor.
0h, oh, how nice and warm it is!”
said the princess as she held out her
{hands to the fire.
In all their lives the little girls had
never beheid such a wonderful per-
gon, for the princess wore a long red
«cloak and a black velvet hat, with a
‘waving plume. and her muff was big
and round and soft, and she had a
scarf of the same soft fur about her
peck. Her hair was pale gold, and she
‘had the bluest eyes and the reddest
ips, and her smile was so sweet and
tender that Jenny ran right up to her
&nd cried, “Oh, T am so glad that you
came!”
Jessie from her little chair echoed
her sister's words. But she did not
‘run, for there was a tiny crutch beside
! Jessie's chair in the square window.
“And T am glad to be here.” said the
| princess, whose quick eyes were tak-
‘ing in the details of the shabby room.
“It's so nice and warm and cozy.”
“Isn't it?" said Jenny happily. “And
‘we are getting ready for tomorrow.”
On a small round table beside Jes-
sle's chair was a tiny cedar bush, and
Jessie's fingers had been busy with
bits of gold and blue and scarlet pa-
per.
“We are going to pop some popcorn,”
Jenny “and string it and
hang it on the tree.”
“Oh, may I kelp?” the princess asked.
“] haven't popped any corn since I was
a little girl”
Jessie clasped her thin little hands.
“1 think it would be the loveliest thing
fn the world,” she said, “if you would
stay.”
| until he comes back.”
| and underneath it she wore a shining
“Peter is going to find some one to)
Lelp with the carriage, and 1 will stay
And when Peter had gone the prin-
cess slipped off the long red cloak,
silken gown, and around her neck was
a collar of pearls.
“And now if you will lend me an
apron,” she said, “we will pop the
corn.”
But Jessie and Jennie were gazing
at her speechless.
“Oh, you must be a fairy princess!”
casped little Jessie at last.
The beautiful lady laughed joyously.
“Peter calls me the princess,” she
«nid. “He has lived with me ever
since 1 was a little girl. But really I
am just an everyday young woman
and am going to spend Christmas with
some friends in the next town.”
She dismissed the subject with a
wave of her hand.
“Aud now to our popcorn,” she said.
Jenny brought a green gingham
apron, and the princess tied the apron
on, making a big butterfly bow of the
strings in the back, and then she
danced over to the dumpy little stove
and peeped into the bubbling pot.
“Did you ever smell anything so
good?" she asked. “I am as hungry
us 2 bear.”
The little girls laughed joyously.
“It's bean soup,” Jenny said, “and we
are going to have it for supper, with
some little dumplings in it. 1 was
afraid it wasn't nice enough for you."
“Nice enough!" the delighted lady i
exclaimed. “1 think bean soup and
little dumplings are—um—um!” And
she flung out her hands expressively.
“I thought,” Jessie remarked faint-
ily. “that fairy priccesses only ate
honey and dew.”
“Which shows that I am not a true
princess,” said the beautiful lady, “for
honey and dew would never satisfy
me."
Jenny got out three little blue bowls
and set them on a table that was
spread with a coarse but spotless
cloth. There were an crusty loaf and
clover sweet butter. and last and best
of all there were the bean soup and
the bobbing little dumplings served to-
gether in an old mulberry tureen.
It was perfectly wonderful to see
the princess in her shining gown at
the head of the table. aud little lame
Jessie said: “You were just sent to us
for Christmas, Why, it's just like—
“The night before Christmas, when all
through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even Ry
mouse,
The stockings wer» hung by the chimney
with care
In hopes that 8t. Nicholas soon would be
there.
The children were nestled all snug in’
their beds, |
While visions of sugar plums danced in
their heads.”
“But our stockings weren't bung
vet, and we weren't in bed,’ sald
Jenny.
“It was too early for that.” sald the
princess, “but let's go on with the
rhyme, just for fun. 1 see you know
it all through, so you mustn't mind my
changing it a little:
“When out on the lawn there arose such
a clatter
Jenny sprang from her chair to see what
was the matter.
Away to the window she flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the
sash,
When what to her wondering eyes should
appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny
reindeer!
“Ol, no; 1 forgot! 1 mean—
“When what to her wondering eyes should
appear
But a carriage stuck in the mud right out
here
And a little old driver, so lively and
quick
You must have thought Peter was dear
old St, Nick.”
The children laughed gleefully, and
Jenny said: “We would have thought
that, only we aren't going to hang up
our stockings this Christmas at all
Jessie and 1 aren't going to get any
presents, for mother hasn't been well,
and she couldn't get any sewing. But
she said we could make our Christmas
merry, and we were to pretend that
we had been to the big stores in the
city and had bought things for the
tree and dolls and everything.”
“That's a lovely way,” said the prin-
cess gently, and she laid ber hand,
with its flashing rings, over Jessie's
thin ones.
“and we are going to pretend.” Jes-
sie said. “that our chicken is turkey.
But we won't have to pretend about
the mince pie, for mother has made a
lovely one.”
“] wish 1 could help you eat the
chicken,” said the princess wistfully,
“and I should like to meet your moth-
er. 1 know she is lovely. And 1
haven't any mother, you know.”
“Oh!” said the little girls, round
eyed with sympathy. And then the
princess told them that all her life she
had lived in a big, lonely house and
she had always yearned for a cozy
home and for a sister.
After supper they popped the corn,
and just as they finished in came Pe-
ter.
“] can't find any one to help, miss,”
he announced, “and it's snowing. I'll
have to unhitch the horses and go
back to town and get something to
take you over in.”
“No,” the princess demurred as she
stood in the middle of the room with
a heaped up dish of snowy kernels in
her hand. “No, Peter, I'm going to
stay here all night.”
Peter stared, and the little girls
cried, “Oh, will you?”
And the princess said: “I really will
And, Peter, you can bring up the
steamer trunk and my bag.”
“Won't your friends expect you,
miss?’ Peter inquired, as if awaiting
orders.
“1 will send a note by you,” was the
calm response, And as the man went
out she followed him and sbut the
door behind her. “Oh, Peter, Peter!”
she whispered confidentially. “1 am
golug to give them such a Christmas!”
“The lttle girls, miss?"
“Yes. They are so sweet and brave!
And 1 have the presents in my trunk
that 1 was going to carry to the other
children. Bat they will have so much
that they won't miss them, and | shall
spend my Christmas in a plain little
house, but it will be a joyful house,
Peter.”
“Yes, miss.”
standingly.
“1 wish we had a big tree.” said the
princess regretfully.
“Well, leave that to me, miss,” Peter
told her eagerly. “You just get them
litle things to sleep early, and I'll ba
here with a tree.”
“Oh, Peter, Peter—Santa Claus!” ex-
riaimed the princess gleefully. “It will
oe «ue nicest Christmas that I have
had since 1 was a wee bit of a girl.”
80 Peter went away, and the prin-
cess, with her eyes shining like stars,
danced buck into the room and said,
“Oh, let's play mariners!”
Jessie and Jenny had never heard of
such a game, but the princess told
them that she was a ship on the high
sens and that they were to tell from
her cargo what country she hailed
from.
“1 carry tea.” she began. “Where do
1 hail from?’
“China,” guessed Jenny,
“No.”
“Japan,” cried Jessie, with her little
face glowing.
“No.”
Then the little girls pondered. “It
might be India,” ventured Jenny, but
the princess shook her head. Then
Jessie cried, “It's Ceylon!” And that
was right.
And after that Jessie brought a car-
go of oranges from Florida and Jenny
brought a cargo of rugs from Persia,
and there were cargoes of spices and
of coal and of coffee and of fish and
of grain and of lumber, and the prin-
cess finished triumphantly by carrying
a cargo of oysters from the Chesa-
peake bay.
“One more,” begged Jessie,
“1 carry a cargo of castles,” said the
sparkling princess, “Where do 1 hail
from?” '
The little girls guessed and guessed,
and at last the princess said:
“That wasn't a fair one, really, for
my castles are castles in Spain.”
Then, with Jessie fn her arms, she
told them of her own castle building,
and when she had finished she said,
“And so your mother shall have all of
my sewing, and that will keep her
busy until spring.”
“Ol, you are going to be married
and live happy ever after!” sighed Jes-
sie rapturously. “It's just what a
fairy princess should do.”
“And what you should do.” said the
princess, looking at the clock, “is to
go to bed, bed. bed, so that you can
wake up early in the morning.”
She tucked them In and came back
later in a fascinating pink kimono,
with her hair in a thick yellow braid,
and she kissed them both. But it was
little lame Jessie that she kissed last.
And then she went away like a glo-
Peter agreed under-
rious vision, and the little girls sank
into slumber.
|
In the next room the princess open-
ed the door cautiously, and there was
Peter with snow all over him, and
his arms were full of holly and mis-
tletoe, and a great tree was propped
against the doorpost.
“Quietly. quietly, Peter,” warned the
princess, and Peter tiptoed in and set
the tree up in the corner, and its top
reached to the ceiling.
The princess opened the steamer
trunk and took out two white Teddy
bears, one with a flaring blue bow
and the other with a flaring pink one,
and then she took out a green and a
yellow and a red and a blue falry
book and a beautiful square basket of
candy, tied with holly ribbon, and
then from the very bottom of the
trunk she drew string after string of
shining little silver bells, fastened on
red and pale green ribbons.
“] was going to get up a cotillon
for the children at the other house,”
the princess explained to Peter, “but
these little folks need it so much
more.”
The little bells went “tinkle, tinkle,”
as Peter hung them, and Jessie,
greaming in her little bed, heard the
sound and thought it a part of her
dream.
And while Peter and the princess
trimmed and whispered and laughed
some one rattled the doorknob.
Peter opened the door, and there
stood a white faced. shivering little
woman.
“Oh, what has happened to my little
girls?” she panted. “I saw the light,
and it is so late.” Then as she bebeld
the golden haired vision in pink and
the gay tree and Peter in his trim liv-
ery she gasped, “Why, 1 believe it is
fairies!” And she sat down very sud-
denly in Jessie's chair.
“You are the little mother,” said the
princess as she knelt beside her and
put her arms around her and told her
how she came to be there, and when
she had finished she said simoly, “And
I have wanted my own moiher so
much this Christmas, and the little
girls were so sweet that 1 knew I
should love you.”
“You poor little thing!” cried the lit-
tle mother to the tall princess, and the
beautiful lady put her head down on
the other's shabby shoulder and wept,
because in spite of her riches she bad
been very, very lonely in her big
house.
And after Peter had gone they talk.
ed until midnight of Jessie and Jenny,
and then they concocted great plans
about the pretty things that the little
mother was to make for the princess.
And in the morning Jessie and Jen-
ny, waking in the early dawn, saw
sitting on the footboard of the bed two
Teddy bears, one with a flaring pink
bow and one with a flaring blue bow,
and the Teddy bears held out thelr
arms sauclly and gazed at the happy
little girls with twinkling eyes.
“Oo-oh!” eried the little girls, who
had never seen a Teddy bear before.
And that was the beginning of the
most wonderful! day of their lives, for
ail day the tree went “tinkle, tinkle,”
as they foraged In its branches for
bonbons, And the chicken dinner was
a delicious success. And in the after-
noon they all took a ride in the prin-
cess’ sleigh, with Peter driving on the
box. and when at last he set them
down on their own humble doorstep
and lifted little Jessie in his arms the
princess smiled at them radiantly from
under her plumy hat.
“Remember, Peter will come for you
every Saturday, and you are to stay
at my house all day,” she said,
“Oh, yes!” Jenny sighed, with rap-
ture,
“And you are to come to my wed-
ding in the spring—all of you,” said
the princess gayly.
“And see the prince!” sald Jessie
over Peter's shoulder,
“And you are going to let me share
a third of your mother?”
“Yes, oh, yes!” from both of the lit-
tle girls.
“Then you shall share a third of Pe-
ter,” the princess called back as the
smiling coachman drove her away
through the glistening snow.
The Present Said “Papa!”
In station K, in New York city, a
young clerk who was sorting a sack
of Christmas mail was amazed to see
a package in the sack move. He car-
ried the sack to the sorting table and
duwaped out the contents. Something
suddenly exclaimed:
“Papa: Papa!"
The frightened clerk examined every
package carefully. In the one that
moved he found a live kitten packed
in a small bird cage. The kitten had a
pink bow of ribbon at its neck, and
attacked to the ribbon was a card bear-
ing the inscription:
“A Merry Christmas from Uncle
Jack.”
Further investigation brought forth
the fact that the cry “Papa!” came
from a doll with blond curls that call-
ed “Pana!” each time it was squeezed.
In moving the mail sack the postal
clerk had frightened the kitten in one
package and squeezed the mechanical
doll in the other package. He was
much relieved when he had unraveled
the double mystery,
Revised For Christmas.
“You say Jack writes he can't be here
With you on Christmas day?
Well, ‘Absence makes the heart grow
fonder,’
So the poets say.”
*“*Tis not Jack's absence. What care I
Because he can't be near?
It's absence of the presents
That I, of all, most fear.”
For sake of up to dateness now
We'll chunge this little rhyme.
“ "Tis presents make the heart grow fond.
est”
Just at Christmas time.
-—Walter Wellman.
Daddy's Christmas Dream.
That Christmas comes but once a year
Is rather sad for Willy,
And likewise limits much the cheer
Of Mabel, Maud and Milly,
For they would welcome ten or twelve
To shout around the shanty
And in their stockings deep to delve
For goodies left by Santy.
But once a year is quite enough
(Since buying’'s such a bother
When times are panicky and tough)
For these dear youngsters’ father—
In fact, poor daddy hopes the fates
Will cause (to get a cheap year)
fhe calendar to change its dates
And Christmas swap with leap year,
ROBERTUS LOVE.
Charming Away Tigers.
No woodcutter will go about his
task in the Indian forests unless he is
accompanied by a faker, who is sup-
posed to exercise power over tigers
and wild animals generally. Before
work is commenced the faker assem-
bles all the members of his party in a
clearance at the edge of the forest and
erects a number of huts, in which he
places images of certain deities. After
offerings have been presented to the
images the particular forest is declar-
ed to be free of tigers, and the wood-
cutters in virtue of the presents they
have made to the deities are supposed
to be under their special protection.
If after all these precautions a tiger
seizes one of the party the faker
speedily takes his departure without
waiting to offer superfluous explana-
tions.—Calcutta Statesman.
Not Mechanical.
A song and dance comedian was
working in a cheap vaudeville house
where a performance was given hour-
ly. The tired performer had made
nine appearances and bad fallen asleep
on his trunk when the manager poked
him in the ribs and said:
“Hey, you—wake up!
you to go on again.”
“Say,” retorted the performer, “I
can't go on again. What do you take
me for—a film ?"—Metropolitan Maga-
zive,
It's time for
His Preference.
Pompano—Why do you work so hard,
Bagley? You slave from morning un-
til night. Bagley—I know I do. 1
wish to get rich. 1 want to die worth
a million. Pompano—Well, there's no
accounting for tastes. Now, I would
much prefer to live worth half a mil-
lion.—Philadelphia Call.
A Limited “Forever.”
“What's the matter, Clara?’ asked a
father of his daughter.
“Ferdy and 1 have parted forever.”
“Um Iu that case | s'pose he won't
be calling for a couple of nights!”
His Delusion.
Howeli—1 had the nightmare last
night. [Poweli—That so? Howell—
Yes: | thought that | was being kicked
by the foot of the bed.—New York
ress.
Bellefonte Shoe
Emporium,
Y64081s Shoe dlore
Bellefonte, Pa.
PR ———
We are ready to show you
anything that you mav need
in the line of Shoes, Slippers,
Rubbers, or anything that
goes on the feet.
When you are doing your
Christmas Shopping remem-
ber you can always find just
what you are looking for at
BT ————
YEAGER’S SHOE STORE, .
successor to Yeager & Davis.
Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, PA.
A En ¥
Lyon & Co. Lvon & Co.
LYON & CO.
CHRISTMAS OPENING.
We are prepared for the early Christmas buyers.
We will make shopping casy for you. Come in
and see our large assortments. Here is just a
small list of the many things to select from:
FURS, FURS.
The largest assortment of Furs, Pillow Muffs,
Rug Muffs in black and colors to match. The
new shapes in the long pelerine and throw scarfs.
Prices the lowest; qualities the best.
SILK SCARFS.
Our assortment of Silk Hemstitched Scarfs is
the best ever shown in the town. All colors,
Black and white from soc. to $5.00.
PETTICOATS.
A handsome gift and appreciated by all women
A fine Silk Petticoat or a handsome Heather-
bloom Petticoat. Prices always the lowest.
SILKS, SILKS.
Silk Messaline and Silk Crepe De Chine. The
largest assortment of black and colored Silk and
Messaline suitable for waists, street and evening
gowns.
BLACK TAFFETA SILK.
SpeciaL—We just received a soft Taffeta Silk
{in black only). Suitable for dresses, skirts and
linings, 36 inches wide. Special price 85c per yd.
LINENS, LINENS.
Our assortment of Table Linens is better and
larger than you will see in any other store. See
our 2-yard-wide in the stripe and floral patterns.
Also have 23{ yard Satin Damask in the rose
stripe patterns. Napkins to match all table linen.
Linen Scarts, hemstitched and lace and inser-
tion trimmed, from 25c up.
Handsome Doilies, lace edge and drawn work
insertion.
HANDEERCHIEFS,
In Cotton, Linen and Silk, iniiial and plain, hemstitched, al-
white and colored border; fur men, wumen or children.
HOSIERY.
Hose in cotton, wool and lisie gauze, in bluck and all colors, to
fit the youngest or the oldest.
LACE COLLARS,
Lace Collars and Jabots in all styles from the ¢ up, in-
eluding the handsome baby frish Jubots and te Cora
LEATHER GOODS.
The latest styles in Leather Goods, Everything new in Chate
Iafne Bags and Pocket Books. 8
Big reductions in all Ladies’ and Misses' Coats and Coat Suits
and Children's Coats. Come into our store and we will save you
money and help you do your Christmas buying with little worry.
LYON & COMPANY,
17-12 Allegheny St., Bellefonte, Pa.