THE COLUMBIAN, HOLIDAY EDITION.
CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Hownnnt Hnfuinnnl
T tuition, honr thn ntorj
Todnjr ye art) rrrirrmod.
Wiulo hniri with Chrlrt In (jloryl
. Bring out the nllcnt hnrps
And tunn thorn all nnrw,
Then ring till luwln ntflnd amacod
A Bavlour'a born to you.
Howinna I Homnna I
Twaa nhi'phi'nln told tho utory
The Mnr hud led tho way
To a manger filled with glory.
King out, ye Chrlntmns Ih UhI
Denth'a powor hath pnmi il away,
And hiavrn rlnga with this glad theme
Han la rodnrmod toduy.
Homnnal nMinnnl
Lint hnavvn and Perth ripwU.
Join arraphlm and cherub
In hnmago at hla foo.
Iet aong of aarlng grace,
With angRl'a nnthnm Tin,
For unto God the awrwtoKt aound
b a redeemed ono'a cry.
Bring roaea, awcot roaeal
For unto you la given
A ranaom from tho grare,
A paaport into heaven.
Swing wide, ye pearly gatnal
Let anthrma have full away.
The King of Glory left hi throne
fpon that I'hrlMmaa day.
William E. Hhetnuld In Brooklyn Eagle.
UNDER THE
SOUTHERN CROSS.
It wna about 4 o'clock on Christmiti
to and buHiuena was ovur as I closed
iny desk find roso witli a weary yawn.
Thore wan little iu my gurroutidiuga to
remind mo of the day, no frost on tho
windows, no snow on the ground out
side and no sharp bracing cold in tho
air. Tho windows were as wide open as
they could be, and the steady swinging
of the "pnnkah" overhead was all that
kept the room from being stiftinglj hot
and close, for the office was situated
somewhere about latitude 14 north, iu
the faraway Philippine islands, whero
the great, beautiful flowers have no per
fume and tho wonderful birds ncvor
sing, whore the southern cross glitters
rjver the land at night and the great i
dipper is upside down and the sun sets ;
within two niinntos of a quarter after 8
all the year around.
So I had before mo about two hours
and a half of dnylight, and I was try
ing to decido whether to utilize it by
riding out to tho tennis club and hav
ing afternoon tea, or walking to tho
park to hear the band play and see the
Spanish dignitaries. The native clerks
in tho outer room had dusted up and
now came gliding iu with bare, splay
toed feet, like black headed ghosts in
their whito clothes, to bid mo "bucuaa
nochos" and a happy Christmas, and in
cidentally to receive each his holiday
gift of one or perhaps five big silver dol
lars, according to his station, from Joso,
the half breod chief clurk, who on tho
strength of his dignity and of his speak
ing a little English kept his shirt tuck
ed insido his trousers and wore embroid
ered sandals, down to little Kito, tho
errand boy, hardly more titan a savage
of the wilderness. They had tho
"Christmas feeliug" anyway, aud asso
ciated it with tho mercury's ranging
from 80 to 105 degrees, as we NewEng
londcrs do its rambling from eero to
freezing.
The last "muchas gracilis, senor,"
had been said, and the Ust clerk glided
out, and tho gray headed old "punkah
fwilv" wfla firnnlrVillv wnrchinor to son
mo tako up my jacket, the signal for j
his departure, when too tramping or
unmistakable and evidently stout boots
sounded without, and with a prodigious
crash of the screen door there entered
into my sanctum stalwart Captain Halo
of tho good ship Mouhcgan, arrayed in
snowv linen and crowned with a broad
"pith Iiolmet, accouipaniod by stout and j
jolly Mrs. Halo, carrying a big basket
and a brown gingham umbrella, with
her cheerful face beaming from tho
dopthg of a real old fashioned sunbonnct j
, "Good evening, Bir," thoy both call
ed out, uud Mra Hale addod: "Wish
you a merry Christmas, Mr. B. My,
ain't it hot!" subsiding into tho bam
boo chair which I had plaoed for her
under the punkah, with a "pica, horn
bre" (faster, man), to old Pedro, the
cooly, who rodoubled his efforts with a
disapproving grunt.
"Good gracious, Mr. B.," exclaimed
Mrs. Halo, "don't, for pity's sake, mako
that poor old feller work so this hot day
on my 'count Stop it, " shaking her um
brella vigorously at Pedro, who took
this for a signal to go faster still, and
tho big fan flapping madly back and
forth till I called, "Dospocio" (gently).
The Monhogan had been in tho bay
for a month past under charter to mo
far Boston, and was now cleared and
ready to sail the next day. I had spent
many a pleusaut hour on board with the
captain and his wife, rejoicing in the
homelike feeling it gave me to hoar
their good old Yankee f onus of speech.
The very sight of their healthy faces,
hrownod by the sun in many seas, .did
me good in my weary exilo, and their
presence seemed to diffuso an atmos
phere of the breezy pines and wind
swept shores of Maine. And how good
their primitive-, shipboard food was aft
er months of awful Spanish cooked din
ners on shore I
And now the scind of thoir hearty
voices seemed to give tho earthquako
rent, dingy walls of the old ofllco build
ing a pleasauter aspoct. "You soo, Mr.
B.," said the captain, "we kindor
thought we'd drop in and give yo tho
food wishes of the season 'fore goin
round to do our Christmasin. Fact is,"
he added, smiling, "the old lady can't
got on without celebratin Christmas,
no matter where she is, and she's al
ways bound to give some presents to
folks. If we're at sea, she gives tern to
my crew, and if wo're iu port like this
she hunts up poor folks and gives Vm
to 'em, heathens and all. Ain't that so,
mother?"
Mrs. Hale nodded. "That's a fai t,
lather," sho eaid. "Why, 'twouldu't
seem the least mito like Christmas if I
couldn't give presents, whether I be
home iu Boothbay or uot. As for hea
thens, that don't make a bit of differ
euro. It's Christum jest the sauio,
whethur thry know it or not, and it
tickles 'em jest as much to get presents,
and iiw to Rive 'em. And you're jest
tho same, John. You know yon be. "
"Well, 1 don't know but what I bo,
Marin," ncl ;iow lodged the eaptnin, and
they went on to tell of their queer ex
periences while "Christmnnln" in out of
tlio way Chinese and African ports with
rhneklos and peals of laughter that net
Pedro grinning by forco of example,
thougli ho couldn't understand a word.
"And speakin of that, Mr. B.," said
Mrs. Halo, "I thought maybe I could
mako it a littlo moro liko Christmas to
you and thorn other yonng men hero
away from their own folks, so I made
you this. " And with that sho oxtractod
from her basket tho very grandfather of
all Christmas plum puddings the first
one I had soen for threo years. "Maybe
'tain't jest what you'd get at homo,"
she said, holding it out with both hands
while tho captain towered beside her,
six foct of genuine delight at my sur
prise, " 'causo I didn't have just tho
right flxin's, but I guess it'll go down
pretty well. There, tako it and don't
bother to say one word." And I knew
the kind old soul saw that for tho mo
ment I could as easily have flown as
uttered tho thanks I felt
"Trust the old lady to know what
boys like," said the enptain. "We had
a boy once ourselves. Ilu'd be jest almut
your age now," he added in slower
tone, glancing at his wife.
"We've got him now, John, as I've
always said and alwoys will," said
Mrs. Hale quiotly, rearranging her bas
ket The captain went on in answer to my
wondering look: "You see, our boy run
off when ho wa'n't more'n 15. He'd
been kind of wild, as boys be, and I'm
afraid I was a little harsh to him Any
way he went off without a word, aud
we ain't never heard of him since. I
feel pretty sure no's dead, but mother
horo sticks to it hq ain't "
"And I'm goin to stick to it, John,
till I know for sure " And then with a
cheery smile at me: "It kind of does mo
good to koep lookin forward to Beein
Rufo again someday. Now, como along,
John ; it's gettin late. "
I slipped on my jacket, whereupon
Pedro vanished, and nccompnuied thn
worthy couple down to tho door of tlio
building. Or the stairs Mrs. ITalo turn
ed and whispered tome: "John talks
ns if he didrt t care much about Rufc's
goin off, but now he really does, Mr.
B. If he could find our boy, 'twould
tako ten years off his age and mine too. "
I did not doubt it, and I refrained
from saying that I thought it would
probably add ten years to Rufu's if lie
could realize tho sort of mother and fa
ther he had left so many years ago.
So I budo them good night, promising
to seo them in tho morning and with
hearty thanks for their thoughtful kind
ness, and watched them ns they trudged
away toward tho nativo quarters, their
sturdy figures towering above tho mot
ley crowd of natives and Chinozucu
who thronged tho narrow street and
filled the air with their uncouth gabblo.
I sent my groom homo with the pre
cious pudding, and, mounting my pony,
threaded my way around to the English
club. There I found MoQrcgor, the old
Scotch doctor, standing iu the doorway
and amusing himself by tossing coppers
one at a time to a crowd of lame, halt
and blind beggars, who as each coin fell
instantly becamo an appalling tanglo of
skinny arms and legs.
"Hello!" said he as I drew up. "I
was just coming round after you. "Su
lu!" (got away) to tho beggars, who
woro plucking at various portions of his
raiment, and, liko metamorphosed Oli
ver Twists, askiug for more. "Aron't
you acting American consul just now?"
he inquired.
Dui'lug tho temporary absence of the
consul I had undertaken his not very
arduous duties, boing tho only other
American resident in the plaoe.
"Woll," continued the "medico,"
"I have a fellow countryman of yours
very bad with fuvor down in Malacanan
(native quarter), a suilorman, only just
out of tho Spanish jail for thumping a
guardia (policeman) last year. I have
my doubts of his lasting long, and you'd
better come down if you will."
Of course I would como, consul or
not In these hidden corners of tho
world any one in trouble, vagabond
sailor, "beachcomber" or unlucky clerk
out of employment, is as sure of help
from more fortunate fellow countrymen
as if ho were in his native laud surer
perhaps, unless he happen to be a Chi
naman, in which caso his friends lot
him die unmolested and then pay tho
expenses of burying him iu China, a
backhanded sort of philanthropy, vory
characteristic in John Chinaman.
So tho doctor jumped into a publio
carriago and rattled away toward Ma
lacanan, whllo I followed on my pony,
leaving the beggars to philosophically
squat down around the club doorway
and resume their everlasting wail of
"Charity, for love of heavon, charity I"
Poor old McGregor's story was a sad
one. Long years beforo, as a young man,
he had come to tho Philippines on a
pleasure trip with his wife, aud hero
she died suddenly of cholera, that ter
riblo scourgo of the east, which then was
claiming its victims by thousands, and
for 20 years tlio doctor had never left
the island where she lay, nmoug the
tall palms in the little English cometery
on Santa Ana hill. But many others
had reason to bless tho cause that kept
Dr. MoGregor among them. From the
proudest Spanish official in his pnlaue
to the humblest savage in his bamboo
but the doctor's timo and skill were al
ways at their sorvico. And many a
youngster fresh , from home had boon
saved from going wrong in that land of
wild and lawless life by his kindly
words of counsol and advice.
We stopped at last before a miserable
hut on tho outskirts of tho town, and
giving tho pony in clmrgo of a r;;s-sill
e . . , i n. ,1 .ti,r lii. The in-
i native i wiwtu mo ....
' .torior was dark aud comparatively cooL
An old native woman, like a grotesque
I inns was squatting on tlx bamboo
floor beside a heap of "nia" leaves
and pieties of matting, on which lay a
white man, tossing, turning and bab
bling with delirium, in tho full grip of
tho jungle fever a young man evident
ly, his rmco powerful frame, fearfully
reduced I r illness and confinement, cov
ered by the ntftged and grimy shirt and
trousers of a sailor. I to. became quloter
as McGregor raised his head and drank
the medicine given him, but began mut
tering ngaiu as tho doctor laid him
down.
"Ho was a woo bit moro rational this
afternoon," said McGregor, "and told
mo a bit of his story, but he couldn't
or wouldn't tell his uamo. I found him
just outsido on tho grass and brought
him in hero for want of a better place. "
"Was thoro nothing in his pockots?"
I asked.
"Nought but thoso," showing a few
centimes, ot which tho old woman
glared greedily. "Ho may como to his
senses a bit soot). Ye'd better ' bide
awhilo."
"Is he past hope, Mac?" I asked.
"Can't we do anything take him to a
better house, I mean?"
Tho doctor shook his head. "If wo
could get him up north now, I'd Bay
he'd get well with the constitution ho
has. It's tho heat of the place that keeps
him down. The poor lad's made like
ono of our ain collio dogs strong and
well in the cold, but when taken by fe
ver in this climate whishl burns up
liko gunpowder."
It was terrible to soe ono of my owu
raco dying thus in the lowest degrada
tion, liko a wretched savage, nursed by
an ignorant old barbarian only for tlio
Bake of the money she knew wo would
give her, more terriblo as timo went on,
and tho poor parched lips never ceased
their childish, unintelligible chatter.
Oh, for a bit of ice or anything to cool
that burniug forehead ! But nothing is
cool there, nothing but death.
So we sat in silence, I with my hel
met fanning tho flushed face, so drawn
and haggard, which must have beeu
strong and handsome in health, and the
doctor ever and anon raised the heavy
head with the gentleness of a woman
and gavo luediciuo, while tho old hag
crouched in a corner and mumbled to
herself, wondering if when the man was
dead sho would get a whole silver pe
so or not Outsido tho brown people
chattered and laughed in their freedom
from euro, now and then peering in with
curious faces and running away with
fresh shouts. Their turn might como
next, but littlo they cared. The present
was theirs for 'enjoyment of Ufa Never
mind tomorrow.
Suddenly tho tnmult scorned to in
crease and concentrate farther down the
road. Then it began to approach, the
screams and happy laughter of children
mingled with tho clearer tones of a for
eigner's tongue, uud us tho crowd reach
ed tho hut I suddenly heard a familiar
voice saying: "There, littlo boy, don't
you be so greedy. Let that littlo girl
have some. Ain't it nice, John, to see
how they enjoy it?"
McGregor looked up iu wonder, and
I roso and wont to tho door. There I
found Captain Halo and his wife, sur
rounded by a perfect horde of delighted
children, he tossing coppers about from
a canvas bag and sho distributing can
dy, penny whistles and numerous odds
and ends from her huge basket, both
their faces perfect pictures of the honest
pleasure which changed to such pro
found amazement at the sight of me
that for a moment a combined assault
by the nativo infantry on their basis of
supplies was almost successful, only
prevented by a vigorous use of the cap
tain's bamboo stick and Mrs. Halo's
gingham umbrella.
I started to explain why I was there,
but before I finished Mrs. Hale, with an
exclamation of, "Why, the poor fel
low!" gave her basket a whirl which
sent its contents flying iu every direc
tion, thereby creating a scene of riot
which those peaceful tropic shades had
never witnessed the like of, and then
trotted straight into the hut, followed
by her husband, who bent his tall form
nearly double to cntor the door.
Tho doctor roso aud bowed with oour
tesy of 50 years ago as the mothorly old
lady bent down by the sufferer's side,
crying: "Oh, the poor, poor follow I
Just see him, John!"
I moved in from tho doorway, and
tho light of the sotting sun fell on the
invalid's face, and suddenly a cry went
up that rang through tho tiny hovel
and far above the noisy clamor outside
a cry from the depths of a mother's
heart: "John! Father! It's our Rufe,
our own boy I Oh, Rufy, Rufy, after all
theso years I"
Step out softly, kind old doctor.
Como with me and watch the suu go
ing dowu in nil its tropical glory be
hind tho great volcanio range, if you
can seo it, for I cannot It is all a blur
to me. But I cu see this a noble ship
at anchor in the bay with all sails bent,
ready to sail tomorrow and bear away
from this burning laud one fovor strick
en to the cool breezes of the open sea
and suro recovery under his owu moth
er's core.
And hark to the bells of vespers this
Christmas eve as they ring the warning
from church and gray cathedral, of the
glorious word thoy will toll tomorrow
to men of evory faith and creed, "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men !" Charles
Bryant Howard in Short Stories.
Where the Earth la Dead.
tlow cheerless I the wind that iwoeps
The lull o( Uiililoo,
Where, muruiurlusi, the Jordan oroopa
iJown to tlio diop Dead aonl
O'er barren rocks the dead vines trail
And by dead tendrils cling,
And on tho hill mid in the vale
There Is no breath of spring.
Tho dying glance of Christ the King
Buoins to have stuid and stilled
The voioe of every living thing
Where Cbriut the King was hilled.
The brooks, the birds that sing with them,
Uave long since iiussed away,
And all about Jorusalom ,
Tho earth Is duud toduy.
Cy Wunuan In Kew York Bun,
V 'V -
I. B. BOH
Serving your dessert marks the.
climax of your Christmas dinner
Every thing; is here like the cour
ses of an epicure's dinner, and the
only course to take is to choose
your
Christmas
. . . Gifts
from a stock as bewitchingly pre
sentable as ours. The climax of
elegance is seen in our display of
Diamonds,
Watches, Jewelry
and Sterling
Silver Novelties
which reaches the apex of attract
iveness and is unrivalled in the
county.
-FOR-
MEN, BOYS AND CHILDREN
Gloves, lined and unlined, kid, knit and
leather, 24c, 48c, $1.00 $1.25.
Plush caps, and all other kinds, 25, 50, 75,
$1.00, $1.50.
Silk handkerchiefs, with or without initial,
1 5, 25 and 50c.
Beautiful holiday neckwear, 25 and 50c.
Cuff buttons, studs, &c, 25, 50, 75 and $1.00.
Silk umbrellas and canes, 98c. to $3.50.
Sweaters, all colors and kinds, 50c. to $3.00.
Golf hose, 50c. to $1.25.
Night robes, 50 and 75c.
Holiday shapes, stiff and soft hats, $1 and $2.
Telescopes, suit cases and cabin bags, 50c. to
$6.00.
Trunks, (one big room filled with them,) $1.98
to $10.00.
Cardigan jackets, 75c. to $3.00.
Smoking jackets, house coats, and bathrobes,
to your order in two day's time, $3.48 to $12.
-BEAUTIFUL NOVELTIES IN-
Children's Suits and .Reefers,
and all Overcoats, Suits and Trousers for men and boys
At Ridiculously Low Prices, to bring the Trade to .
HLOOSISRURG'S BEST CLOTHING STORK,
Next to
Central Hotel.
0, LOWEM
GROCERIES GROCERIES
EXTRAVAGANCE
May lie in paying too much tor a thing, or
paying too little. If you buy groceries for less
than we ask you'll not get as good quality; -that's
poor economy. If you pay more
YOU PAY TOO MUCH,
because we sell the best there is. The same rule
applies to our stock of Canned Goods, and Christ
mas Toys.
LARGE STOCK OF HOLLY WREATHS AND
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.
J. D ARMSTRONG,
FOOT OF NORMAL HILL.
MAIN STREET
of FINE MFOKfE mi OMESMC
CLOTH.
o a a
750 different kinds to select from, of Clothing made
to Order.
PRICES SAME AS READY MADE.
$8 Suits, $2.75 Trousers, $8 Overcoats, and upwards.
These are prices made in order to lessen amount
of stock of cloth. Skilled Tailoring and a
erfect Fit Guaranteed.
T1AIER,
J
Artistic Tailor, Clothier, Hatter and Furnisher.