16 m : sS^ LL * 4f > U H lIK stars were )\j~) H bright, the air Vf Ka was crisp, when I from hls ann ' ,e t■«. Good Deacon Jones ftp walked down the road, a basket on his arm. "While or hw shoulder carelessly a cedar bush he liore, And thus equipped he made his way to Widow Nelson's door. "I've come," he said, "—thank you, no chair, It's gettin' pretty late— To bring a little truck to help the chil dren celebrate; For Christmas comes but once a year, and somethin' should be done To make tor every livin' child the day a happy one. *An' lately I've been thinkln', an' the thought has come to me. When Christmas should come round again how things down here might be; Of course, I don't pretend to say that you can't do enough, An' still I felt I'd like to just bring down this little stuff. "'So here's a pair o' skates for John, a doll for Mary Jane; For toddlin' Tim. to help him walk, a big striped candy cane; Here's nuts an' raisins, pictur' books, an' 1 can't tell the rest, But take 'em all and tlx 'em up Just as to you seems best. "An' thin to make the Christmas day seem like It used to be, Along here with this other truck I've brought a Christmas tree; The child ran had one every year, for which their father planned. But now he's gone—an' they're so young they might not understand. "For Santa Claus is real to them, an' they don't know that we Provide the toys an' other things that load the Christmas tree: To them the reindeer team is real that speeds from town to town. An' re;|l the fairy saint wlfo climbs the chimneys up an' down. "An' that's the reason why I've come; my gifts is nothin' great, But just a little truck to help the chil dren celebrate; Tut, tut, no thanks, don't mention it, nor tell 'em it.was me, But lot 'em think 'twas Santa Claus that brought the Christmas tree." G. IS. Torrey, In Springfield (Mass.) Re publican. M R GENNISTERS ISI I you a pleas jfyJ ant journey," .Mr. Cienni.--ter, and a merry Christmas!" Mr. Gennister turned slowly toward his new clerk—a fair, sunny-faced young fellow —-with a cold and stony stare. "I do not expect to have a l>li' usant journey," he said. "And 1 «io not believe in Christmas." Young Mortimer, the new clerk, looked blankly at his employer and «aid no more. When the door closed behind Mr. Gennister's departing fig ure, Tom, the oilice boy, laughed. "Say, Mr. Mortimer, when you've been with him as long a.s 1 have, you won't be wishing him a pleasant journey— or a merry Christmas, either!" "I'll wish him both!" young Morti mer said, sturdily. "And I hope he'll have a merry Christinas, in spite of himself." Mr. Gennister's journey from the city to the .suburbs of that small New England town was no more pleasant than he had foreseen. It was a long anil tiresome journey, followed by a cold drive through the darkness, for it was nearly eight o'clock before he reached the lonely, old-fashioned house which once had been his home. For some reason, Mr. Gennister had never cared to part with this house, whieli through the entire year was left in charge of an old servant, who kept it always ready for his immedi ate return, though every year he went back to it for shorter periods and at longer intervals, lint lie had chosen to come to it now on the night before Christinas, to get away from the annoyance of the holiday fuss and the air of general festivity which he disliked so much, and which for fconie days would pervade the entire city. It was a nuisance, a foolishness, an interruption to business, und he would have none of it! And the soon er that Young Mortimer learned his opinions about such tilings, the bet ter! As Mr. Gennister approached his old home he noted with satisfaction the Dare on the window panes, which told of a blazing log fire in his particular den. Hut liis satisfaction wnsiflarred when he was greeted in the hallway by liis old servant, all cloaked and bonnetted and with a tearful face. "How are ye, Mr. Gennister, it's well ye. are lookin', sir. IJut to think of yer havin' come home just when me duty is eallin' me two ways I don't know' what ye'll say to me, sir,—but ine daughter over to Westley has been took ill suddintly an' Loin has drove over t,o fetch ine, an' is waitin'at the back door this minute, sir—sol must be goin' at once. I've set out yer sup per, sir, an' yer breakfast, too—all but the coffee—if ye'll just be good enough to make that for yerself? An' me niece, Ellen, will be over in the niornin', sir, for I've sent her a postcard in the mail, an' she'll take care of ye an' the house, sir, till I re turn." "Very well, then, go," said Mr. Gen nister. "I'll get along. Well, what else is the matter, Jane?" a.s lie saw the tearful wofnan was not yet ready to depart. "I'm very sorry, sir, but there's the bye! I wouldn't a hud it happen for n good deal, for ye don't like childer, I know. Jiut yer telegraph was de la veil, an' I didn't know ye was coiniu' till—with all I had to do to git ready for ye, sir, it was too late to git the bye home. An' ye'd never a knowed that he was here, sir, if I hadn't been called so snddent away. An' 1 can't take him along wid me, sir, for over to West ley all the childers is dowi with the measles—" "Who and what is he?" Mr. Gennis ter demanded, sternly. "Me son John's littlest bye, sir, go in' on four year old—an' come over afore I knowed ye was coinin' home, to spind Christinas day wid his granny. An', poor little soul, I've been that hurried an' upset that I've niver a thing to putin his stockin'— which he'll break his heart over in "OH, SANTA CLAUS, FILL UP MY "POCKING." the morniiv whin lie wakes up an' finds it inipty!" "Stop rambling 1 and It'll ine what you expect me "to do," Mr. Gennister said, grimly. "Nothin' in the world, sir, for he's abed an' asleep, till in the mornin' he wakes an' finds stoekiu' impty an' bis granny gone! Then he may cry a bit, but not for long, lie can dress hisself—he's a smart little bye —an' if ye'll give him jist a bite of bread an' sup o' milk, he'll be all right till Ellen gits over, an' then she'll know what to do, an' ye'll niver dream, sir, there's a little bye iu yer house. An' I humbly hope, .sir, ye'll pardon me, an*—" "Yes, yes, good-night," said Mr. Gennister, impatiently, cutting her short and turning on his heel. lie went up to his room to remove the stains of travel. And before he came down again lie had heard the back door shut and a wagon drive away, and he knew he was alone in his house—alone, with the exception of a strange child 1 Certainly Mr. Gennister was much annoyed, yet lie was just enough to see that Jane was really not to blame. She could no .more have foreseen be ing called away by her daughter's sudden illness than that he would telegraph her at the last moment be fore starting, instead of on the day before, as hitherto he had done. He put on his comfortable lounging robe and went downstairs to find a bountiful stipper spread out on a neat table before the open fire. Short as her time had been ,la.ne had provided amply for his comfort. She had not neglected one thing which she knew he liked, although she had found no time to run to the village store for a top for her grandchild's stocking! By the way, where was the boy? It might be as well to know in what part of the house he was sleeping in case anything should happen iii the night. So when Mr. Gennister had finished his supper he arose, a feeling of an noyance again coming over him, and because the back part of the house was usually cold, he put on a cap be fore he took up the lamp and started upon his quest. lie had poked his head into three empty bedrooms before he came to Jane's, in the middle of whose ample featherbed a wee figure was curled up, fast asleep. At the bed's fuot a limp little stocking hung empty and forlorn. While Mr. Gennister was looking at it the little figure squirmed and sud denly sat up. Two little fists rubbed open two sleepy eyes and then the small boy crept rapidly on all fours to the foot of the bed and felt the stocking —empty! There was a surprised and pitiful quiver on the lip. Then the child raised his head and caught sight of Mr. Gennister's short, stout figure, clad in long lounging robe and cap, and the boy no longer felt either grief or doubt. "O Santa Glaus, fill up my 'toek ing!" lie cried, tossing up his arms. I "Willie been g'ood boy!" Instantly—for some unknown rea son—Mr. Gennister blew out the lamp. The silence was broken by a sleepy chuckle from the bed as the child snuggled back among the warm .coverings. Then there was a mixed up murmur of "Santa Claus— 'locking —good boy," followed by a contented, sleepy sigh, after which, with noise less step, Mr. Gennister withdrew. Back again in his warm sitting room he sat staring- at the fire, lit— lie of all men on earth—had been mis taken for Santa Clans! He laughed grimly—it was so strange a jolor! Queer that even a child could believe such nonsense. What fools grown people were to teach them such rub bish—or to countenance it! How many children would be disappointed i in the morning, how many heartaches CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1901. would be caused by that ridiculous myth—that cruel deceit of "Santa Claus." Now, there was that little chap upstairs— And Mr. Gennister felt sorry, felt positively uncomfortable as he thought of the bitter grief which would come to that child on liis awakening. At last he got up and put on his coat and overcoat. It was not a long walk to the village and he felt, since lie had given Jane such short notice of his coming, that lie owed it to her to get a few toys for it/e youngster who was really in no way to blame for being there. Hut Mr. Gennister did wish that Jane had been less consci entious and had attended to providing for the little chap's Christmas even if she had been obliged to leave those fragrant mince pies unmade! lie strode rapidly along and soon reached the small block of gayly-light ed shops, But he had not expected to find so great a crowd of shoppers and for a moment lie was inclined to turn about and go back empty -handed—as lie had coine. Then lie thought of the child's delight when he—Joel Gennis ter—had been so absurdly mistaken for Santa Claus, and he went in. Mr. Gennister submitted to the push ing and hustling of the holiday-hu mored crowd until he had succeeded in buying a Noah's ark, a box of ten-pins and a flag. Then to add to his discom fort the sudden thought came to him —suppose the child had awakened and was screaming himself into tits? or suppose a spark from the blazing logs should set (ire to the house? There upon he made his way out and hurried home, feeling much relieved when he had let himself in and found all as quiet and as safe as when he had gone out, an hour before. And now he really had to do the work of Santa Claus. Again- lie visit ed Jane's room, and having possessed himself of the little li in p stocking, he returned to the fireside to till it, when he discovered that •even now he had nothing suitable to putin! It was ab surd! What sort of things did they put into stockings, anyway! So he thrust in the flag, with its stick extending far up in the air, and he poked Noah and some other of the ark's inhabitants into that seemingly bottomless abyss, and then he took back the still limp stocking to itsliang ing place, put the ark and box of ten pins near it on the foot of the big bed, after which Mr. Gennister himself re tired. When he awakened next morning Mr. Gennister heard vague sounds of unmistakable delight, and presently when he went over and looked in at the door of Jane's room he saw a com ical sight. A very small boy in a flannel night "Johnnies." surrounded by Noah, his family and all his animals, was vain ly trying* to stand on his head—pre sumably for joy! But when he saw Mr. Gennister he regained an upright position. "Gamma?" lie said, inquiringly. "Your grandma's gone away, but it's all right. I'll look out for you till El len comes. You know Ellen?" The boy stared hard. "Who is 00?" lie said at last. "I'm Mr. Gennister—t his is my house. Say, can you dress yourself? Well, then, get dressed and I'll give you some breakfast." The boy jumped up and down. "Mit ter Dennitter, Mitti r Dennitter, Santa Claus bringed Willie all dese!" "Yes, 1 see. Ilurry, now; get your clothes on and come downstairs." Hut the child was too wildly excited to be able to dress himself that day— and Mr. Gennister actually had to play the nurse! Afterward Mr. Gennister played cook and made the coffee. Then the two breakfasted together with Noah and his wife, for guests, standing between theni 011 the table. But it was after breakfast that the fun really began. Evidently Willie had never seen tenpins before, so Mr. Gennister set tin 111 up and showed him how to play with them. And Wil lie enjoyed the companionship so much that after that lie would not play alone with anything! As long as Mr. Gennister sat on the floor and rolled the balls, Willie would fetch and carry and set up the pins and chatter in perfect delight, lint when Mr. Gennister drew his chair up by the fire and tried to read, Willie in sisted upon climbing on his knee and putting his chubby face between the reader's eyes and the printed page. Commands and persuasions were of no avail, and at last Mr. Gennister gave in and went back to his place upon the floor, and so it was that Ellen found them. She was amazed, of ccurse, and agliast that Mr. Gennister should have been so bothered by "the bye." And she immediately carried tlie child away to her own domain—the kitchen. But Willie had no mind to give up his new found playmate, and watching his op portunity he slipped away from Ellen and reappeared at "Mitter Demit ter's" side. Mr. Gennister put down his book and looked with some amusement at the persistent child. But Ellen had missed him, and quickly arrived upoa the scene, whereupon Willie set up • howl and clung; to Mr. Gennister with all his force. "There, there—leave him with me, Ellen. He'll be good in here, and you go get the dinner," said the master. And the maid departed,marveling. Oh, but Willie had a time that day, and Mr. Gennister imd some good exercise—and some new sensations, too! They dined together as they had breakfasted, with Noah and his family. And then, after Ellen had everything washed up and put away, she appeared, all cloaked and ready to take Master Willie home. It was difficult to persuade him to "be good bye" and go; he evidently was well content to stay where he was. Hut finally the idea of showing all the beautiful toys which Santa Claus had brought him, to "monimer, popper an' the chiller" prevailed, and Willie con sented reluctantly to have them packed up and to go. "Goo'-by, Mitter Dennitter; Willie come soon aden!" was his shrill fare well. Then silence settled on the bach elor's home, and with a sigh of relief Mr. Gennister picked up his book and settled himself before the fire. But somehow he could not fix his mind on what he read, and his eyes would wander from the printed page. "Hello! there's poor old Noah or one of his family! 1 wonder if you feel lonely, too?" he said as he picked up the forlorn little figure and set it be fore him on the mantelpiece. "Welcome back, Mr. Gennister, and I hope you've had a merry Christmas!" was young Mortimer's greeting to his employer upon Mr. Gennister's re turn. Tom, the office boy, laughed silently and looked up to see young Mortimer "annihilated;" but to his amazement Mr. Gennister. after his first habitual frown, smiled and actually seemed amused. "Well, most unexpectedly, I did have, rather!" was the enigmatical reply. Later in the day lie said to young Mortimer: "You have children in your family, 1 imagine?" Young Mortimer laughed. "Well, sir, there are nine of us, and I'm the eldest of the lot!" * "Ah," Mr. Gennister said, thought fully. "that explains it. That makes the difference. I see now why you think so much of Christmas. I never had brother or sister—T grew up with out having any young companions. And 1 see now that I have missed some thing out of my life." —Judith Spen cer, in Springfield (Mass.) llepub lican. JOY OF CHRISTMAS. Spirit That ArraiKjinnieii Ilie I.lttle <aift* Tluit llringr <■ In<l im>m« to the Heart. A good part of the joy of Christ mas consists in the thought fulness and self-sacrifice that go into the preparation of the gifts for that hap py day. If you could look into hun dreds of thousands of homes this week you would see fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters planning how to make the gifts that will gladden the hearts of those dear to them, says the Boston Watchman. More often than not the expendi tures that parents make for these purposes involve self-denial on their part. They have to give up some thing they would like to have in or der to make the children happy. And how the little ones who have man aged to save a trifle during the year calculate upon spending it to the best advantage. "Oh, dear!" they often think to themselves, "how many presents I should like to make, but how hard it is to make the dol lar go around." Some of the gifts, however, that bring the utmost glad ness to a parent's heart are the little things wrought with love by the hands of the children—the book mark, or the crochet work, that the girls work on in secret, or the tool box or shelf that the boys make hi their spare moments. Such gifts fre quently have a quality that- the most costly presents lack. The aroma of some gifts cannot be bought with gold. [Published by Permission of Judge, New York.l A TRAP FOH ST. MCIC, 'i nf Young Mechanic—"Yer see, it's a tr;ip. li jes' fits our chimbly, an' Sandy Clans kin git down allriglit; but when he climbs back he can't git out, an' 1 gits all his pack." Ili« Siberian Hivcr. The Irtish river, in Siberia, is 2,20( miles in length, and draius 000,000 miles of territory. |BETHLEHEM Words by FRANK. B. WELCH, Author of "An Easter Anthem," Etc. Music by PAUL P. ARMSTRONG, Composer of "Salvation,** "Light of MyLife,** Ltc. HI > Rffigioao li. _ ' »»re thy walls And swe*t thy sa cre-1 name; Froin Great i» thy §flo - ry, wide thy fame, Thy name's In all tho earth. To Joy to the world from thee han come - None greater »• <f was known-- It thy rude stall to *av e the world The Great Be - deem er - eame On sin - - ful man it* light cut Found Pro claim* a Sa - viour'a birth; Each lilt* from hlii the nor row - lug ( lone to Jo - ho - vuli'h throne; In all thy hills in gio - ry beam*d The bright and morn ing star And ro - - cess of thy hal - low'd hills Each nook thy ro. ks a - m<>nff, <»iv« s pence a-bides each mor - tal hero Whose lips a - tune thy palso. West \ ay ' C zk 4_L y ~ to in gates ..ii bend • «<l knee Came sages from a far. hack to us mi cell - .. of A res . c ued s .n - net's hoii*. c ,t y —of the ba - vlours birth Thy name we love ul - ways. J Jy. J 1 J 1 * j j O Beth - l«? hem! O Beth -le - hem! HlcHt be thy sa-cred name; —— Froii A. thy rude stall to save tho world Tho Great He - deem -er came. Some Memorable Christmas Seasons in American History . —!,!<■ ■■■lW ■ ■— ■«■■!■! IiWMB I I'm , ■ !■ Mil | I Ml I I ' tHRISTMAS, the birthday of the Prince of Peace, has, in many ways, been a remark able day in American liis -1 tory. Not that it has been a day remarkable for its history-making events, for almost any other holiday of the year would proba bly show a greater number of impor tant happenings to take them through out the historical period of the Ameri can colonies and the American nation, but the historical events of Christmas have helped to make the peace history rather than the war history of our country. In our hundred and a quarter years of existence as a nation we have had our full share of war, but through out all of our wars we have fought scarcely one battle, that might be called an important engagement, upon Christmas day. Of the few Christmas day battles the most important one was the bombardment of Wilmington, S. C., by tlie combined forces of Ad miral Porter and Gen. Butler, on De cember 24 and 25, 18G4. In that battle the attacking force was repulsed. Beginning away back in the early colonial days and following the his tory of the day down to recent years we liutl many incidents that mark- Christmas as a day of peace, a day cele brated by the American people in keep ing with the life and work of Him for whom it is kept, and whose birth it commemorates. The Pilgrims at Plymouth did not land on Christinas day, but four days before Christmas, in order that they might better keep the holy festival and give thanks upon that appropriate occasion for their arrival in the new land to which they had come. They were a peace-seeking people; they had crossed the ocean in quest of peace, and it was at the Christmas season that they first found it in the new land. Another memorable Christmas sea son in American history that pro claimed "peace on earth, good will to men," w as that of 1783, when on Decem ber 23 Gen. Washington reported to cougress at Annapolis the completion of the task assigned him. and surren dered his commission as general in chief of the American armies. It was the final aci in that long struggle for our Independence, and it came at ati ap propriate time, at a time when the thoughts of the world turn naturally to peace. Significant and impressive as was the simple ceremony in which the great soldier and patriot figured as the central figure, it was made the more so because of the time of the year at which it was enacted. Peace came as a blessing to the nation, and it came virtually upon the birthday of the Prince of Peace. In the following year, in the same state of Maryland, but at Baltimore instead of Annapolis, came another in cident in the peace history of America when on Christmas day was formed the Methodist Episcopal church in the United States. Previous to that time the church had been represented by ministers of the Gospel scattered throughout the different colonies, but they had no central organization. It was this organization, an organization that has since carried the message of "peace and good w ill" to nearly all the nations of the world, which was per fected December 25,1514. It was an ap propriate day for such an event, and it was an appropriate event for the day. As the surrender by Washington of Ms commission was practically the last incident of the revolutionary war, so did the signing of the peace treaty at Ghent, Belgium, mark the close of our second war with England. The second, like the first, came at an appropriate time, December 24, 1814. Thus two of our great wars closed just as the Christmas bells were proclaiming to the world. Practically the final aet of our great civil war was the announcement of am nesty to all those who had waged war against the government. President Lincoln had issued two proclamations of amnesty that restored but certain portions of the members of the south ern armies and the southern govern ments to citizenship, and the final, and general one, came from the hand of President Johnson on December 25, ISCS. It was an appropriate observa tion of the day, and an epoch marking event in American history. And so it is that Christmas has been to us as a nation a day of peace as it should be for all time, and to all the world. WKIGHT A. PATTERSON. I
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers