THE
snl cs ————
CENTRE
~— ¥ AI sr
F.H Fi Syed
ALF a reds
gath-
dingy coun
the one ftore
was Christ
dozen unshaven,
shirted miners
ered about
ter of Bilger's,
in camp. It
p1udl they
thing extra f« their dinner
on the morrow—just to keep
them in mind of day,
said. But there was little
eity in the forlorn remnant of
upon the shelves, in the |
barrels and under the
and massed in the corners of
One man found a stray box
dines, and took possession of
the remark that, while It
“Christmasgy,” he could have
Isfaction of knowing he was
the only sardines in camp;
drew out a ean of Boston baked beans
were
the
ove, 8 wanted some.
wr
the
they
or
boxes
the room
of sar
it with
was not
the sat.
while a third, of more
and determined turn of mind, hunted
among the boxes and barrels until he
actually discovered a can of Cape Cod
cranberries,
This brought the entire
Christmas hunters into a compact,
envying circle; and while they were
anxiously debating the pro and con
expeciully the con—of a division of
kpoils, the door opened quietly and a
& oop-shouldered, watery-eyed man en-
tered.
“Have you got any toys?” he asked,
hesitatingly, \
The storekecper stared, and unanl
mously, as though by preconcerted ar
rangement, the group around the
canned representatives from Cape Cod
turned and stared also,
“Any—what?” the storekeeper asked
blankly, .
“Toys,” the man repeated looking at
the encireling faces with abanshed em
barrassment—"things to play with, 1
mean, like children have at Christ:
mas, You see” with a eurlous
mingling of apology and pride In his
voice, “my Yittle ten-year-old hay came
in on the stage Just now--cloan from
Wy grandma's, back to Missourl, Tve
im sendin’ for him thése two years,
Gouldn’t seem to get to It till 1
a vein lust month, iw
group of
a
He lurch
His
ed heavily against the co
began to fill,
watery eves
i aad parti
lition
int
sinning to re swaken,
siderble
Sf a
wing listened to
men who usually passed him with.
recognition, “an' likes things to
y with. bein' it's Christmas,
he jest comi why, I thought
be I'd better hunt some toys.”
“Of course,” cried Dobson, ‘the
sheriff, heartily; and “Of course,” “Of |
tly fro
hich was beg
“The boy's con
nt on,
childish,
rousing himse little at
» consciousness of |
1
Sa,
of
the group.
And then they looked about the store
inquiringly, eagerly, In search of some-
thing that would please a ten-year-old
rE TOGCiu* boy who was
in? a childish, But there
little they
: only huge
boots, py
ramids of picks
and shovels and
blankets, © barrels
of flour and beans
and pork; and on
the shelves, tobac-
and canned
and a small
assortment of
earthen and tin-
ware; and then
at the far end. of
the store, a bar
for the accommo-
dation of those
who were thirsty.
There were no dry and fancy goods
and notions upon the shelves, no show
vas
8a
miners’
Co
goods,
the one dingy window, Such
would begin to make their appearance
only with the coming of the first wom:
an, and that was not yet,
“Rather a slim show for playthings,
Dobson,” said the owner of the cran-
berries, after a fruitless search with
his eyes from one end of the store to
the other. Don’t s'pose a pack oo
playin’ cards would do?” as his gaze
paused hopefuly on an extensive as.
sortment of that popular article,
“They has pictures on ‘em.”
“Wouldn't do at all,” answered Dob-
son decidedly, “They ain't moral; an
the first kid who patronizes us has
got to be Brought up moral. Say,
you," to the watery-eyed man, who
wns edging towards the bar at the far
end of the store—"none o' that!”
“None o' what?” asked the man quer.
ulously. “I ain't steppin’ on your
toes.”
“No, but you are on the kid's. See
here” « His vBice had an Incisive ring
which had made many stronger mén
tremble. “You ain't walkin’ the same
line you was twent$-foupr ear,
Then you was a poor, noe -
ard, who'd a right to dig his grave
without opposition from nobody; now
you're markin’ out a trall for that kid
to foller. See? Me an’ my friends
here ain't no call to interfere between
father an’ son,” dropping his volce to
an easy, familiar tone, and placing a
hand encouragingly upon the tremu-
olus shoulder, “so long as the father
makes a good deal; but when he
slumps,”—his volce was still soft, but
the steely glint returned to his eyes—
“then me an’ my friends step in. Sabe?
Bein’ the first kid in camp, we've con-
stitooted ourselves his guardian—just
like man in the place will do
soon’s they hear of his bein’ here”
He turned back to his companions,
The watery-eyed man, after
wistful. fa ce town
resumed his
search of
There
every
long,
rd the bar,
one
rewell giax
fruit-
the
Was
now to
divide his at-
tention; he knew
men with
he had to
and real-
that hence
the bar was
as far re
from him
as though a wall
of granite Inter
vened., But, to his
credit be It sald,
even with the
realization came
a new firmness to
his eyes,
“What's that on the top shelf?”
asked suddenly,
“That? Oh, that is—
tated the storekeeper,
the object In question
critically. “It got
a year
"
less
goods,
whom
den 1,
ized
to be
moved
1 dunno,” hesi-
ng he took down
and exam!
in wi ith SOM
has been up there
ago, an’ ha
since.
“Why
berry
you chu
owner de
e
Uj
“Just the
repented
HwWing
“it'll
pocket ;
t. the owner of
his
’ _
“And
the owner of
“Ay
sardines
beans ;
before
i] this”
and
and th
then
this, adde
the
owner of ths
Dot
slipg
ced
on
Sheriff son
wd somet!
hand
ng bright
which held
and
}
heavy the
into
Jumping- lack
ts a nest-egg for the kid,”
ravely. “Now you better go home an’
fill up his stockin’; an’ to-morrer you
can tell him Merry Christmas from us
all.”
Great Savers.
How our mothers and grandmothers
would have appreciated the wonder
the present day.
the electric washer
cause,
and ironer, be
lected, they represent the greatest
economy. Not only do they save money,
time and backbreaking drudgery, but
the very clothes themselves,
ey:
: : The Christmas Dolly
fash ts sesrraeL ess ETT.
’
’
’
’
’
§
-
A Pair of Stockings
By Christopher G. Hazard
1922, Western Newspaper Unlon.)
UDDY SMITH had three
about his stockings--they
{full of feet, full of holes, and
{ could be full of presents,
i regard to the third idea that
| paying attention to the second
ing to go barefoot under the
stances, he was tieing up the holes in
his best stocking, with a view to the
Christmas possibilities, His sister,
Agnes, had already bung up a much
longer stocking, with a note attached
i In which she informed all who might
be concerned that this one was hers
But Agnes, like the monkey that used
a rabbit for «a muff and kept himself
warm by hugging it, was a little sel
fish, Not only had she hung up one of
her mother's stockings, but she had got
an advantage over Buddy in the mat
ter of the chocolate cake in the cup
ideas
were
Le was
Will
circum
it the size of her little finger,
ing the shorter stocking had the most
in it.
(©, 1922, Western Newspaper Union.) ”
ELL, I'S be getting lots of
presents soon,” he sald. He
had just met some pleasant new
friends.
“Yes,” he continued, “Christmas is a
good time for me. You see I'm popu-
lar with wives. I get notes from Hun-
dreds of them; there are any number
who write to me, and when Christmas
comes they knit ties for me or buy a
handsome silk handkerchief or two, or
a fine mufMler—a little thought of me
at any rate. And I've never been In
a divorcee case yet,” he ended,
“You must be a diplomat or luckier
than you deserve,” someone remarked.
“Neither,” he answered. “I'm a milk.
man and a milkman's Christmas is apt
to be full of cheer and the good-heart-
ed wishes of the ladies!”
€“
THE MAIL
CARRIER
JOR many years, In good weather
or bad, day after day, he had fol
lowed his chosen job faithfully and
well. He had carried many, many
Christmas presents in his day, toe.
This year one of the families he had
served so regularly prepared a Christ.
mas box for him and for his wife and
for his children,
“It Is the first Christmas box I ever
received from one of my families,” he
said, "Wasn't it thoughtful of them
to have remembered their mail can
riert”
But the people were saying, “To
think that we havéh't done something
of this sort every year. The mail car
rier does so much for ue and we, at
times, aimost seem to forget he's even
buman
i
|
!
:
i
i
i
i
The Evergreen Tree
By Chfistopher CG. Hazard
nn Bb bt
1922, Western Newspaper Union.)
HE servants had retired
the old lady alone,
fore the decorated and lighted tree
that was burdened with gifts that
seemed to have no destinations. For
and left
She sat be
old, sat with her, because she wished
She was not as alone as she seemed
to be, for, in the great chair opposite
child who had glanced and
Christmas tree of long ago. Beside
her there sat one who seemed to lay
his hand again upon hers In happy
and satisfied affection, while there
bent over her the strong and tender
youth who was once her hope for later
years, Again the old house seemed
full of joy, and noisy merriment drove
out the deathly stillness while the
tree that is always green spoke of the
immortality of happiness,
The next day, when the servants
dismantled the evergreen tree, it was
found that every gift was marked
with a name, and they were busy that
Christmas morning in distributing new
happiness about the neighborhood.
Easily Managed
Y% must believe In Santa Claus
If in neglect you would not pause
JAnd see the holidays drift by
And bring you nothing but a sigh,
He may not greet you if walt
I'n idleness and selfish ny
For him upon his way to start
To grant the wishes your heart
For he his ways mak known to men
By means that are beyond our our xem, .
And me his journeying vast is made
He uses many a masquerade.
So If a scarcity you fear
In the af Christman
Just hustle a willing
And be old Santa Claus
%
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