COIHIIKLIE!
B. F. ROHWEIER,
THE OON8TITDTION-THE UNION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS.
Editor d Proprietor.
VOL. XLV1I.
MIFFLINTOWN. JUNIATA COUKTY. TENISA.. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 21.
NU. 1
nnto StiSiiid jyilliis, mil
JTV eneath tba blue Judeati sky
; ' 1 lire? rriwned kings ift-
'. J) liar a with his gaze fast fixed
. " ' U' on
A .... .:i j ; r'.glitlf flowed,
i i . .re ed o'er the chilly plain.
i: c.r t- ei were weary wire;
'I si.- .cv ,t ii K'.ni lone, long foretold.
.A- i - !;.- u'fta tuny bare.
:..-:.t ;e.ie'.s rich and rare.
A- .i c:- tci.ats subtle tweet
i. c :irr ed in t eir hands to lay
- ut His loal feet
1 t ic irl with awe such music pour
A-: e'er reached mortal e.r
i a s-e clunting strcnif and deep
y,ju-:e cal.tiw upon p ere.
L-. .'-j 1 lower sung the star
'i , n the uzure air.
'i : : . -r -.i no I klrut trembled at the slsht.
j i o v. ; d . n i : t 1 v- w r e re
1: Vi' i iii'ive a sta' le shed.
v. :. e : 'lUent, ml d.
V rj. housed with lowing herds, they
i u a i
.;-.hfr Liid the Child.
i. .: -owned klngi fell upou their knees
. r;v e y reveient prace;
a Elm by thuiing-lit brow.
t i.'itv i n His fce.
' e iiave f ouud H:m whom we sought:
h.i i Him by tne sign.
i:riiiie-'t tiiis lo.Iy pla-e!
v ru le and coarse a siiriue!
sjri al xi.e r costly treasures there
r seet Martr's knee,
ti . re the Chtlst tuns first was said
Him the one In thiea.
1
l.o' .
'A'
b .;
A "
A-l
ImI
Au : v en ascti :h?.t Christmas eve.
Li;r.2 centuries azo,
tte ice I i i :n Khom the three kings sought,
W- hare not fir to go.
l r here the p Kr and needy are.
The " ettry ot es andveuk,
We tinri Him whom the seers foretold.
The Kini whorn nations seek.
And who -o doth His ( bri-tmas feist
A lib the cold and hungry share.
1. '. he nil! find the Christmas King
Part a kin z wli h them there.
- Inter (jreatL
TO SPEND C11K1STMAS.
NVITED me to
spend Christmas
with 'em, eh?"
said old Mr.
Knott, pausing in
his task ot solder
ing a new tin bot
tom iDto a super
annuated wash
boiler. "Well, It's
the first . one of
our lelations as
has ever took so
mu h trouble as
that for us, eh,
old woman?"
3.ffr"2--. Mrs. Knott.
who might have formed no bad model
far the 'Witch of Ln-ior, as she bent
over the Arc of sticks, in her old red
hood, from which esMped gray elf
locks innumerable, uttered a sinifl
cant snort which might have been
cen t' ued into almost any meaning.
"What d'ye s'i oe they expect to
get out of us now?" demanded the old
man.
"lie's your own sister's son, Heze
Itlab," said the woman.
Asters' sdos ain't different from
other folks, as I knows on,
said Ilez-
ekiah Knott succinctly,
And this
ere's a selfish world."
"Ain't many people selfisher than
you and I be," observed lYiacIMa, his
wife.
"But It beats me what they should
waste a two-cent postage stamp on
askin' you and me to come and eat a
Christmas dinner with "em fori" said
the old mao. "Me, as Is in the rag
business, and you as Is only my
wife:"
"It's just possible they wanted to
see us," suggested Mrs. Knott, who
by this time had blown the fire into a
full, uncompromising blaze, and now
leaned back against the door-way,
satisfied with the result of her efforts.
"Tell that to the marines," was
the comment of her incredulous hus
tand. There wa3 no denying that the dif
ferent branches of the Knott family
had been sorely scandalized when
Hezekiah boldly bought a horse and
cart and went into the rag-and-bottle
business, instead ot pieaching the
gospel, like his elder brother, or ac
cepting a clerkship In a Tillage store,
like the younger one.
"I hadn't brains like Bill, nor capi
tal like John," S3id this black sheep
the Knotts. ".And I allays liked
beln' in the open air. And, arter all,
there ain't so much difference be
twixt sell in' wares out of a wapgin',
and handin' 'em across the counter,
is there?"
The Baptist minister looked stead
fastly the other way when the sound
ing of divers and sundry bells an
nounced the coming of the tin-peddler's
wagon; the budding merchant
desired his wife to have nothing
whatever to do with Bezekiah's help
mate, in a sodal point ot view; but
the shrewd 2ew-Englander only
smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm gettin' my llvin', anyway,"
said he. "The best on 'em can't do
more than that."
Mrs. Knott, who was a silent, phi
losophical sort of a woman, toiled
away in her kitchen, scouring up the
rusty pots and kettles which Heze
kiah brought home, cleaned the shab
by suits that were given in exchange
i' jr freh tinware and crockery, aDd
presided over the sort of second-hand
ef re. which, after awhile, Hezekiah
t-t up by way of disposing of bis sur-l-ius
wares. ud in time people got
into the way of going- to "Knott's
" for cheap goods, second-hand
aiti'.ies. and all manner of odds and
cr.-.ls. Frices were always reasonable
tbiic the articles were varied and
un T,ue r.ni there is no one who
likr- better to save money than. your
avera-e country farmer.
Tm Bapti jalaUiter tad tux-
:-r Rsjr-
1892.
rounded himself with the "I-am-holier-than-thou"
atmosphere, the
storekeeper had undoubtedly the ad
vantage of gentility, but It is ques
tionable whether, after all, old Ileze
klah was not the happier of the
three. Day after day he was on the
road. He knew the orchard where
the reddest apples Brew, the copses
where bubbled out the clearest
springs, the shadowy thicket3 where'
the brown-coated chestnuts rattled
down at the touch of the earliest
frosts.
In his Quaint way he studied Na
ture, and rejoiced "in her mysteries,
and cared little that he was outlawed
by his kith and kiu. And those were
not altogether wrong who declared
that he shouted "Ra-a-gs old ra-a-gs
bottles and tin a-a-ware!" all the
louder when he came past the stiff
lilac bushes of the parsonage garden,
and trudged beneath the shadow of
the country store where his brother
practiced the great principles of "ex
change and barter."
But Jonathan, the only son of the
old man's only sister, had always sur
reptitiously delighted In the myste
rious contents of the basement where
these second-hand goods were packed
away, fie had helped bis uncle tinker
up the old clocks, mend the battered
tea-kettle3 and saucepans, and sort
out from the rag-heap all that prom
ised to t e capable of some rejuvena
tion. 'When he married the district
school teacher, however, Hezekiah
shook his head doubtfully.
"U"e've seen the last of Jonathan
now, says he. "Mary Mix ll be a deal
too genteel to let him associate 'Ions
of us any mure." ,
But hereon the top of all this came
the invitation to the first Christmas
dinner in the young couple's new
home.
It had not, however, been sent
without some discussion.
"What:" Mary had exclaimed. "In-,
vlte the old ra-i-and-bottle man?"
"He's the Jolliest old chap you ever
knew, Mate," pleaded the bridegroom.
"And Aunt Vincy's a regular brick.
I wish you cou d see the big ginger
cookies she used to bake for me,"
"But if they come, Uncle William
and Uncle John will keep away,"
argued Mary.
"Let 'em," was the curt reply.
"Uncle Kiah's the best of the lot, ao
cordln' to my way of thinkin'."
So Mary acquiesced in her hus
band's wishf s, and the Invitation was
duly written and dispatched.
"It's rayther a Joke, you an' me
bein' invited out, old woman," said
Hezekiah. "We'll go, sha'n't us?
Hev' we anything fit to wear?"
"I guess we can make out," said
Mrs. Knott.
"And I'll tell ye what," said Heze
kiah, "we won't be beat in manners,
not by nobody. We'll send a Christ
mas present to the bride. There's
that old cast-iron wood-stove that I
bought at Hound's Hollow, with the
bunches of grapes on the door. She
shall have that."
"La, Hezekiah!" said Mrs. Knott,
"what do you suppose she cares for an
old second-hand rattle-trap like that?
It's mor'n likely she's got all the
stoves that she wants."
"A stove's a stove, anyhow," said
Hezekiah. "And I mean to send it
to her, so you may just stop your
clack, old woman."
Mrs. Knott only smiled. She was
used to the pertinacity of her
spouse, and she gave way with a good
grace.
"Oh. what a pretty little stove!"
said Mrs. Jonathan, when it was car
ried into the neat best parlor on
Christmas morning. "And how
brightly it is blacked!"
"Just like Uncle Kiah!" said Jona
than, who was polishing red apples,
sorting out the fattest and largest
nuts, and sharpening the carving
knife for the coming feast. "Might
ha' known he'd 6end something dif
ferent from anybody el3e. But, since
it's here, I guess I'll put it up at
once. It's prettier to look at than
that air-tight thing; and we can
start a fire right off."
"But he sent word," interrupted
Mary, "that we weren't to light the
fire till he came. He wanted to show
us the valves and dampers and
things."
"Docs he think nobody know9 how
to start a Are but him?" said Jona
than, lauahing. "So, no; on a cold
morning like this we can't afford to
wait."
And so. when Uncle Hezekiah and
Aunt Malvina arrived in a cumbrous
little bnpgy drawn by the business
pony, the pnr'or glowed with tropical
heat, and the little stove presented
its most hospitable aspect.
Wish ye merry Christmas. Jona
thanand vou, too, Jonathan's wife,"
was Uncle Hezekiah's greeting, as he
trudged up the steps.
A cd many happy returns," court-
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW
esied Aunt Malvlna, who carried an
old china sugar bowl in one hand and
its corresponding cream pitcher in a
basket in the other. "Will you please
to accept sone pretty old china as
we've took in trade?"
Mary came forward with a beaming
smile and both hands held out.
"We are so glad to welcome you
here," said she. "A merry, merry
Christmas, aunt and uncle."
"Hal-loo!" said Knott, looking
around him. "So you started the Are,
did ye?"
"Yes, Uncle Kiah," said Jonathan,
"I started it Do you suppose I
wanted to give my relatives a cold
welcome, eh?"
Uncle Kiah clicked his tongue
against the roof of his mouth.
"Dunno nothin' about that," said
be. "All I know is that you've burned
up your Christmas present, disobey
ing orders thi9 sort o'way."
"Eh?" said Jonathan.
"Uncle, what do you mean?" cried
Mary.
Uncle Kiah stamped around the
room and tore his hair in an ecstasy
of rage.-
"The fools ain't all dead yet!" 6ald
he; "that's plain enough. I'd laid
out to give you and your wife here a
hundred-dollar bond for a Christmas
gift and -I packed it into the old
stove-pipe, with a lot of waste-paper,
to make sure there shouldn't be n
mistake about your gettin' on it, and
so it's gone up chimbly, with the rest
of the spark9 and smone!"
Jonathan grew lividly pale. Mary
uttered a little shriek of dismay.
For a moment the Christmas glow
seemed to have faded out of all their
hearts.
For a moment only, however. Aunt
Viney came promptly to the rescue.
"You're right there, Hezekiah
Knott," said she. "The fools ain't
all dead, bd long's you're left alive;
for nobody but a fool would ha'
thought of tuckln' hundred-dollar
bonds up. into the elber of an old
stOTe-pipe. And it's lucky for you
and these young folks here that I
happened to want a little waste pa
per to wrap round this 'ere old china
la my basket, and took the stuff n'
outen the stove-pipe ain't it now?"
She extended the basket to M iry
Knott. Old Hezekiah pouncd upon
it like a starved cat on a mouse, and
dragged the paper wrapping forth.
"Here it is now the very hundred
dollar bond!" he shrieked, waving it
triumphantly above his head. "A
merry Christmas! Hooray, Jonathan!
a merry Christmas! Old woman,"
to his wife, "you're the sensibiest of
the lot!"
And so they all sat down to the
first Christmas dinner that Mary
Knott had ever cooked with bright
faces and Joyful hearts.
"Uncle," said Jonathan, "how shall
Mary and I ever thank you for your
generous present?"
"Don't say notiiin' more about it,"
said Uncle Kiah. "You're the only
one of our relations as ever invited us
to spend Christmas and I guess we
can afford to make you a present; eh,
old woman?"
And Aunt Viney smiled a broad as
sent. Youof Ladies' Bazar.
A Pretty Present for Chxistnaas.
A pretty trinket box is always an
acceptable Crzristmas gift. An ex
ceptionally dainty one has a founda
tion of wlilte wood or stout card
board, well padded inside with quilt
ed satin and covered outside with
Marie Antoinette silk. Over the lid
is stretched plain plush, covered with
lour tabs of Ottoman ribbon with a
butterfly bow in the middle. Round
the base and over the lid is gold lace.
The Van Dyke points in the valance
are each tipped with silk tassel.
JUIott for Christmas.
Though money makes the mare go,
it makes Santa Claus come.
Rub the price mark off the present
unless it is au expensive one.
Don't ask your child what he wants
unless you intend giving it to him.
If you wish to surprise your girl
never ask her what she would like
for Christmas.
Dont buy vour best girl a pre.-tnt
on the installment plan, as she might
jilt you before you had made all 'the
payments.
. 1- r.-
'' '' yf " 7 ' " ' ' ' ' ' '
MISS MAXWELL'S PENNY
THE CI RL REPORTER'S CHRIST- j
MAS ASSIGNMENT.
Her rurcbase of a Bare Coin and Her Dis
covery of the Mat to It-To Ouettsat a
Cheap Restaurant Who Formed a Racher
Interesting Acquaintance.
Brother 31rt Brother.
iHEspellofChrlst-
nfas seemed over
ail at the Beacon
office that morn
ing, though roost
of the "boys" were
eating their din
ners in hotels,
boarding-houses,
and down-t'jwn
cafes, and those
who had homes of
their own could
not take a day off
to spend in them.
Even the dusty
old bronze statue
-of Justice at the
head of the 6tairs
had blossomed out
into holiday
a-pect. J.ue so-
f7c!ety reporter had
filled her s-rales
with bunches of holly until the severe
goddess looked like a jolly eower-glrl
out on a lark.
The elevator man was radiant over
a small box fixed up in the corner or
the machine, a djx in whose slot in
numerable quaiters were ueina
dropped, but from which nothing
visible came out, at least nothin?
visible to the "boys" a3 they straggled
into the "local"-ro m, and began to
rummage for mail In the wire basket
or peep warily into the assignment
book for the day.
By and by the girl of the office
came in, and, leaning her elbows con
templatively on the railing which
hedged the divinity of the city editor
from the hoi polloi, looked down at
that imposing individual dubiously.
She was among the latest of them all
that morning, for somehow, after she
had started from the boarding-house
she called "home," the thought of that
other home down by the wide Ottawa
and the carols they were singing there
came upon her, and she had slipped
back into her little hall bedroom
again to have out the "good cry" that
would come.
But this, she thought truly, was no
excuse to offer to the city editor.
When men take the local chair they
abandon hearts. Patient, generous,
kind men have been known to actept
the position, and they were changed
wmmm
' '7 v.'-?Tv ''Vi
ft v
as in the twinkling of an eye. It is
not written that a city editor or a
ballet-master needs be heartless
perhaps it does not require to be put
in so many words.
Still, 6he couldn't help hoping
against hope that he would remem
ber the day and send her home again.
She was very tired after all the society
events she had reported the previous
evening, and it was so hard to work
on Christmas.
The city editor called a message to
the Press Bureau over the phone,
signed an expense bill for tha relig
ious editor, ordered the sporting ed
itor to look after that game of ind)or
baseball at the X Club, and be sharp
about it, and to take in that sale of
fast horses on his way back, sent the
"pretty boy" of the office on a social
assignment, then, running his finger
down the columns of the assignment
book until he came to the initial "B,
M.,v said, briSkly: "There's a nice
little assignment for you, Mls3 Max
well. Take a whirl around among
the cheaper restaurants of the city
perfectly safe by daylight and watch
the kind of dinners some folk have to
eat at Christmas. Splendid chance
for fine descriptive writing. Make
about a column and a half if it's
worth it, and have your copy in early
as possible, for we're going to be
loaded to the guards to-night. Mind,
the cheaper the restaurants the bet
ter material for you to work up."
The girl's heart sank. She was a
little bit of a body, wit h a brave soul,
but now things really seemed to be
getting too hard to endure. She was
even a trifle afraid to go to thse
places, besides the actual unpleasant
ness of it all, but well,, were not
Ralph and little Paul even now coast
ing their new sleds down the hill of
Monte Bello, right on to the frozen
white breast of the Ottawa, and was
not little Gertrude radiant in a new
shawl, and her (Blanche's) pocket Just
so much the lighter? Of a truth,
there could be no carping; if there
were to be more shawls and toys there
must be more work. So the girl
slipped a bunch of copy-taper and a
couple of pencils into her shopping
bag, and started on her round.
mi
i -i u i rs
m! A
l 111 1 i V
WWW fsU
- Ji-
V
It was the. same story, new to
Blanche Maxwell, perhaps, but old to
those who know city streets and city
ways. A dreary thronging of the
"men about town."
Christmas! One of the hollCay.; pleasant 'tis
true;
Put what Is the man about town to do?
All the clubs are deserted; tt.e ceu who hare
ties
Are at uome to-day, looking in someboly's
eyes.
What was It to Moses, world-weary nd tired.
To see and sie only the land he desired?
It was not such a hard assignment
after all, and after three or four
shabby restaurants she had become
quite used to it, and entered the
shabbiest of them yet with almost a
happy air. It was, Indeed, a cheap
place, even lower down in the scale
than probibly the city editor bad
dreamed of sending her, a place
where there was a 1-cent line in the
menu, thus- "Bread, 1 cent; milk,
1 cent," etc.
Th-; girl took a set at a vacant ta
ble, anJ ordered tea and rolls she
never expected to consume, while she
ensconced herself behind that morn
ing's Beacon, and proceeded to size
up the heterogeneous collection of
patrons that filled the dingy place.
But first she took a long look at a
man who had come in and quietly
seated himself opposite her. Then
her eyes came back to him again, and
there they stayed, and filled with all
pitifulness.
He was a man of about 35 years,
pale with the pallor of exhaustion
and hunger, and threadbare in the
extreme. Yet he was unmistakably
of finer stuff than those about him,
even as china excels earthenware,
though it ba soiled and cracked. The
greasy waiter, with slippers flapping
loosely from his heels, pushed the
bill of fare toward the pale man,
who took It anxiously, then said in
quiet tones, at the tame time laying
a battered penny on the coarse linon
cloth: "Bring me bread, please."
The gre.isy waiter stared impu
dently. Then seeing there was no
earthly prospect for a tip he went off,
remarking audibly that there "was a
salde feller a-blowing hisself on his
Christmas dinner. 'o doubt he'd be
wantin' finger-bowls an' solid silver
service."
The girl's heart grew hot within
her as she heard, then she leaned for
ward impetuously, anl said: "Pray
do excuse me. but I am making a col
lection of coins, and I would so like
to buy that curious penny from you.
I will give you 50 cents for it; may I
have it, please?"
And before he could answer she
had confiscated the penny and laid a
bright half dollar ia its place.
A faint red dyed the man's blood
loss brow. "I think I unierstani,"
hi said quietly, "and I thank you.
younj lady, for I am hungry, I con
fess, and that is my last penny. But
pardon me, this time you can't
be overburdened with money yourself,
or you wouldn't dine here Christmas
day."
"Oh, please don't mind me; I've
1 ts," bli.n it red Blanche, "and if you
do:i't care I'll lend you the money
Just "
The man looked grateful and as
tonished the greasy waiter into civil
ity by ordering a beefsteak. Then
he explained.
It, too, was an old, old story of
wild oats, wickedness, illness, poverty
and repentance, friends lost, and
utter loneliness. The penny was the
ouly novel feature in the whole tale,
only this was a silly, unworldly girl,
aiul she wept behind her paper long
before that was spoken of. You see,
people from the country are so easily
moved, and well, the man's face
was a tragedy in itself.
The penny oh, yes it wasn't an
or Jinary penny at all, but one of two
queer coins which had been given by
an eccentric uncle to twin boys aud
ki t afterward as talismans by them
both. Somehow he never had been
able to get over the idea that ttat
penny would bring him luck. Perhaps
it was only a remnant of the super
stition that clung, thick as the odor
of tobacco, to the wings of the
wretched little theater where for a
time he picked the banjo and sang
topical songs. And he hated to let
it go this morning horribly, but
hunger is stronger than superstition
or that queer thing called reverence
and so
Well, would the young lady kindly
keep the penny until he could re
deem it? He would surely get work
soon
"Work:" exclaimed Blanche. "Do
you mean anything?"
"Anything at all."
"Then come to the Seventh Church,
corner of Mary Jane and Worthing
ton streets. Do you know where It Is?
I WGtT.Pl.tKET ) BCr THAT CCRIOC5 FSST "
I've an assignment to 'do' their
Christmas-tree gathering to-night at
eight o'clock, and maybe I can hear
ot something before then and let you
inow."
A more unworldly person than
Blanche Maxwell would scarcely have
expected her penniless acquaintance
to keep his appointment; a less in-
W$rr
.VIP
genuous thin she would never have
made It, for innocence is the most
daring thing in the world. But he
was there, pacing up and down in
the bleak air, which penetrated his
worn garments like a steel knife. She
almost felt a sense of proprietorship
as she pre ted him and hurried him
off into the pastor's private study,
where she had often held converse
with the keen-witted, eloquent pas
tor of the church. Leaving her rag
ged friend seated on the crimson hor
ror of a couch presented by the
Ladies' Aid So?iety, she went in
search of the minister.
"Mr. Miller," she began breathless
ly, "I've such an object for you to
work off some of your charity on.
I'm sure he's worthy, though I was
introJuced to him through no more
responsible source than this penny."
The minister's benign face conj
tracted suddenly. Lifting the penny
JtSI
kH EN R V OHOTHla!"
from her hind he. beckoned her to
lead the way. She brought him to
the study, and then stood aghast at
what she had not thought of before.
The same height, hair, eyes, every
thing save the marks of dissipation
and what contrasted with health,
happine-s and plenty.
"They're enough alike to be twins,
she thought, and then
-Henry brother:"
"llobert, forgive:"
Blanche stole outside and crouched
on the doorstep, while within the
chorus rose:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
G id and s'.nueri reconciled.
"God and sinners reconciled,"
the pale man, lifting his hat
saio
rev-
ently.
And Blanche, the youn heathen,
as she turned in the last page ot hei
copy that night, murmured: "So there
was luck in the c-'w kel i er.ny afte
all." Ch cago Ti nes.
TREE DECORATIONS.
Some Frctty Things to Delight CbUdreL
and How to Make Them.
ULL days of earl
darkness in Decern
ber are Illumined
by the distant
glimmer of the
HffhK th.it. will
Si?.
i 'Vi'i'.j blaze on the Christ-
Grown reo-
ually think
there is noth
prettier foi
decoration thau countless tiny can
dies of different colors shining amonc
the dark-vreen foliage, but chlldrer
are delighted with novelties, anc
every year brings some fresh device.
Little people are never happier that
when cutting, pasting, and gilding,
and if the tree in their own homes is
prepared by the elders they ofter
render efficient help in dressing tht
one which is to stind in the Sunday
sctiool. There is no end to the vari
ous devices each year brings som
fresh noveltv. " Little hands can cut
chains of gold or silver paper, stars,
crosses, or circles, or string poppec
corn, festoons of which form a prett
contrast with tbe dark foliage of tht
tree.
A very beautiful effect Is produceo
by following King Winter's mode ol
decoration. For this purpose bits ol
cotton wool, representing sncwrtakes,
are gummed on the branches. Th
foliage is then smeared here and
there with mucilage, over which
granulated sugar Is strewn, so thai
the tree looks as if It were covered
with 60ow and hoar frost. Many
children are delighted with the sight
of birds' nests among the branches
These are made with h.ilf an ega
shell covered o:i the outside witb
moss, horse-hair and bits of graj
wool. Smooth, susar-coated almond
or gilt or silvered hazelnuts can bf
used for eggs.
From Germany, where gilt and sil
vered nuts of all kinds are largclj
used for the ornamentation of Christ
mas trees, come- the following direc
tions for tho process: Cover the nut
with a thin coating of some glutinou
substance, such a white of egg mixed
with water, or diluted gum arable.
Drive a sharpened match into one
end of the nut to hold it by in or.lei
to avoid too much handling. Aftet
being coated with the glue put gold
leaf on them, pressing it lightly down
with a soft linen rag. Fir apples and
pine cones can be gilded in the sam
way. Washington Star.
- The bachelor who puts his thumt
into tbe boarding-house Christmas
pie Is apt to pull out a collar button.
Judge.
There is a blessedness as well as a
grace, in rightly receiving.
m
WS-V X&?yl. mas tree, neaas
-etjjJ. are planning and
JlrSSi fl ngers bu- ily work-
in for its adorn-
W-i? ment"
.XVwJ P'e US
d;S-r'! that
'US- lng
a tnrutuat loasc.
Here's a round to thee. Pan Chaa.-er
At the fest:il Christmas time.
Plxdge me. poet to the master
Of our gentle art of rhymu.
To the eldest of our brothers,
To the bon r ot his name.
Tj the "weetuess of bis s;iirlt,
1 o tbe glory of his lame;
To that voice whose music echoes
All the centur es alonz.
Prophesying uti triumphant
In etetnlty of sou.-.
Century.
THE GlIOST CHIMES.
IVE minutes to
12 less t h a n a
quarter of an
hour more, and
the Christmas
rja, ttrrxjj. KIIUSL CUIUJCS will
'frZjf'M befrin to ring!"
lna Beverly
stood watching
the clock in the
cozy sitting-room
V&xy--t rf wth an eager, ex
? pectant face as
mother anxiously
added :
"Dear boys! I
am sorry I conseuied to their going.
The storm is rising; it is a dark,
dreary walk, and after the trouble
about Oscar, I am nervous for them."
Oscar, her nephew, was the one
spot of gloom haunting an otherwise
bright and glowing Christmas eve.
He had been staying at the Beverly
home for some, wt eks, and he and
her boys, Sorraan and Bob, had got
on together like tried brothers.
Three nights previous, however, a
youthful escapade among the apple
bins in Farmer Drew's barn had led
to the capture of Oscar. The irate
farmer had administered a flogging.
The hot-tempered Oscar had rejoined
his cousins smarting from the lahes,
sullen, resentful, uncommunicative,
except to burst out that he would "get
s-- .j'i! - - ri r.r .
' ''.',:.-xi.e-s
V)
mm. It, i'Vl
3 '' ', ViM -J"".'..i.'.V
i' ' I'.
FIVE MINUTES
ev.n with that old curmudgeon if It
took him ten years!"
The next morning. Oscar was found
missing, nis bed had cot been slept
in; an open window showed how he
bad left the hou-e. His niyj-terious
disappearance could be explained in
only one way; he shrank fruiu the
humiliation of his puni-hment, and
had left for his home surreptitiously.
Oscar had missed a great treat In
leaving so abruptly, Norman and Bob
had told their mother that afternoon.
They and half a dozen boon com
panions were going up to Hemlock
Hill that night to ring the ghost
chimes. What an inspiring jaunt
poor Oscar had lost through his folly!
The "ghost chimes" were quite an
Inftitution with Fairfield boys. Years
before a weulthy gentleman had built
a church at Hemlock Hill. For a
time it was the general place of wor
ship of tho district. Then Fairfield
became the populated center, new
churches nearer home attracted the
people, the Hill temple fell into dis
use, and then decay, and now, win
dowless. doorless. a mournful ruin,
it was given over to bats and owls.
One Chri-jtma3 eve, four years
agone, the villagers had been startled
from midnight sleep by tbe chimes of
the old tower pealing out sweetly the
dawn of another Christmas morn.
The mysterlousringers were never
traced. Boyish gossip discerned a
ghostly hand in the occurrence, and
since then, at every recurring Christ
mas eve, it was considered an act of
royal daring to visit the distant tuin,
On this venture, Norman, Bob
and six doughty-companions had de
parted an hour since, and, with a
fond mother's anxiety, Mrs. Beverly
and Nina were counting the minutes
ti' ked slowly awav by the clock.
Midnight!
Strange! The chimes were not
YEAR.
mm
V wi ' ffi
? r. --l
.'I ,v
i . !
hi
mhmm
..A 1V r II 'A k
Sir 1
wm
or.ncommg, tne Doys were not on
time.
The little group of adventurer-,
had reached the vicinity of Hemlock
Hill without accident, in the mean
time. "This Is the wildest night w
ever came here. Boh," remarked Gor
man. "Whew: that blast cuts like a
kui 'e. In with ywi, boys, to shelter!"
"Who's got the time?" sang out
Bob, as he clambered up the ladder.
"orrnan answered from below bv
Caring a match and examining hi:
tlmc'i lece.
"One minute of midnight, Bob." hu
sang out. "Up with you. boys! Bare
ly on time, we'll ring out a tune to
night that will wake up the sleepers ."
All gained the second floor. An
ejaculation of concern rang from
Bob's lips as be groped about blindly.
"Boys!" he gasped, "it's no use!"
"Eh?" echoed Norman. "What
now?"
"The rope! It ain't here. W
can't ring, because it's gone!"
Ding-dong:
"Mercyl"
There was a scramble for the laa
der, and exclamations of affright.
"We've struck it at last!" groaned
a hoilow voice.
"Struck what?" demanded Bob.
"The ghosts! They're here the've
stolen the rope they're ringing the
chimes themselves hear them! Oh,
my!" panted the affrighted youth.
Whiz bang: Something went hurt
ling past Bob's head, and he ducked
unceremoniously. From above, too,
at that moment, sounded a deep,
sepulchral voice.
"A vaunt! get out! get out!"
"Throwing things talking Shak
peare:" muttered Bob, suspiciously,
as his companions basely deserted
him for the floor below. "Real ghosts
don't do it. I'm coming up after you."
Dauntless Bob grasped the ladder
running up in the belfry. Those be
low held their breath. There was a
lapse of excruciating silence, then
f w - ,-. a - v
Yv-V
W&t'
TO TWELVE."
half-audible tones In apparent con
versation, and then a scrambling down
Norman had lighted a bit or can. lie
be had found in his pocket. As its
rays illumined the aperture near the
ladder, he saw two forms clamber
into view.
"I've found the ghost:" announced
Bvb Beveily in excited triumph.
"Oscar'." gasped Norman, staring
vaguely at his brother's companion.
"Yes. Oscar, it is. sure and true,"
responded Bob, energetically.
"What docs it mean?" murmured
the boys, crowding about the pile
and shrinking Oscar.
"It means that O-war has been
laboring under a mistake," spoke up
Bob. "He was mad at old farmer
Drew for horsewhipping him, and
left our house to tip over his f- e.l
troughs and set his cider butts run
ning, out of revenge. . Bad work. I'll
confe-s. Just as he got to Drew's barn
that night he lit a match and it fell
among a heap of straw. He couldn't
put It out. got scared, and ran. He
could see the glare and supposed he
had burned Drew out, bouse and
baggase. He's been h'diog in the
old church here ever since, and he
tried to scare us away to-night."
"And all the fire did was to burn
over an old t tnbble field:" exclairucl
Not man.
"Exac tly. Come, Oscar, cheer un
You say you've suffered like a peni
tent during your two days of starv
ing and freezing, and I guess that
atones for the hot-headei mischief
you never Intended to do."
"It's taught me a lesson, all the
same," murmured Oscar humbly.
Christmas chimes did not ring that
night from the old church tower, but
Christmas Joy was not lacking in
motherly Mrs. Beverly's heart as she
welcomed home the penitent prodigaL
Victob RAJJCXirr.
1893.
I
v hil
1 fp
in m
1 f
f