PAGE 0
SUrriiKMKNT NO. 2; THE CITIZEN, PHIDAY, DEO. 8, 1011.
be TLong and the Short of It
E:
By ROBERT DONNELL
CoDvrUht. 1 91 1. by American Presa Association
a Clans!
HZR'N
HIS'N
Hello,
7t
'HIS is the long and the
short of it
(Isn't it really shocking?):
Santa Claus knows HE wears
short hose,
While SHE wears a full
length stocking.
So when the day approaches
Which once in a year is
coming
The sly old saint (it would make
you faint !)
Puts over this mental sum
ming: "She MUST have presents in
plenty;
He CAN have very few.
For every one knows he wean
a hose
That's scarcely as high as hei
shoe."
firecrackers at Christmas
By ROBERTUS LOVE
M 7
w
'HEN I was a boy and that
was some time ago, kind and
considerate reader I never
popped firecrackers on the
Fourth of July. I popped them on
Christmas day. That was because 1
was a boy in n southern state only n
few years after the close of the civil
"Var. Still you don't understand 't
Well, let me do a little explaining.
I shall not venture to speak for
thcr communities in the south, hut iu
Jny neighborhood most of tho people
still were somewhat bitter against
Undo Sam for having come down
there with armies for n four years'
light. Tho folks iu and around my
sereno and sequestered little village,
lying on tho cedar clad hillsides of
southeast Missouri, had known much
of tho war from actual observation
nnd experience. Armies, Federal and
Confederate, had marched and counter
marched through the village. A re
markaUlo battle, that of Pilot Knob,
was fought less than twenty uillea
away. Missouri, let it be remembered,
was loyal to the Union, but iu the
southern part particularly tho senti
ment was mostly in favor of tho "lost
cause."
We small boys did not know that the
reason for tho iirecrackerless Fourth
and tho flrecrackery Christmas lay iu
the prejudices engendered by the war.
AH we know or cared to know was
that when Christmas came around It
meant a few bunches of firecrackers
nnd a lot of fun popping them out In
tho snow, for in those days wo always
had a white Christmas.
After tho Iapso of thirty years I can
recall with vivid distinctness a cer
tain Christmas In my town which be
gan with high anticipation of fun and
camo very near ending in a tragedy.
Our family doctor had threo boys who
were favorito chums of my brother
and myself. Somehow we always
managed to get together on Christmas
day aud pop the firecrackers which
Santa Claus brought or which we
bought with the paper quarter of a
dollar allowed each of ua out of the
family exchequer for that purpose. A
quarter bought threo bunches of tho
little red firecrackers. There were
Ave boys, and you can computo the
number of bunches we had.
We all got up early on this Christmas
mom lug, took tho candles and oranges
and other things from our stockings,
inspected tho "U. S. Mail" wagon left
at tho fireside, pulled the trigger of
the new toy pistol and then went
down to old man Bean's store nnd
spent our quarters to best advantage.
Brother and I went over to tho
doctor's house and joined his boys In
the front yard. Tho snow was about
ankle deep, CTlnkly under" tho foot, and
tho air was crisp and clear. Tho eldest
of the doctor's boys had been presented
with a new derby hat for Christmas
tho first derby that ever came to Iron
dale. There I Just had to let the name
of the town slip out
Clalnle that was what we called the
biggest boy was intensely proud of
that new hat. He woro it at breakfast
that morning, his brothers said. When
wo all gathered In the yard to pop the
crackers his derby was on the back
of his head. Wo pooled our property
by putting tho fifteen bunches of fire
crackers In a heap on tho snow. Near
at hand lay a piece of punk, burning
slowly.
Just to see if wo had a hatful of fire
crackers Clalnle put his prized derby
over tho heap. Some of tho crackers
stuck out at one side. The littlest boy
dead many years now picked off one
oT the crackers, touched it to tho punk,
and when it spluttered firo he dropped
it. "The cracker went under one side of
the hat That was tho point whero tho
frolic became n tragedy.
All of us were discussing tho prob
lem of firing u whole bunch of crack
ors at once when suddenly there was
a ripping explosion which drew our atr
tcntion to Clulnlo's derby. Tho hat was
considerably divided against itself.
One powdery pleco of it struck me on
tho nose. The rim, a ragged rulu, flow
over tho fence into tho street Tho rest
of it disappeared at various places in
tho snow.
To paraphrase tho lino from the
poem of tho boy who stood on tho
burning deck, "Tho hat-oh, where was
it?"
Clalnle's Brief was twofold. Ho had
lost his new hat, and all the firecrack
ers had gone up In one big explosion.
All of us were disconsolate. But the
dear old doctor I think he is living yet
and very old now took pity on us and
gave each of us a dime wherewith to
purchase n bunch apiece.
Down there nowadays they pop fire
crackers on the Fourth, but I dare say
that some of tho boys of this genera
tion still find a bunch of the llttlo red
poppors In their sk-cklngs on Christ
mas morning.
"Hello! Hello: Is this Santa Claus?
Well, .this is Marjorle Brown. Oo, 1
Just knew you'd 'member me. Awf ly
nice of you to bring all those things
last Christmas. What do I want this
year? Ever and ever so many things.
Four dolls with real wake up eyes,
an' a set o' dishes, an a sled, an' one
no, I want two, three story books, an''
games, an', oo. ever so much candy, an'
an' "
There, you old eavesdroppcrl Been
listening, have you? Well, perhaps
you have a right to, for it Just hap
pens that In this case you aro Santa
Claus. Get all tho order? This little
girl trusts you to bring theso things.
Then there are the boys and tho folks
and your friends. Better go right out
n?w and stock up while it is fresh 'on
your mind and while tho goods in the
stores nre fresh. Remember little
Marjorle or Esther or Mary or Helen,
as the case may be.
Also remember to shop
early, relieve the tired shop
girl and get the best.
Christmas
1st the Navy
Christmas is a glad holiday aboard
one of Uncle Sam's battleships. The
Jacklcs deck the grim fighting ma
chine in wreaths of overgreen and hol
ly. Even the great guns wear chap
lets. For one day In tho year tho em
blcms of peace on earth hide the
frowning front of war. Tho Christ
mas dinner aboard one of theso float
ing forts Is fully as glad as at a pri
vate fireside.
Tho sailors miss a few of tho chief
delights of tho season, however. The
prattle of children is lacking, as aro
tho cheer of home und the smile of
loved ones. But tho Jack tars can give
and accept n few presents that is.
they can If in port whero such things
can be bought
Do you know any of Uncle Sam's
sailor boys? If so would It not bo u
beautiful thing to REMEMBER THEM
THIS CHRISTMAS ? Even a little
thing would be appreciated. It would
show them some one thought of them.
SHOP EARLY, so that the gift can be
sent In time. Indeed, for any gifts
that are to be sent away shopping
should be done early so that the pres'
ents may not reach their destination
two or three days late. BETTER BE
BEFOREHAND, One gift early Is
better than half a dozen late.
Shop early and then you can bo sure
of reaching your friends, be they sail
ors or otherwise. ON THE DOT. That
immeasurably enhances the value of
Ihe fift
wishes all of its patrons a "Merry Christ
mas" and a "Happy New Year."
It desires to thank you for your lib
eral patronage, which has made it poss
ible for its rapid and conservative
growth.
We desire particularly to call your attention to this
bank's comparative statement of its deposits, which
speaks for itself louder than words.
June 1st, 1907
May 1st, 1908
May 1st, 1909
May 2nd, 1910
May 1st 1911
Nov. 6th, 1911
$ 24,398.54
$ 109,896.20
$ 161,077.58
$ 241,843.67
$ 272,500.68
$ 296,632.12
Safe Depobit Boxes for rent from Si 50 to $5.00 a year.
Our bank is open Saturday afternoons for the accommodation of patrons.
OFFICERS :
M. E. SIMONS, President,
J. E. TIFFANY, Vice-President,
O. A. EMERY, Cashier.
M. B. Allen,
Georgo C. Abraham,
J. Sam Brown,
Oscar B. Bunnell,
Win. H. Dunn,
DIRECTORS :
W. H. Fowler,
W. B. Gulnnlp,
John B. Krantz,
Frod V. Kreltner,
John Kuhbach,
John Weaver,
G. Vm. Sell,
M. B. Simons,
Fred Stephens,
George W. TIsdoll,
J. B. Tiffany.
H
Jh HhiiimlPr Win i Imh' liBUuJi
T
Christ
oys and
mas Goods
Never before have we offered such bargains in BOOKS,
TOYS, DOLLS and GAMES.
Our China Counters are filled with 5 and 10c China.
A Full Line of Havlin China
Dinner Sets at
A SET
Dinner Sets sold in open stock. Step in and look
around. It's a pleasure to show goods.
F. Q. Terwilliger,
Proprietor.
1
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