Old bill's Gift
Bu Octavla Roberts
Coprrtht by Western Newspaper Union.)
BUI, more familiarly "Old BUI" ha
bad never been known to mention a
family name looked around his
-haven of holiday comfort," as he
termed it, with a chuckle of supreme
satisfaction.
It's great!" he gloated, "with only
eee thing missing Christmas tree."
Dill was a character. The towns
people designated him a tramp. 8ome
ew. howerer, the appellation did not
eem to fit. He did not drink nor
wear. He did not beg. His wUling
wars had made btm popular, and when
BUI was "down on his luck" and
passed a doorway hungry-looking, his
wants were generally prorlded for on
esticiieo.
ll -felTU the day before Christmas. fl
Wnd the patient gleam In "Old Bill's"
ever lurked some sentiment of memory
thai impelled him to celebrate. This es
pecial year he had been preparing for
the event with the eager ardor of
""- boy. Bill had made no confi
dants. Quietly and
enjoyably he had
laid bis plans.
These were now
perfected. A week
back Bill had
"gone to house
keeping." He bad
discovered an old
abandoned bars
Just beyond the
town limits. The
lower part had
ioct doors and windows and was bleak
-a4 cheerless Indeed. A rickety
starra, however, led to a room In one
erner of the loft It was cosy and
warm and at one time had been a bar
smm room. Here Bill had "camped.
Jte had fished out an old on stove, a
a table and chair from the town
etmsplng heap.
partlculai housewife had present
d aim with a roasted chicken because
side was slightly charred. On the
r4e table beside It were half a dosen
ememade doughnuts and a real
-enteet) pie.
BIB U.. e last look at the goodly
ray at comfort then went out to seek
branch of arbor vitae which would
sms as a Christmas tree.
As he neared the barn on his return
Aba came to a speedy halt.
A light glowed over at one corner ot
tfce place. It proceeded from a lantern
swt In the feed box of a manger. In
tit manger Itself across the sUle ha
tt contained a blanket was spread
swathed tn coverings upon this
km ttt:"i . in mmrrn rays, isy S
ittle sleeping babe.
Near by a serious-faced man wan
phnKIng the snow from his shoulders
Peg Me him, seated on an old sulteaae
a a comely but care-worn woman
Tne man began to speak. Bill, agape
rrw into the shadow and listened. It
to hear enough to learn that bad
luck was driving these homeless ones
from their former
home, pennlloss.
on foot, to the fa
ther of the wife,
ten miles further
on. The storm had
driven them to
temporary shelter.
The husband
nnd father had
taken a well
thumbed volume
from his pocket.
He began reading aloud. It was of
"an upper room," of a master and his
beloved disciples, of a supper never
to be forgotten in the memory of man
kind. .
IJfll stood like one transfixed. What
tender chord had been struck that he
closed his eyes! He was back forty
years in memory, at his mother's knee.
How vivid, bow appealing a picture
she had shown him of the Christ-child
In a manger, of the devoted father and
mother, as here before htm. a proto
type of that holy eye eo real, so touch
ingthe First Christmas!
A mighty thought moved him as he
quietly spoke:
"Friend, upstairs you will find com
fort till the storm Is over. Call It a
Christmas greeting see H and was
gone".
"I'll strike out for Farmer Dale's
haymow," shivered Bill, after halt an
hour's desultory wandering, and he
turned about to start, to shout out,
and then to run.
For there tn the distance the fa
miliar farmhouse showed no Illumina
tion within, but beyond It a glare shot
up a haystack on fire I
Bill reached the farmyard. The
wind had blown the flames against one
gable of the house and It was burn
Ing. He ran to the stable for a pitch
fork. Then began a fierce battle.
Bucket after bucket of water be car
ried. The last spark was dashed out.
and Bill sank exhausted to the ground
as the farmer and his tamUy, visiting
at a neighbor's and attracted by the
blase, came rushing upon the scene.
"Tea, declared Farmer Dale, two
hours later, as he showed !'"' up the
stairs and Into a eomtortabl amber,
"this Is your room, and you will sleep
here, and you're a free boarder long as
you like, understand T Why, there'd
be no house to sleep In If tt wasn't for
you!"
Old Bill was a long time getting Into
bed. JJke to a child he sank Into a
Peaceful slumber, nis of!pnrt sjitrW
In radiant "tanin vnrderlnji through
that "upper room" filled with the souls
of those, however humble, who bad
helt od to make true "Peace on earth
Rood will to men."
cneap ennstmss caxe.
Dissolve a level teaspoonful of sods
In two teaspoonful s of warm water
add half a pint Of very thick cream
stir for a moment, then add half s
cupful of New Orleans molasses, mix
thoroughly, add half a pint ot brown
sugar, three and a half cupfuls of sift
ed flour, through which has been
mixed a tablespoonful each of cinna
mon and a tablespoonful each of
cloves, spice and nutmeg; add a ta
blespoonful of grape Juice; stir into
this a pound of sultana raisins cut
Into halves and floured, and half a
pound of citron. Bake one and a ball
hours In a moderate oven.
Cake Candles.
If you wish to place red or green
candles around your cake, take a piecf
of pasteboard somewhat larger than
the cake, cover with fine white paper
set the cake in the center; melt paraf
fin slightly, dip candles In and set
around the cake. This keeps the cake
Icing whole, and there la no danger
ot the candles falling over. Little
sprigs of holly may be placed between
the candles.
At Christmas Time.
It the mother of tho family Is a very
busy person, and if the trimming ol
the Christmas tree seems one thing
too much, try giving the kiddles the
fun of trimming It themselves. This,
of course, applies only to the children
who have grown out of the baby stage
To Hang In Ousst Room.
Bleep aweet within this quiet room,
O thou, whoe'sr thou art.
And let no sad, dull yesterday
Disturb thy quiet heart.
Forget thyself and all the world.
Put out each flickering light
Ills star la shining overhead.
Bright Christmas, dear food night.
t-
I ; The mistletoe could tell some
t funny tales had It the gift of i
i , speech. j ,
Shortest Referenee to Christmas.
"December 25th Rained all day."
This Is the shortest reference to
Christmas In any book. It Is the only
entry under that date In the diary of
our old friend Robinson Crusoe.
Mere Blessed te Give.
Because you give- a five-dollar bin
is no reason why you should expect
the same.
-e aS e. e. AeA .ev ev sA ey AeA AeA Ae AeA AeA Ay e. AeA Aey. AeA se.ee
! STALLIONS
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FOR
SALE
I have stopped in Alliance for a few
days with four Good American-Bred
Stallions, as good as grow.
mm
Two
Percherons
and
Two
Shires
tin
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The Store that is Headquarters for the
ID
U. G
(SOCIETY TOR THE PREVENTION OF USELESS GIVING)
In our Large Stock of General Hardware you will find
Many Articles for Christmas
You are cordially invited to call and examine our stock
MAJESTIC and MONARCH
STEEL RANGES
Make the wife a present of either a Majestic or Monarch Steel Range, and you will
make her happy 365 days during the coming year, and for many years to come. We sell them.
Call and sec them.
Sliindler's Hardware
Hemingford,
Nebraska
Wh
at are You Kicking About?
You Men who think you're underpaid
Don't "cuss'1 your luck bscause your pay is small. Don't blame it on the boss. Don't
think that the reason others get more pay is that they have more "pull," because IT ISN'T SO!
The men who get big pay are those who are TRAINED to do work that is worth it. You
have no special training, and you have to do work that any man with two hands can do; therefore
your pay is small AND YOU, ONLY, ARE TO BLAME.
YOU can earn more YOU can work with your head instead of your hands YOU can give
orders instead of taking them. No matter what you do, where you live, or how old you are, the
International Correspondence Schools can come TO YOU and train you for a better job.
From two to five years old. i
Perfectly acclimated. Will sell cheap.
Terms to Suit Purchaser I
Call and see them at the Wilson Barn,
or write me in care of the Burlington
Hotel, Alliance.
W. W. Buchanan
of Hyannis, Nebraska
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Mark and Mail This Coupon
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