vv ( aa ft a
V X "MA ...
i v v r w " 11 v r
TRe:iiiiii
Ono star burned low within tho darkened
east, .
And from a stable door an answering
Crept faintly forth, where through full
hours of night ,
A woman watched. Tho sounds of day
had censed, . ,,
And savo tho gentle tread of restless
heaat 4i
There, dwelt a hush profound. The moth
er's sight . . , . ,
So holden by her Babe took no affright
When shadows of tho beams, that caught
tho least A.
Of light, seemed shapened to a lengthen
ing cross;
She only saw a crown mado by n. fleece
Of golden hair. Naught presaged pain or
Iobs
To her, tho pivot of tho swinging sphere
Lay sheltered In her arms so warm and
near:
A mother's heart proclaimed Illm "Prlnco
of Peace 1"
Edna A. Foster.
o was such an un
kempt, ead looking
crcaturo when ho
presented .himself
at tho back door
t h n t Christmas
morning asking for
something to eat
that Mary was
more than half In
clined to disobey
SvSitho rule of the
Tracy household, which stood good
at all seasons of the year as well
as at Yuletldo, and rofUBO his re
quest. Before sho could do so, how
over, ?lrs. Tracy hersolf came Into tho
kitchen, and, with scant show of hos
pitality, Mary allowed tho tramp to
enter.
Sho had always secretly grumbled
because Mrs. Tracy would allow no
one to bo turned away hungry, and to
day thoro was no excuso, for tho fam
ly had just finished breakfast and
there was plenty of food loft to give
the man a substantial meal.
"Qoln to como and rob the house
to-night, llko'smot," was Mary's In
ward comment as sho put tho coffee
pot on tho stove, and sho watched the
man narrowly to seo It ho wero mak
ing a mental plan of tho houso, but
her suspected burglar did not once
look up from tho lloor as ho sat ner
vously twirling his hat.
"He's young and able to work,"
Mary soliloquized, as she bustled to
and fro putting eatables on ono end
of tho kitchen table. "Might bo tol
erable good lookln', too, If ho was
shaved and dressed up and washed."
"There!" sho snapped, setting a cup
VoC coffee down on tho tablo with as
much forco ns sho could without spill
ing Its contents. MYouAyJJt,iial's sot."
Tho man, scarcely raising his eyes,
dropped his hat and hitched his chair
near tho table.
.Timf nn lin pnirflrtv plutnlinil ihn
of fragrant coffee, a door opened, a
pair of merry blue eyes peered Into tho
kltchon and a shrill llttlo voice piped
out, "Hollo, man, morry Christmas!"
Tho "man" started, shifted uneasily
In his chair, but mado no reply. Un
daunted by his chilling reception, tho
door was burst open, and a golden
haired Httlo boy burst into tho room.
With the unquestioning confidence of
childhood, ho walked up to tho
stranger and said gravely, "I said
merry Christmas."
"nun into the" other room, Donald,"
Mcry put in hastily.
The man shot a half-deflant glance
at her, but did not look at tho child.
"I don't want to," tho llttlo fellow
replied. "He's company, and mamma
aid I could 'tain him. I brlnged tho
new Mothor Doose book dat I dot from
Bantn Claus to show he," and, push
ing a chair close to the table, from
It be mounted the end of tho table
opposite the man, and sat there like a
iweot, rosy cherub observing some
dark spirit
' Tho tramp, who seemed almost
- tarnished, paused just long enough, to
im mmm
MB I
IS
m
look wonderlngly at his strango llttlo
companion, and then gavo his full at
tention to tho meal.
'Don't you want to talk?" Donald
demanded.
'I'm not nt that is, 'er, I don't
know how to talk to such a llttlo kid,"
tho man nnswercd.
'All right, I gucs3 you want to eat,"
tho child observed, graciously. "I
guess I'll read to you," opening tho
book ho was holding in his arms. "You
know Mothor Oooso. don't you?"
Tho man shook his head, but some
thing like a smile flitted across his
sullen features.
"Well, I'll show you tho pictures and
read you 'bout 'em. This one," and
Donald slid along tho tablo as near
to tho man as tho dishes would al
low, "this one is about 'Blue Boy.' I'll
read 'bout him," and, In a chanting,
high-pitched volco, he repeated tho
rhymo of "Llttlo Boy Blue'
"Did you over sleep under i bay
mow?" ho asked, suddenly, nt the con
clusion of his recitation.
Tho man frowned slightly at tho
childish query, bit his Hp and nodded
his bead.
"Was It ntco?" went on his Inter
rogator. "Did your mamma let you?"
Tho man's lower lip wa3 pressed
cruelly by bin teeth at thl3 question,
but a surly Bhake of his head was lfls
only reply.
"Oh, was you naughty nntl runned
away?" tho boy asked, slowly.
Had Mary been an obsorvlng girl,
sho would have seen, under tho
scrubby beard and grlmo on tho hag
gard faco, a dull red flush spread to
tho roots of his shaggy, neglected hair,
"Didn't your mamma como to look
for you?" continued tho little tor
mentor.
"Sho didn't know whero I was.V tho
tramp answered, in a strango, muffled
voice.
;Then you hided from her!" ex
claimed the child, with bluo oyqcs wldo
open.
Tho man was looking out of tho
window now, forgetful of his good
breakfast
"I Was naughty onco and runned
away," Donald prattled on, "and whon
my mamma found mo sho was just
awful glad, but she cried, too wasn't
that funny? And she said mothers
was always glad when they got their
boys back, oven when they was big
and runned awful far off, 'strayed into
the paths' I forgot Just what that
part was, but sho said I must always
como back to her an' an I don't
"A DOOR OPENED."
'member any more, but I guess If you'd
go back to your mamma sho'd forget
tho naughty and bo glad. Do you
think she'd cry?"
The man cast one flerco look over
his nhabby person. "Cry!" ho ex
claimed, bitterly. "Oh " ho drew
his breath hard between his teetfi ns
tho sight of tho baby faco choked back
the oath that nearly escaped him.
"Isn't you goin to eat any more?"
chirped tho llttlo fellow, with awak
ened hospitality, noticing that his
guest, sitting with his head on his
hand, seemed to havo lost Jils appe
tite. Tho child 8 volco roused him
from his thoughts, and, seeing that
Mary had paused in her work and was
watching him curiously, ho asked
humbly, "Can I have somo cotfeo?"
Meanwhllo Donald way turning the
pages of his book. "Hero's a funny
plcturo," ho announced, pointing with
his fat little finger, "but .It's 'bout a
dreadful naughty boy. I'll read 'bout
him," and, in n very solemn and Im
pressive tone, ho repeated tho talo of
"Tom, Tom, tho Piper's Son."
"It's droadful bad to steal, you
know," ho commented, gravely. "My
mnramo says so, and, of courso, sho
knows niammaB know most every
thing, don't they? Onco what do you
think? I stolo! I didn't steal a pig
like Tom, but I stole some llttlo cakes,
and my mamma talked to mo a long
time, and she told me so many, things
so I'd grow to bo a good man. Did your
mamma want you to bo a good man,
too?"
Tho' man choked on a hasty cup of
ccffco, but mado no reply. Donald did
not scorn to expect one, but chatted on.
"I whs 'frukl my mamma did not lovo
mo any more when I stolo thoso cakes,
'cause sho looked so sorry, but," with
a happy llttlo laugh, "seemed llko sho
loved mo more'n over after; But I
don't want to Bee hor look sorry llko
that again, Did you over mako your
tanmmn look sorry out of her eyes,
you know?"
A . smothered groan from tho
stranger and, with a child's intuition
of "something wrong," Docnld sought
to chcor and console und said, reas
suringly, "Well, you just go an' tell
her you're sorry an' soo if sho don't
bo glad and lovo you. I most know
sho will."
Tho mnn had ceased eating and sat
motionless with his head bowed on
hla breast until Mary approached and
curtly asked If ho wore "dono catlnV
"Yco," ho answered absently, and,
looking wistfully at tho child, ho
reached for his hat.
"Is you goln' to boo your mamma?"
questioned Donald, cagorly.
"Yes, my llttlo man," enmo tho nn
Bwcr, in a clear, ringing volco that
mado Mary Jump and drop a basin
That's Just whero I am going. But
first, tell mo your namo."
'I'm llttlo Donald Robert Tracy, and
my papa's big Donald Robort!"
"Good-by, llttlo preacher. Yoirrt
tho best ono I'vo over heard," and
Just brushing tho golden head with
his lips, tho tramp passed out of the
door and went down tho street, not
with tho slouching, hnng-dog air with
which ho had approached tho houBO,
but with head erect and shoulders
squared, ho swung along with long,
easy strides.
"Of all tho ungrateful wrotchosl"
exclaimed Mory, angrily, to Mrs.
Tracy, who had slipped In through the
half-opon door. "Ho nover even said
'thank you.'" Hor mistress did not
seem to hear, but, with shining eyes,
gathered hor llttlo son up In hor armB,
and, as sho pressed him closoly to hor,
sho whispered brokenly, "And a little
child shall lead thorn."
A year passed, and llttlo Donnld'i
Ma4AU) VUU V UUil iVt 5UVVVU
"YOU KNOW MOTHER GOOSE
DON'T YOU?"
by all savo Mrs. Tracy. Sho often won
dered what fruit the' good seed sown
by tho Innocent child last Christmas
morning had borno. That ho had been
God's chosen Instrument for working
out somo great end, her gontlo heart
never doubted.
It was,f theroforo, a great pleasure
and satisfaction to her to recelvo a
long icuor irora tno "man." it was
written from his homo in a far eastern
city, and told, in a simplo, straight
forward mannor, tho story of his down
fall and how, moved by Donald's child
ish prattle, ho had worked his way
back home, resolved to begin life
anow; how kind friends had holpod
him and encouraged him, and how he
was doing well at his old trado of
bookbinding.
"I was going from bad to worse," the
letter ran, "and nothing Is easlor for
a young follow to do, and tho road
down to being a 'common tramp' is a
short ono whon ono gets Btarted. Whon
I camo to your houso that Christina
morning I was bitter, hard and des
perato. No ono living could have
touched my heart as did that little
bluc-oyod boy. His llttlo sermon, with
its text taken from 'Mother Gooso,
snatched this poor brand from the
burning. Toll tho llttlo. chap thnt 1
found my mamma, and sho was glad
as bo said."
Accompanying tho letter was a pack-
ago of Christmas gifts, addressed to
Donald. Among othor things It con
talncd n book n copy of "Mother
Goose" exactly llko tho ono from
which ho had "read" to tho man to
'"tain him," exquisitely bound In
whlto vellum. On tho cover In gold
lottcrs wns Donald's name, and below
It, "From his grateful Bluo Boy,
jnri8tmas lbu ."
In England children hang their
stockings at tho foot of their beds. In
America tho wholo family suspend
their stockings from tho mmtolplece of
tho sitting room, to savo Banta Claus
tho trouble of ascending tto stairs and
entering each room to distribute his
wares.
7 '
"I heard a story latch', which I think Is
very quccrj" . , .
And "Robert's self wns on my lap, his
lips were at my car
"A dreadful, dreadful story" ft sudden,
awnn pnuBo .
'Somebody said tho other day thoro alnt
no Santa Claus.
"Would you bcllcvo It. auntlot Thoy
milrl 'twrm nil n. triple
About tho tiny reindeer and tho visits of
oaini nick.
That all tho chimneys wero too small,
mo stoves wero nil ion noi,
And lotR of just such stuff as that, I
can't remember wnat.
"'Thoy said that years and years ago,
with flre.placcs wide.
And all tho doors upon tho latch In all
tho countryside.
Both old anil young for myths nnd
dreams had quite a pretty passion,
But now belief in Santa Claus had all
gouo out of fashion.
"And when I cried that I could provo
'twas all a wicked He,
They only shrugged their shoulders nnd
said I'd better try;
I never will bellevo It, I know It can't
bo truol
For If I'vo nover seen him, say, nuntlo,
haven't you?"
Ah, yes. my llttlo questioner, qulto often
In my drenmB,
Though when I wake I only seo tho cold,
white, still moonbeums;
Dozing I often think I hear tho sound
of horn nnd hoof,
And waking 11ml tho elm-trco boughs a
tapping on tho roof.
But I havo other reasons than those
plain to oyo and ear
For trusting In tho Btory that wo hold so
true and dear;
I never shall outgrow Jt, nor loso my
faith, becnuuo
Tho wqrld will never got beyond a. need
of Santa Claus.
Ynuths' Companion.
THE DAY OF DAYS.
A thousnnd years hnvo como and gone,
And near n thouimud more,
Slnco happier light from heaven shone
Than over shono before;
And In the henrts of old und young
A Joy moBt Joyful stirred,
That sent such news from tonguo to
tongue
As earn had niivor heard.
And wo nro glad, nnd wo will sing,
As In the days of yoro;
Como all, nnd hearts mado ready bring,
To welcome back once moro
The day when first on wintry enrth
A summer chango began,
And dawning on a lonely birth,
Uprose tho Light of man.
-T. T. Lynch.
our travelers who wero
snow-bound In a Western
passenger train on Christ
mns Evo speedily became
acquainted with each other, and sat
about tho stovo at tho ond ot tho car to
"talk it over." Ono of tho mon was a
drummer, another n cowboy, tho third
a big cattleman, nnd tho last tho minis
ter who tells tho story. Thoy Anally
fell into conversation with a poor wo
man nnd her two children, tho only re
maining passengers, and found that
tho mother, who had tried to maintain
horself by sowing since her husband's
death, was giving up tho unequal strug
gle and going home to llvo with
"grandma."
The llttlo threadbare children had
been promised a Joyous Christmas
ttibro, and when thoy found that tho
olockndo would prevent tholr getting
farther, for tho presont, thoy cried
Olttcrly until sleep quieted them. Just
oeforo thoy dropped oft tho drummor
remarked',
"Say, parson, wo'vo got to glvo theso
thlldrcn como Christmas."
"That's whatl" said tho cowboy,
"I'm agreed," added tho cattloman.
Tho children wero told to hang up
their stockings,
"Wo atn't got none," qtinvored tho
attle girl, "'ceptln thoso we've got
ARK
IF
on, nnd ma says It's too cold to tnko
'em off."
"I'vo got two pairs of now woolon
socks," said tho cattleman, eagerly. "I
ain't never woro om, and you ro wol
como to 'cm."
Tho children clapped their hands,
but their faces fell when tho elder re
marked: "But Santa Claus will know they'ro
not bur stockings. He'll put in all tho
things for you."
"Lord lovo you!" roared tho burly
cattleman. "Ho won't bring mo noth
ln. Ono of us'll sit up, anyhow, and
toll him It's for you."
Then tho children knolt down on tho
floor of tho car beside their Improvised
be'ds. Instinctively tho hands ot tho
mon went to their bends, nnd at tho
first wordB ot "Now I lay mo," hats
wero off.
Tho cowboy stood twirling his hat,
and looking at tho llttlo kneeling fig
ures. Tho cattleman's vision seemed
dimmed, while In tho oyes ot tho trav
eling man shone a distant look a look
across snow-flllod prairies to a warmly
lighted homo. Tho children wero soon
nslcop. Thon nroso tho question ot
presents.
"It don't soom to mo I'vo got any-
"NOW I LAY ME"
thing to glvo 'om," said tho cowboy,
mournfully, "unless tho llttlo kid
might llko my spurs. I'd glvo my gun
to tho llttlo girl, though on general
principles I don't llko to give up a
gun.!'
"Nover mind, boys," said tho drum
mer, "you como nlong with mo to tho
baggago car."
So oft thoy trooped. Ho opened hU
trunks and spread beforo them such an
array of trash and trinkets us took
away their breath,
"There," said ho, "Jus pick out tho
best things nnd I'll donato tho lot!"
"No, you don't!" Bald tho cowboy.
"I'm going to buy what I want and
pay for It, too, or olso thoro nln't goln'
to bo no Christmas round hero."
"That's my Judgment, too," said tho
cattloman, and tho minister agreed,
So thoy sat down to their task of se
lection, They spent hours over It in
brcnthlesB interest, and when their
gifts woro ready thoro nroBe tho quos-
tlon of n Christmas tree. It had ston
ped snowing, and tramping out into tho
moonlit night, they cut down n groat
plcco of sagc-briiBh. Tho mothor
adorned It with tlnsol paper and the
gifts wero prettily dlsposod, Christmas
dawned for two of tho happiest chil
dren undor tho sun, nnd a happy moth
er, too, for Inside tho big plush album
selected for her tho cattleman had
slipped a hundred-dollar bill.
After Clirlitumi.
As a general thing nffectlonato
fathers and mothers rojoico in tho hap
plncss of their children, but tho rulo
has its exceptions.
"Is Mr. Smart at all given to drink?"
Inquired a merchant, anxiously, ot his
confidential clerk.
"No, indeed!" wns tho decided nn
Bwer, "Ho never touches n drop. But
what put such a suspicion Into your
mlnd7"
"Why, I noticed thnt ho has been
two hours lato for tho Inst thrco
mornings, and ho looks for nil the
world as If ho had been on a regular
spreo."
"Oh, that's all right," said tho clerk,
"Ho gave IiIb boy a drum tor Christmas."
A gift ot a fanoy bodockod
box of candles Is nt all times
a most wolcoino gift, and no
bonbon enndlea nro very ox
nonslvo to purchase In largo
quantities and aro so caMly mndo.a few
recipes for Christmas goodlcB may bo
tiBoful to our renders. Years ago pco
plo bollevod thiU candy was harmful,
but that notion was sot aside; and it
Is declared really beneficial of course,
whon cnton at tho propor tlmo, In
propor quantities and mado of puro
materials. Homo-mado candles aro al
ways puro, tho best materials aro used
and tho cost Is much less than is paid
for tho samo grade In tho stores, It
Is a ntco plan to mako your own
ChrlBtmas caudles, and you can Bond
boxes away to your friends who will
prize things mado for thorn much moro
than anything bought
To sond candles' awny thoy should
bo mado to look as dainty nnd pretty
as possible Fancy bctBkota can be
cheaply bought that will bo pretty
attor tho candy la used, and lined with
waxed paper over a fringed inner lin
ing or somo delicate colored tis
sue paper. In packing plnco waxed
paper between tho layers, nnd whon
tho baskot la mica wrap tho edges ot
tho lining paper over tho top bo that
tho caudles aro covered, then gathor
tho fringed tlssuo paper into a rosotto,
nnd tlo with baby ribbon.
In making peanut candy, to ovory
half pint of shelled nnd blanched pea
nuts uso ono cupful each ot molassoa
or mignr. Boll together until tho mix-
tttro Is brlttlo whon dropped into cold
wntcr; then stir in tho half pint ot
poanuta boforo taking from tho flro.
Pour into buttered pane and mark oft
into squares or lengths boforo It cools.
Hickory nuts, English walnuts or al
monds muy bo used in place of pea
nuts. To blanch nuts Ib to removo tho flno
skin which covers tho nut undor tho
shell. This will easily rub off In pea
nuts, but other nuts roqulro different
treatment After removing tho shell
cover tho nuts with boiling wator, and
lot thorn Btnnd until tho dark akin
will easily rub off, thon put them into
cold water. Dry botwoen towols. ,
- I
BP
doubt If any class of mon
in tho world appreciate
their holidays so fully as
mo juciticH. writes a re
tired naval ofllcor. Tho llfo on
board a warship Is at best
very conflnod and nocessnrlly
Etrlct and Bovore, Thcro is the
suggestion of a prison In tho stool
walls and narrow quarters and tho
regularity of tho hours and meals. Tho
llfo of tho jacklcs Is mado up almost
entirely of work with very llttlo play.
Wo learn to enjoy our Chrlstmases tho
moro whon at last thoy como round.
On Christmas, for onco In tho year at
least, all rules, ot which thcro aro so
many on board a battleship, are
thrown to tho winds nnd tho Jackics
aro glvon tho cntlro freedom of tho
ship. Tho order which Is usually glv
on them is that they can upend tho day
exactly as thoy like, and tako any lib
erties they choose short of blowing up
tho ship. ,
it sometimes happens when tho ship
is in Borno attractlvo port that the
Bailors profor to spend tho day on
land, and thoy aro of courso always
granted leavo of absonce. It Is sel
dom, howover, that tho ship is so de
serted that tho cabins nre not for tho
tlmo converted into a veritable pande
monium. There Is no formal celebra
tion of tho day ordorod by tho gov
ernment. Tho Bailors aro simply giv
en their liberty and thoy do the rest
If a chaplain chances to bo on board
tho day le opened with somo simplo
religious services and thoro tho juris
diction at tho captain may bo said to
end.
TlmURlitfoI fc'nnta.
Kind old Santa Claus! IIo brings
something ovon to tho bad little boys
who go fishing on Sunday, PucJt.
OIL
I
MSMii
