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AREWELL fare
well the best ot
If friends must part
Aim as u iuacu
how dear thou art
How fond and dear
Old Year 0 1 d
Year
Here take a glint or
gold from out my
hair
A shade of rose
from cheek and
lip and there
Sprinkle a touch of
snow before you
Old Year before you
go
rjnnfihr God sneed
i all earthly things must end
One look into your fading eyes my friend
So fond and dear Old Year Old Year
Theres mild regret within my heart In
place of pain
All that was sweet In thee shall once
again
In memory live and make me glad
Old Year then why be sad
Now that were parting Im Impelled to say
What Ive in -secret thought for many d uay
Yet still I love you dear Old Year
Youve always worn a somewhat somber
face
Yonve never had the winsome sprightly
grace I
That I remember in your foregone kin
Old Year that I have ushered In
Yourstay was shorter toolt43eemstome
Than that of former years was wont to ber
Oh fond and dear Old Year Old Year
Mayhap for me all time is near complete
And toward the end youre hastning with
gladlcet -
Then speed no longer stay
Old Year go swift thy -way
Dakota night The prairie
A wrapped in mysterious shadows
rolls away to the south and van
ishes among the ghostly stars Through
the sedges of the marsh the night wind
sighs fitfully and the frogs from their
reedy haunts croak a hoarse accom
paniment
For Hans Brynjulson smoking in the
door of his shack and looking out over
the moonlit plain and coteaux there is
but one word in the heart one song on
the lips of nature
Christina
Well indeed did Hans remember her
braids of golden hair her sparkling eyes
the fair beauty of her northern face
They had parted but that was long ago
You will make your fortune in Amer
ica Hans Be brave I will come when
you want me God be with you my
dear one
Not a day passed but these words
leaped from the memory to the heart of
Hans Brynjulson They were oftener on
his lips than were his prayers
The first year the dreaded southwest
wind scorched and withered a field al
most ready for the reaper but Hans
saved enough grain to plant the land
again The second year crops were
backward and the wheat was nipped
by frost and shriveled and blackened in
the husk The third year crops were
beaten to the ground by hail
How had Hans contrived to keep body
and soul together during these years of
trial By mortgaging his possessions
Ls claim his horses his farming imple
ments everything had been laid under
contribution to tide him over the hard
times
In his hands he had a letter It was
dark and he could not read it but this
was unnecessary He had conned it
word for word until he could have recited
it by note The letter was from Chris
tina She told her lover in simple words
that she could not remain away from him
longer A longer absence for her was
worse than death Surely her willing
hands would prove a mighty factor in
his hard life The meanest drudgery at
his side and for him would be happiness
for her The Stockholm sailed on the 1st
of December for New York Could he not
send her money to pay her passage
If so she would come third class all the
way God bless him for the faithful
lover that he was
Poor Hans He had never written
Christina of his heroic struggle with fate
What should he do now Tell her all
No no His heart rebelled against such
a course Fair loyal Christina He
would send her the passage money But
where was he to get it He started sud
denly to his feet The moonbeams strik
ing his haggard face wreathed it with a
strange beauty
Ay skall dot he murmured in his
broken English ay skall see Messer
Yonson in da niornin
Say do you know what that ere
crazy Swede from Pony Gulch has been
up to
Chris Larkin the blacksmith dropped
the head of his hammer on the anvil and
supported himself on the handle with his
bared sinewy arms as he addressed this
sentence to Cal Higgins a farmer
What now asked Higgins Whats
the latest
Gone an mortgaged himself to Law
yer Johnson for 100
Taint possible
Tis too but it cant be legal
LOKIX PR LITTLE CHRISTINA
Spose the Swede cant pay up when
the mortgage is due
Johnsonll foreclose I spose
Then hed own the Swede hey
Moren likely Then he cd hire him
out by the day ye see an git his money
back in that way
Whens the mortgage due
New Years Day
What did the Swede -want the money
for
k iu nict r
B - OLD YEAR FAREWELL I JJunno tie weni c r i gent tat JS K c O
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ntvnv nrrv lilnciied Cent
Dont that beat all exclaimed Hig
gins disgustedly thats jest ike them
Swedes Some fool spekerlati jr Ill bet
a copper
It was Christmas Day
In the nooks and crannies cf Wells
County there was a bare suggestion of
snow The white flakes were uu usually
backward that year in taking possession
of the country and the settlers shook their
heads forebodingly as they spoke of a
green Christmas and a fat church
yard
Dont worry Chris remarked the
conductor of the passenger train that had
thundered up to the station well have
a regular bender to make up for this
When the snow comes itll be on ua all
in a heap see if it aint Whats the
matter my man
The last words were spoken to Hans
Brynjulson who had touched the con
ductor on the arm
Ay been lokin fr mae little Chris
tina by dees train but Ay cant see her
no place began poor Hans
Ah went on the conductor with a
laugh some girl from the States that
youre going to marry No there were
no passengers for Sykeston
Hans turned with a sigh The post
master was walking off with the mail
pouch and the forlorn Swede followed
He had a vague thought that the mail
pouch might contain some news for him
like so many spirits of peace over the
quiet village
A man reeling through the semi-darkness
heard the song and stopped to lis
ten As the last bar of the song died
away its cadence was broken by a dis
cordant groan A moment later as Law
yer Johnson with his wife and little
daughter came out of the church he near
ly stumbled over the form of a man lying
prone upon the ground
ed in will shake the stoutest confidence
Thus it was with the lawyer and when
some moments later his wife suggested
that Hans be sent to the schoolhouse to
see if Bessie were there he consented
Hans was called in from the shed and
given his commission He bowed his
head buttoned his thin coat tightly
around him and laid his hand on the
door knob The lawyer was holding in
his hands a great fur coat
nothing is known The lawyers daugh
ter could not tell She started home she
said was overtaken by the storm and
finally grew bewildered Struggling vain
ly for what seemed an interminably long
time she had finally sunk senseless and
exhausted into the snow
When found she was snugly wrapped in
the lawyers fur coat while a pair of
thin rigid arms folded her close as
though to protect her from the drifting
flakes And when the snow was brushed
from Hans Brynjulsons icy face con
gealed tears were found in the eye lashes
and about the mouth mystery unsolva
ble there hovered a smile Happiness
crowned with tears
Perhaps they were tears of joy per
haps the boisterous winter winds became
summer zephyrs in the ears of Hans
Brynjulson and whispered to him the
word Christina Christina perhaps
this also was the burden of the snow
flakes as they rustled down over him and
wove their spotless woof into the weft
of his life
Lawyer Johnson caused it to be duly
known that Hans Brynjulson had can
celled his mortgage and it was Mrs
Johnsons own hand that gave the docu
ment to the fire W W Cook in Detroit
Free Press
At Christmas Surprise
She asked her experienced father
Dear papa tell me I pray
What shall I give my husband
To surprise him on Christmas Day
A present for Clarence he murmured
-
f
Half an hour later the letters and par
cels had been assorted and the postmaster
began distributing them to the waiting
throng There were Christmas presents
and loving tidings from dear ones in the
East and manya pioneers face wreathed
with happiness as the letters were read
or the presents tucked snugly away in
warm breast pockets
Heres something for you Hans
called the postmaster and the pale faced
man who had been lingering near the
door doubtful but expectant started for
ward with a smile and an outstretched
hand That handwriting The letter
was from Christina
The envelope was hastily torn open
and a pair of happy blue eyes began
perusing the text Suddenly the happy
light vanished from the face Hans
Brynjulsons limbs grew rigid and he
lurched over against the counter with a
moan of anguish
English words even in a free transla
tion are powerless to catch the pathetic
vein that ran through Hans Brynjulsons
letter but here are its contents done
into our own language
On board S S Stockholm Dec 10
Mr Dear One-
When you read this my faithful love she
who writes it will be with you but In the
spirit I am to die the ships doctor says
and I thank God that I have the strength to
send you this last word I would that Our
Heavenly Father had spared me to work for
you but since this is impossible work dou
bly hard for yourself Be brave dear Hans
for my sake Be patient and you will be
fortunate God tempers the wind to his
stricken children and he will -not forget thee
my darlh g My strength ebbs fast a last
farewell CHRISTINA
As the shades of evening crept over the
sky and brought out one by one the
cold clear cut stars the words of a
Christmas carol floated through the doors
of the little Sykeston church and settled
Why he exclaimed its Hans Bryn
julson
Let him lie where he is said Mrs
Johnson hes drunk no doubt
Well drunk or sober if he lies here
hell freeze It means a hundred dollars
to me said the lawyer grimly ah hes
reviving Come come my man dont
you know where you are
Messer Yonson returned Hans inter
rogatively
Yes yes get up and follow us Youll
freeze to death lying there You mustt
freeze you know It wouldnt be treat
ing me fair You understand why eh
You can sleep in my barn to night
The day after New Years dawned with
a calm that would have been foreboding
had not unusual weather so far marked
the winter in Wells County
Little Bessie Johnson went to school
in the morning and she had been gone
from home an hour when a black cloud
rifted with wind appeared in the north
west Like a great ominous banner
battle scarred and brushing its ragged
streamers across the sky the cloud came
on with racehorse speed And then came
the blast in all its fury Helter skelter
here and there blew the wild white
flakes rushing around the corner of Law
yer Johnsons house with an angry roar
the bits of snow played hide andjseek
among the eaves and then skurried away
in the mad gambols of a whirlwind
Goodness me Silas said Mrs John
son turning from the window I cant
see a yard away What will become of
Bessie
Shell be all right dont worry The
teacher will not let the scholars leave the
schoolhouse until the blizzard is over
Fears however if long enoughpersist
r
Put this on he said
Reaching the schoolhouse in safety
Hans found it occupied by the teacher
and a few frightened pupils But Bes
sie Johnson was not there At the first
appearance of the cloud in the northwest
the girl had persisted in a determination
to start home The teacher had not
made a very serious attempt to thwart
its haxs BPyJtJiso
that resolve feeling perhaps that she
would have ample time to cover the dis
tance before the storm came Hans
Brynjulson received the information
without comment and taice more vanished
into the storm
Of what he did after this absolutely
His mind with past years away
As he thought of his wifes dear presents
For which he had had to pay
This Is sure to surprise him daughter
If theres anything that will
A gold watch and chain to give him
And Include a receipted bill
Judge
Nevr Year Advice
Dont wait for the wagon while the
walking Is good
Dont grieve over spilt milk while
theres one cow left in the pasture
Dont say the world is growing worse
when you are doing nothing to make it
better
Dont tell the world your troubles You
cant borrow ten dollars on them
Dont let the grass grow under your
feet The cows cant get at it there
To the Children
Hear Kris Krlngle with his bells
Christmas bells
What a world of merriment their melody
foretells
How they tinkle tinkle tinkle
In the icy air of night
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With their stockings full f light
Keeping time time time
In a merry Christmas rhyme
To the tintinnabulation that so musicallj
swells
From his bells bells bells bells
Bells bells bells
From the jingling and the tinkling of his
bells
Equal to the Occasion
Oh dont she exclaimed as he at
tempted to take a kiss wait till Christ
mas and you can kiss me under the mis
tletoe
Thats all risht he said Ill kiss
you at Christmas under the mistletoe
but just now Im going to kiss you unaer
the nQse
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branch to branch Frosted icicles of dif
ferent colored glasses are effective hung
from the tip of each branch
A fancy tree top piece either of bright
red or silver is indispensable Then
there are tinsel comets to hang through
the branches strings of tinsel and tinsel
tassels Something new is asbestos
which when distributed over the tree
looks like snow There should be lots of
cornucopias filled with candy and snap
ping mottoes with fancy colored caps or
whistles and tiny horns inside There
are many decorations in the form o2
Brownies These are not pretty but they
are the fad Be sure you have plenty of
candles S dozen wont be too many
After j u s ill through trimming take
handfuls of loose tinsel and spray it all
over the tree
A Christmas Scheme
A lady who was shopping saw her hus
band examining pocketbooks at a show
case in another part of the store When
he had gone she approached the sales
woman in that department
Did he get the one I wanted
Yes the one with the silver horse
shoe I told him it was the best and
would just suit
Youre a jewel I feared he would
get something I didnt want Thank you
ever so much
The husband had gone to his favorite
drug store when he asked
Has my wife been here
Yes said the clerk with a grin
Did she get a toothbrush or a box of
cigars for my Christmas present
Ha X know the brand 2 a hun
dred Well if she buys a box changa
them to my regular brand and Ill payAe
difference see
And the druggist saw
A New Year Song
Who comes dancing over the snow
His little soft feet all bare and rosy
Open the door though the wild winds blow
Take the child in and make him cozy
Take him in and hold him dear
He is the wonderful Xew Year
Open your heart be It sad or gay
Welcome him there and use him kindly
For you must carry him yea or nay
Carry him with shut eye3 so blindly
But whether he brlngeth joy or fear
Take him God sends him this good New
Year
fw
E Christmas tree
hold be carefully se
lected and always bo
sure to get one which
has been cut after com
2 weather has set in
Sometimes rnose wuu
the trees for sale cut them
down in the early fall This
is very well if there is no dry
warm weather afterwards
To determine bow recently a
tree has been cut insist upun
seeine it shaken if the nee
dles fall dont take it To trim well a
tree should be round and symmetrical in
form wide around the bottom growingto
a point at the top
Balsam pine trees are the prettiest and
most expensive A handsome one about
ten feet high costs 5 These trees
Catskill Moun
come from Vermont the
tains Massachusetts and New Hamp
shire They have the largest and bright
est needles while the limbs grow closer
than on any other and are very thick
up to the top Spruce trees are the most
used because beiug plentiful they are
much cheaper being half the priceof a
balsam pine Tn color they are not so
green They come from Massachusetts
Vermont Maine and the Catskill Moun
tains
There is nothing distinctly new in the
tree decorations The fancy pendant3
are used in great profusion Five hun
dred of assorted colors would not be too
many on a good sized tree These are
round nvnl frnctnrl KrilUonf n nrt fmc at
A Slight Delay
Mrs Pinkerly The boy has just come
with that lovely Christmas present I got
for you today dear He is waiting In the
hall now
Pinkerly How kind kiss and thought
ful of you dear Kiss kiss I am just
dying to see what it is Impatiently
Why dont you have the boy brine it up
Mrs Pinkerly embarrassed The fact V
is er darling it has come C O D
Life
A Small Eoys Complaint f
I dont like the month of December
As much as I possibly should
Because when Christmas is coming
Small boys must be awfully good
And while long division aint easy
And spelling Is poky and slow
This behaving for three weeks fore Christ
mas
Is the hardest old task that I know
Harpers Bazar
Measure Tor Measure
Its not the right sort of feeling per
haps but at Christmas I like to give just
as valuable presents as I receive
So do I My wife is going to give me
a hundred dollar dressing gown and I
am going to give her a hundred dollaj
check to pay for it Life
Is or Are
Ah Santa Claus come in come in
Your welcome is beyond all measure
Were glad to have you come and stay
YouxChristmas reffennYse a Pleasure
Watching for Santa Clans
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covered Some represent birds grapesjb
bells fruit horns and fish Strings of
brilliant colored balls add greatly to the
appearance of the tree when draped from
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