1
y
f.'uvi B.l-55T f men I
OOD WILL foment
Good will to
mrn
O, loud and high, O,
sweet and clear.
The b o n g ranu
through tho
dazzling Hpuco
In that wintry tlmo
of year.
"Good will to mcnl Good will to men!"
Ah, who HltH wan and wistful there,
No ChrlHtma.? Joyance In her soul,
Upon her lip "o prayer?
"Good will to men! Good will to monl"
In tho rich placo tho tones made way.
Tho pictured saints lenned down to hear,
Green-wreathed for Christmas day.
"Good will to mcnl" O, lady falrl
In splendor weeping thus npart,
How otrango it Heems u ragged boy
tihould have so glad a heart.
For hungry aro4tho helpless ones
,Who look and long for hla roturn;
And bnro tho chamber whoro they sit, ,
And low tho hcurthllrcs burn.
"Good will to monl" Tho mcnnlng pierced.
Though selfish Impulso barred tiio way,
Deep to tho lady's Inmost heart,
That alilnliig Christmas day.
And dimpled children, chornb-falr,
Who Into Heaven hud clipped away,
Boomed whispering to tho mother thoro
Thoughts moot for Chrlatmaa duy.
Of llttlo ones who moan for broad
While Christmas bolls ring merrily.
"O, give to them," ono seemed to say,
"Aa onco you guvo to mo."
Then to herself that lady said:
"For :ny lost bubct I'vo sorrowed long,
Thcro comoa n euro for aching heartn
In that Bwcot Christmus song."
Bho called tho singer from tho street.
Ho sang It o'er and o'er again
"Pcaco on earth to all who mourn;
aood will, good will to men I"
Through lano and nlley, sldo by sldo
,Tho singer and tho lady went;
And, Btrango to tell, ho was her guide
To meusurclcsa content.
Within her stately rooms no more
Uho alts and sighs the hours away.
Tho pictured saints look down and boo
Sweat children at their ploy.
Mary F. liutta. In Youth's Companion.
WTVI I A
Mm
imp
tBSSi.
c
E PLANNED
It one dny
my brother
Sum and I
ns we But un
der a harvest
npplo tree.
We agreed to
scrape n n d
avo iind'buy father n silver watch and
mother a new shawl for Christmas.
Bam was 15 and I two years younger,
and we were tho sons of a fanner
who couldn't afford luxuries. We
couldn't hope to do it all by ourselves,
though we did get enough together for
tho shawl. Our uncles and aunts ami
cousins chipped in, and the jeweler
threw oft $1 on the price of the watch,
and on the day before Christinas old
Santa Claus had the watch and shawl
and father and mother hadn't the slight
est suspicion of what was in store for
them. Sam and I had sold apples, em
bezzled eggs, disposed of old plow
points, hoed corn for the neighbors,
gathered and sold hickory nuts and
worked various other schemes to get
that $12 shawl and we had a right to
feci elated and proud. We had the arti
cles hidden in the hay mow at the barn,
and about once an hour we had to go
out there and take a look at them.
It was growing dark on Christmas
cvo when a stranger on foot turned in
at our gate nnd asked for lodgings. Ho
waa a well-dressed, keen-looking man,
and the fact of his being on foot and
the village tavern only two miles away,
ought to have set father to thinking,
Slother eyed him suspiciously, butwhen
tho man snid he hnd rheumatism, nnd
that he expected to pay for his enter
tainment, father invited him in nnd ap
peared to think that It was all right.
Not bo with Sam and I, however. W
didn't like the looks of the mnn, and
when wo discovered that he used pro
fane language and chewed plugtobneco
(we put him down as a bad mnn. After
upper the man told father that he lived
!n Cincinnati and hnd come to look nt
a form on the Six-Mile rond. Tie made
en effort to bo entertaining and agree
able, and though he succeeded with the
old folkn Sam nnd I couldn't give him
any credit.
There wai n bedroom off the pnrlor,
and it vas arranged that he should
Bleep tn thwre. Also that Santa Claus
should lente the gifts for father nnd
mother on the parlor table after he had
gone to bed. Sam and I would hang
our Btockings in the kitchen. The man
excused himself about nine o'clock and
went to bed, and ten minutes later the
watch and Bhawl were on the table, and
mother had promised not even to look
in. We hustled off to bed, and by half
jiafit nine father and mother came up.
"Do you s'pose that feller heard
about the watch nnd Bhawl?" queried
Sam, as we got into bed.
"How could he?"
"I dunno, but I believe he Justcnme
here to stcnl 'em. If he was gain' to
look at a farm on the Six-Mile road why
didn't he get off the train at Grafton?
I'll bet you he robs the house and clears
out before mornlngl"
"Let's tell father!"
"lie wouldn't belicvo It, and It would
only scare ma."
We talked the mnttcr over for a few
minutes and then fell asleep, and tho
old clock down in" the kitchen was
striking 12 when Sam nudged me
with his elbow nnd whispered:
"Tlint fellow is robbing the house!"
"How do you know?"
When he came back wo ran upstairs ana
aroused father and mother, and Just a
wo all got down, we henrd the maa
kicking on the stnble door. He had
both horses ready to bring out before
ho discovered that he was locked in.
From the rumpus he made you would
have thought that he was tearing the
whole barn down, but it was useless to
kick ngninst that door. In daylight ho
could have made his way up through
one of the feed-racks, but ho hnd used
his last match and had to go slow in
the darkness. We routed out the neigh
bors, sent for the sheriff, and in about,
an hour the door was unfastened and
the fellow invited to come out. He had
strapped mother's new shawl on one o
the horses for a saddle, and father's.
Santa Claus watch was ticking away
VICTIMS OF HARD LUCK
WITH THE WATCH IN HIS HAND.
moving
"Because I can hear him
about. There don't you hear that?
We've got to go downstairs nnd atop
him from taking that watch and
Bhawl I"
"We dasn't!"
"Yes, wo dast! I'll go first, but you
come nlong! Hobbers always run if
they hear anybody, and maybe he'll get
ccart off before he gets the things."
Wo slipped out of bed and drew on
our trousers and socks, and descended
the stairs, which led up from the family
sitting-room. Only two rustics, ignor
ant of the peril of such an undertaking,
would have done as we did. When we
got downstairs we found the pnrlor
door wide open, the room lighted, nnd
the stranger stood nt the table with the
watch in his hand. We had crept down
bo softly that he heard nothing. He
was fully dressed, even to his overcoat
and arctics, and as we watched him he
pocketed the timepiece and removed
tho wrapper from the shawl. Sam's
idea had been to raise an nlnrin, or per
haps rush in on him, but ns we cow
ered there and watched, a senscof help
lessness came over him, and his teeth
began to chatter before mine did. We
were about to creep back to the stairs,
when the mnn turned the lamplight al
most out, and enme into the sitting
room, nnd made for the outside door.
He passed within a foot of us, and why
tho thumping of my heart did not catch
his ear has nlwnys been a wonder to
me. lie unlocked the door, passed
out nnd softly closed it behind him, and
wo heard him going down the frozen
path to tho barn. I was for going up
stairs for father, but Sam drew me
across to the side window, and pulled
aside the curtain and said:
"He's got the watch nnd shawl and is
now after that span of horses."
Let mo explain that about the first
of the month the sheriff of our county
had taken possession of a span of fine
horses, supposed to have been stolen,
and they were being cared for in our
stables until the owner pliould turn up.
The stables were in the basement of the
bnrn and half underground. The win
dows were very smnll and the door a
stout one. This door hnd no lock, but
fastened with hasp nnd pin. We
watched the man until he opened tho
door and, entered the stables, and then
Sam said:
"Yes, he's after the horses and I'm
going to do something."
"We must call father."
"If we do, tho man will kill him.
for he hnsn't got nothing to light with!
You stand right here and hold the door
a litt'e open "for me."
"What arc you going to do?"
"I'm going to shut him in tho stable.
Don't holler nor run away, for I'll be
back in a minute."
Out into tho snow and cold dashed
Finn. It was about 300 feet to the bnrn,
and being in his stocking feet he ran
like a deer and as noiseless as a cat.
He found the door shut, and it did nor
take him ten seconds to lift up the hasp
and slip the pin through the Btuple
in his vest pocket. Why he had no
weapons I never could understand,
for he turned out to be a professional
horse thief nnd a desperate man, but he
had neither knife nor pistol. He was
marched ofT to jail while the roosters
were crowing for Christinas, and Sam
and I were in court later on when ho
was sent to prison for five yenrs.
"Hoys," said my father, after the man
had been taken away from the stables
and we had returned to tho house,
"boys, I thank ye a thousand times over
for this watch, which is something I'vo
sorter wanted for j'ears, but let mo
jest tell ye thnt ye both orter be taken
out and licked fer not tellin me about
that robber till ye had him safely locked
up. Don't ye never do slch a thing as
that ag'in ns long as ye live on the faco
of this airth."
"And, boys," added mother.with tears
In her eyes, ns she hugged the shawl
and us, too, "I not only thank ye as
much as fnther does, but 1 say ye did
jest right in not wk!n' us up; I'd have
had a lit nnd father might have tumbled
downstairs, and there's no leliin who'd'
a-busted up or who'd a tumbled into
the cistern!"
RAM'S imOTIIEIt.
Detroit Free Press.
A CIIUISTMAS UI2LUSION.
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Susie (angrily) Sir, what right had
you to kiss me?
Tom 1 was laboring under a delu
sion. Susie Explain yourself, sir. Wha
delusion? Tom The samo one you were under,
the mistletoe. Hrookl.yn Life.
Not Tlmt Kind ot Hoy.
Visitor Johnny, are you making
great peparatioua at your Sunday school
for Christmas?
Johnny I'm not going to Sunday
school now, ma'am.
Visitor Not going to Sunday school?
Johnny Nome. I (pi it last Sunday,
1 don't want folks to think I'm one of
these boys that's only good durln tho
holidays. I'll start again after Christ
mus is over. Chicago Tribune.
Washington's Holploss Poor Aro
Counted by Thousands.
Negroes Furnish tho I.urpcut Contingent
to the Army of Unemployed Whut
Organized Clnirlty is Do
ing for Them.
tSpoclal Washington Letter.
The most beautiful roses of summer
are guarded by thorns; nnd that fact
has often been used to point n moral
and adorn the title that all the sweets
of life are mingled with the bitter.
The beautiful snow has come agnin,
bringing with it sorrow nnd suffering
to thousands of the poor people in our
cities. In the enpitnl city of the re
public fully 2,000 families were without
fuel during the two days and nights of
the storm. It was much like the bliz
zards of Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota,
ns they were experienced by the writer,
seme years ago.
The coining of the snow seems to
hnve emphasized the fact thatwantand
mificring exist among the poor of the
city. However, this fact has been n
familiar one to those interested in the
administration of charity ever since the
cold weaUier began. It is the cold that
develops a good deal of the need for re
lief. It is the snow, as a rule, that
causes the general public to realize thnt
iliere nre those who stand in lieedof help.
It is natural, therefore, that the volume
of contributions, cither in money or
clothes, for the benefit of the poor
bhould be sensibly increased even since
the fall of the snow tho other morning.
The stream of public and private
charity which Hows deep and broad in
this city is divided into a great many
rivulets and rills of varying size nnd im
portance, lu t all reaching the homes
of want and poverty and giving aid
which is most needed. There is the
charitable individual, sometimes with
a heart as large as his purse, and then,
again, with the purse in inverse ratio to
the size of the heart. He or she visits
the poor at their homes nnd gives help
ns it fcDins the occasion demands. They
use their friends as their bankers, nnd
very cheerful bankers most of them
prove to be, with u good-natured la::
ness In regard to the cashing of checks.
The truth is, the majority of good,
charitable people prefer some one else
to do the "slumming," ns it is some
times called, while, on the other hand,
they arc perfectly willing to foot the
bills. The drafts updn their time and
sympathy nre not so cheerfully borne
us those upon their bank accounts.
"To every man his work." Since men
nnd women of moderate means enjoy
the work of saving souls nnd bodies in
the alleys, it is well; and they are en
couraged to go about doing good. Since
the prosperous are willing to furnish
the money, they nre excused from the
work of "slumming." The churches are
doing a grent deal to relieve human
misery in this city. In nearly every
church, of nil denominations, are found
r.oeietios which nre devoted to work
among the poor. They have a treasury
to draw i.pon,nnd the members go about
from house to house and thus dispense
their alms. Than there nre organiza
tions of various kinds, which either
incidentally, or, as one of the main
features, look nfter the unfortunate
class. The Central Union mission
offers a conspicuous example. It fur
nishes lodgings and menls to those in
need of temporary help and demands in
return, where practical, a certain
amount of work in its wood yard. Its
OUT OF WOJIK.
members minister to the body as well
as to the soul, and they nre not com
pelled to turn away deserving men and
women simply because the hour has ar
rived when the religious meeting which
is held daily must close. The influence
of the mission continues after the meet
ings, and the endeavor is by practical
means of help to keep men from falling
any further into the slough in which
they generally (ire when the mission
takes hold of them.
Wo had a snow carnival on Pennsly
vania avenue. Every sled, sleigh, cut
ter, In fact everything on runners or
that could be put on runners, wns
brought into requisition. Horses, those
faithful animals who are so cheap nnd
ere being discarded nowadays, were
worth a dollar an hour, and apparently
eery horse in town was in the carnival.
All of the pretty girls, the jolly boys,
and een the gay old sports were in th:
procession. Hearing the ringing and
Mie Jingling of the bells, the penis of
laughter, and the songs of the rushing
rabble, no one would suppose that
there was any suffering hi this city.
Tho Associated charities is an organ!-
station which docs much practicnl good.
The secretary has had years of ex
perience, nnd he knows the genuine
from the sham sufferers at sight. For
example, during the carnival on I'cnn
Byivnnia avenue, a young colored man
entered the room nnd told the secre
tary that he was out of work, nnd had
been vainly trying to find some place ns
n cook, which wns his business. He had
failed. He had a wife and a little child
live years of age. His wife was able to
work, but could not get a place because
her clothes were not "fittcn," ns tho
man expressed it. They had fuel in tho
house, but no food, having eaten their
Inst meal last evening. The man said
he was willing to work, and his wifo
was willing to work if they could get it
to do.
A cruclnl test, as it appeared, wns
made by the secretary who had brought
out all this infornatlon by a series of
duestions when he asked the man in
conclusion if he would saw wood. The
inun said he would, and then the secrc-
AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
tary gave him an order for some meal,
flour, meat, beans, and told him to go
home and get something to cat and feed
his family ,and then returned to the office
where he wanted him to go to work.
The man promised thnt he would re
turn, nnd taking his order, went off to
the grocery store to hnve it filled.
It seemed, from experience, that tho
secretary's little wood shed in the back
yard Is the rock upon which tho
schemes of mnny who have designs
upon the funds of the society split, nnd
go all to pieces. The impostors don't
want to work, and when the wood shed
looms up before them, they manage to
leave and seek more congenial scenery.
Sometimes they break the saw or dull
the ax with the view of lessening their
hours of toil.
The chief of our city police snys thnt
the dumping lots furnish a field where
mnny of those who scramble for exist
ence find employment in raking out
cinders and chips for fuel. When snow
is upon the ground their occupation, aa
well as fuel supply, is gone. It is then
that they appeal to the police. They
crowd the station houses at times and
are grateful for the smallest pittance.
A pound of flour nnd u bushel of coal go I
a long way with the starving, shivering,
half-clad old woman who lives in an al
ley garret. Those most dependent in
the district are the colored people, to
whose numbers the contiguous states of
Maryland and Virginia largely contrib
ute. Nourished in moderate climes,
they soon collapse under the vicissi
tudes of a cold winter.
There is another class of poor, com
posed of people who do not nsk for pub
lic relief until actually driven to do so.
These are persons who have experienced
better days, many of whom make a
living on the streets either as laborers
or peddlers, but are deprived of their
vocations by bad weather. The police
men endeavor to acquaint themselves
with the condition of those who live
upon their respective beats and tho
needy are promptly reported for as
sistance. The demand for rent money is nn un
usual feature. The threatened evic
tions for non-payment of rent were al
most a3 numerous as those reported
from Ireland. Men, women and chil
dren, representing every color and de
gree of intelligence, called at polico
headquarters, some of them almost
frantic for want of means to satisfy tho
landlord. In nearly every instance tho
"notice to vacate" was presented as a
guarantee of truthfulness on the part
of the applicant.
Food and fuel were distributed in tho
same systematic manner as has charac
terized this work for years. The de
serving were given orders on some
grocery or wood yard, over the signa
'ture of the lieutenant in whose precinct
they resided. These orders were re
ceipted by the applicants after obtain
ing the goods, and the accumulated or
ders and accounts were presented to
tho department for payment ut the close
of each month.
That tells the story, and It Is a story
which might bo repeated again and
again concerning all cities. Indeed ii
the true tale were told concerning tho
suffering of the poor in New York, Chi
cago and the other cities which are
larger thnn Washington, it would be hnr
rowing in the extreme. Superin
tendent of Police Moore tells me, how
ever, that there is not n single family
in Washington to-day without fuel and
food; unless it may be some fnmily too
proud to let its poverty he known to
the duly constituted authorities.
SMITH D. FRY.
The only gem in the world whiob
cannot be counterfeited is the opaL
V
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