" - N I i' "Bht By Umterwood ffl. Underwood.
L
i ' ' ' i
A Shepherd's
Christmas
By Temple Bailey
(Uopyrluht, 1WI7, by Joseph II. Howlos.)
HE boy's lantern glowed!
Hko a wlll-o'-tho-wisp us ho
enmo down tho dark moun
tain path to tho littlo
church. Soon other lan
terns joined his, and
uow and then tho flickering lights
played on tho bright dross of a girl
or tho eager faco of a child, but for
tho moat part tho shadowy tlguroo
gave no hint of race or dogreo, until
at last tho littlo crowd gatherod Into
u poorly lighted room, where tho llaro
of an oil lamp showed a motley gath
ering of country people
As tho boy slouched toward a seat
a girl stopped, him. Sho woro a pink
knitted hood, and hor chooks rivaled
tho color of hor head-covering.
"Merry Chrls'mus," sho said, and
gave him, a coquettish glanco from
hor bright eyes as ho returned her
greotlng.
Tho boy walked by hor sldo a lit
tlo awkwardly, but unafraid. Ho was
IS), and hp. lived on tho hills. It was
th'o; tlmo for love, and tho girl was
nlB .'chosen mate. After tho festlv
Itlos thoy would go up tho dark path
togethor, nnd he would kiss hor at
the door of her fathor's cabin, and
that would bo tholr betrothal.
Thoy eat together on tho front
bench and read from tho same hymn
book. Tho boy sang softly. Ho
would not let out his volco In tho lit
tie room; it was only on tho mountain
top that tho deep tones rang like
u ooii ns no ennntou a wuu song
to his sheep.
The thought of tho sheop bro'ught
uneasiness. Up there on the maun
tain 'bis flock lay waiting for him to
come and opon to them tho shelter
of their shed, but tho temptation to
go a-pleasurlng had been great, and
tho sinllo of tho pink-checked girl, tho
music, tho lights, tho companionship,
had lured him from tho lonely watch
under tho stars.
Then tho girl whispered lo him, and
ho forgot caro, until a littlo later
an outer door opened, and a man
stepped In, his shoulders white with
glistening llakos.
"It's snowln'," said tho boy.
Tho girl nodded, but kept her eyes
on tho stage, where four small girls
recited a Christinas poem In unison.
Again tho boy's thoughts flow to
tho, mountain, whoro tho snow was
blowing and, curling and drifting
against a closed door, and whoro tho
patient flock, noso to noso and body
to body for warmth, bleated for tho
shophord who did not como.
At last ho moved restlessly. "I've
got to go," ho said.
"No, you hain't," hor voico pleaded.
"It's a fearful storm," ho whispered.
(ITT .. i 1. t 11. .
j 1 1-Hr wiv Mum, mi mo sueop are
out."
"Thoy hain't agoln" to hurt," sho
whispered baok, "an you got to go
homo with me.'
"Your pap's hero," he said.
"If you don't stay," and now sho
threatened quorulously, "if you don't
stay, I'll go homo with Jed."
Tho hoy looked at her, at her ros
rod cheeks, at her blue eyes, at tho
thin lino of hor scarlet Hps. "Hut tho
shoep," ho said, uncertainly.
Tho now minister was speaking en
thusiastically, yearning to move this
lethargic peoplo. Tho bpy listened
with fitco alight. Through tho long
hours of his childhood ho had sat
In tho sunshine and dreamed of groat
deeds. ' With, tho awakened im:
pulses of youth, ho had tramped tho
forests and wondered what Hfo meant
to tho men who vero not of tho moun
tains. And now ho know, for tho
mlnlslor was voicing the doctrine of
endeavor. It was not, emotion that
mado the world bettor, but energy;
one must not only dream, but one
must do. The great men were those
who woro faithful in the little things.
"Remember that to-night we mako
merry, he said, linauy, "uui in tno
year to coine wo must work work
for tho souls that are within tho
fold; and as tho shephord cares for
his sheep, so must we care for those
who aro astray "
"As the shepherd cares for hlo
sheop." The words struck tho boy
with tho forco of a blow. Ho half
rone In his scat, but tho girl reachod
out a restraining hand.
"Stay," sho commanded, but tho
boy looked at her with unseeing
eyes.
"1 go to find my sheep," ho said,
and left her .
Ho found thorn in a closo gray
bunch against tho shod. Tho wind
howled around them, and tho snow
piled over them, and thoso that wero
nearest the door stumbled In stlllly
when tho boy unlocked It.
Insldo was a rudo fireplace, and
wood was plied bosldo It. Tho boy
built a great flro, and the flock, ro
treating before the blazo, lay down
on tho trodden straw with soft sounds
of content. Then the boy brought
in two weak owes, and laid theni
closo to the flames, and watched
them anxiously until they revived and
staggered back to their fellows.
For a long tlmo nftor that the boy
sat In front of tho flro and thought
of the girl. She would go home with
his rival, aijd they would part at
the door. Tho' boy's faco flushed
and his hand clenched as ho thought
of tho parting. Would she
Ho roso and went to tho door, and
flung It opon. Outside the stars were
blotted out, tho wind raged and tho
sr ow whirled. He felt as If between
him and tho girl thoro was tho bar
rier of an unknown world. Ho had
done his duty, and sho had not un
derstood. Ho went In and laid down in front
of the tire, with his great coat drawn
over him.
"Lot her go, lot her go," sang tho
roaring flame. "Let hor go, let her
go," raged the the wind outsldo.
Then came the soft consolation from
within. "You cared for tho sheop,
you cared for the sheep."
And so he fell asleep and was com
forted, but his cheeks wero wet.
in tho morning ho broko a path
down the mountain. Tho sun shono
and the sky was blue and th
world sparkled after the storm. When
ho reached a certain clearing ho stop
ped and looked over the gllstonlng ex
pause toward the girl's house. Sud
denly his eyo was caught by a flash of
pink. Through that white, whito
world the girl was coming to meet
him!
As she came up, ho put out both
hands and took her smaller ones in
his. "I had to go," he said.
The girl felt a now dignity in his
.manner. She blushed and trembled,
then her lips quivered. "I went
homo with , pap," sho sobbed, her
cheek against his coat.
Into his faco came all the ten
derness of awakened manhood; his
rough fingers laid back a little curl
that blew about her whito temple,
his voice thrilled.
"I'm glad you didn't go homo with
Jed," ho said, simply, "an' that you
knew just how I was a-fcelln'."
Sho did not know, would novor
know, what that night had meant to
him, for it is nqt given to such wom
en to touch the depths of a man's
soul experience; but sho know lovo,
and so he missed nothing, as In the
r.tlllnoss of tho perfect Christmas
morning sho raised her radiant free
to his.
Sympathy.
Footpads on a lonely street.
"Halt! Throw up yer hands."
"What yer got, Hilly?"
"Como look at him,. Pete. Fine
looking duck rigged out In long light
overcoat and tall hat."
"Where's he been?"
"Says he's been downtown buying
Christmas presents for all his family
and all Ills friends."
"What? Give der poor chap a
nickel carfare and apologize for hold
ing him up. I bet he's broke."
' l
Home-Made
Christmas
Sweets
Honey Candy. One pint of whito
sugar, water enough to dissolve It,
and four tablospoonfuls of honey.
Boll until it becomes brittle on be
ing dropped Into cold water. Pull
when cooling.
Peanut Brittle. One coffee cupful of
sugar. Put In frying pan and shako
vigorously over hot lire until sugar
Is dissolved, add one-half cupful of
chopped peanuts, shaking briskly.
I3o careful not to burn peanuts.
Chocolate Caramels. One-half pound
of chocolate, one-half cupful of milk,
two cupfuls of light brown sugar,
one cupful of molasses, and a piece
of butter as big as a small apple.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring con
stantly. Pour Into a pan and cut
into squares. '
College Girls' Fudge. Four ounces of
chocolate, lump of butter size of an
egg, two heaping cupfuls of granu
lated sugar, three-quarters of a cup
ful of sweet milk; mix and boll ten
minutes. Take from flro and stir
until It begins to harden. Add
vanilla and chopped nuts. Turn
Ink) buttered tins and cool.
Everton Taffy. Dissolve a pound of"
granulated sugar In a teacupful of
water, add one-quarter pound of but
ter that has been beaten to a smooth
cream; flavor with lemon; cook un
til It "cracks" from tho spoon; turn
out on greased pans or slab and
mark Into squares with a greased
knife.
Cream Walnuts. One poifnd of whito
sugar, one-half teacupful of water;
put on the rango and boll until It
threads flavor well with vanilla, re
move from the flro and stir until
whito and creamy. When cool
enough to handle, roll ito balls,
press, walnut halves into the sides, -and
drop into granulated sugar,
shaking violently for a second or
two.
Fruit Nougat. Remove the- brown
skin from a pint of roasted peanuts
and one-quarter of a pound of al
monds by dropping for a moment
into boiling water. Chop one-half
a pint each of figs, citron, raisins
(seeded or seedless) and candied
orango peel. Moisten two pounds of
sugar with a little vinegar, add a
heaping tablespoonful of butter, and
cook until nlmost hard, but not brit
tle. Beat well, adding tho fruit and
nuts, pour on a wot cloth and roll up
Hko a pudding, slicing off candy In
pieces after it Is cold.
Popcorn Balls. Pop corn and only
tako tho kernels which ai'e all
popped out; mako a syrup of the fol
lowing: One cupful granulated
sujgar, two cupfuls molasses, butter
tho slzo of a walnut, tablespoonful
vinegar; boll without ctlrrlng until
It spins a thread and thou pour over
tho corn, forming into balls beforo
It cools; lay on buttered dish.
Cream Nut Fudge. Bring slowly to
boiling point two cupfuls of granu
lated sugar and two-thirds of. a cup
ful of milk. Boil hard until a soft
ball can bo formed by dropping a
little In cold water, then add one
tablespoonful of butter. Remove
from tho Are and add vanilla to suit
the taste and ono cupful of chopped
nutmeats, stirring until smooth;
then pour into a buttered pan to the
depth of half an Inch and block Into
squares.
The Christmas Spirit,
in ovorv man there Is the spirit of
tho boy that once dominated him. It
never entirely dies out. In the coldly
commercial man, whose Idol Is thb dol
lar mark, tho boy spirit lies dormant,
hut it is there, nevertheless, and can
bo aroused If It is only appealed to In
the right way. At this, tho Christmas
onRfin. ovorv man should try to torset
his stern self and ho a boy again. Cut
all the restraints and let tho boy-nature
have, full sweep, for this is what
Longfellow would call "tho children's
hour." The man who docs not put
away all selfishness and live the spirit
nf tho Christmas tlmo is an enemy to
himself and to society. Let tho merry
Christmas spirit ue unanimous.
Christmas In Bavaria.
Christmas day In Bavaria is called
St. Nlcolaus day, and It comes on tho
Clh of .December.
St. Nlcolaus of Bavaria Is not as
jolly as our St. Nicholas. Ho always
carries a huge bundle of sticks upon
his right shoulder, for naughty' chil
dren. Over his loft he slings a pack
of goodies for tho good youngsters.
Krampus always used co 'travel with
him, but he does not go so often now.
Ho was an ugly littlo humpbacked
man with hateful oyes and a sharp
tongue. His work was to carry off bad
children In his big basket, to food them
to tho hears In tho wilderness! For
tunately, ho Is not often seen now.
A Patriotic Sentiment.
The star-spangled Christmas tree,
long may it wave o'er the land of tho
free and the home of the bravo.
