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fl CHRISTMAS STOCKINQ.
OLD I'ATHUR TIME RECniVES THE NEW YEAR.
!l , j jbimtif llglit I'm
cUilUf U,lllhf of
long tlml Dr. cu
be i ,
Wtil.e II. a flr!d
liapea arc 0 1 1 U. k in
U'l out among tli
I On lujr heartliiitiiue In
mail m-'n, ami 1
marvel. fir tu aeein-
s.i03f 11
4
4
'au (iiuiir " tlif
face aul the crura
of hicb i iu Uieam
lng. gulden (briatmaa
da ja of yore!
In tntlclpa-
I lou
lived their joys fur
days before
Their glorious renll-
za Uuu,
And on the dawn
Of Christmas morn
My child I Oi heart was knocking
A wllil tattoo,
Aa 'twould break through,
A I uotning my stocking.
Each simple gift that came to hand,
Bow marvelous I thought It!
A treaaure atraliriit from Wonderland,
Tot Hants 'lau had brought It.
And at my cries
Of glad surprise
The others all ramp flocking
To aha re mj gier
And view with me
ThaC eontenta of the sto King
Years sped-1 left each well-loved seen
In Northern wlida to roam.
And there, 'mid towing pine tree areen,
I mad myself a home.
We numbered threa
And blithe were we,
At adverse fortune mocking.
And hrlstuiastlde
By our fireside
Found hung tin- babys stocking.
Alaa! rlthln i.nr- h, ...... .
.-su i.m young Voice la ringing,
nd through lis silent room no light,
MiiuiHri aiep aprlnclng.
The wild !,,, la rave
O'er .
Where plumy pine are nx-klng.
n mi f-r'Heri at rest
Oil marble hreaat
Tb handa that tilled my stocking.
With misty even hut steady hand
I raise my ( ' ri -t ma x chalice;
riere'a to th children of the land
la cabin or In pnlm-e:
Miy eni-h one hold
The key of gr.r
The galea of irlce un'orklng,
Ami lunula l,e found'
Tlie whole wr.rld round
To fill the f'lirUliiin atoeklng.
I.adlea' Home .lournal.
fUNCLE JEKRY'S J
CHRISTMAS.
,m N C Ii K J i-; K K Y
! I f ti-r hk too stiii-
l , L-.v io live, and evory-
lioily liucw it. I!ut
' fvt'H-botiy
didn't
k n o w h o w poor
A lint Ik-t.vy. hi.H
if', had to niaiiUK''
uid contrive iind
mm
.skimp to irct iilouc.
Hdc imvtT hud the
lirunlliiiK o f a n '
inoiicy. ICvcn the
liitiur iind cgi: uuni
fiiruii'r't, vvifu ha for
v ' :
y
tbixt ino si f t-rj
lier own use.
tKK'ketn; and
v cut into Uncle Jerry's
Ii,' uiinicl a new town
puir ' shoes I hadn't
warned 'cm, hut if she
r a honiict
orter miv if
mut linvp cm, nml tlicri' un u l no possi
ble aiflhiy way for him to skin out o' gct
tin' 'cm lhi :i I'lidc Jerry would o to
the store i(li her mid laiy 'cm and puv
for 'cm, jest as it un a child or an
ljiot, and iiiea;,a!oc o' dewin" lumincs on
ber own ln.-ik.
If Aunt I!e..i., ' idn't had 'he tii'at din.
pi.iaitimi in thf noihl, she wouldn't stood
it ell llicni year. As it was. it wore on
her, Kiel t ild on her fearful. Though
Uncle Jerry wtc u:e o' the richest men ni
t'JWIl. hill' tlli'!l! 'a' )Cell the wife
the
porct and niiso-r hler, so fur' any on!
ward indication was cntMintod or in
ward indlciiiions, lithi-r for r-tie :n nl
,wen lulf ftnrvo.l, an, I vni'nt nothiii' hut
akin inn I hone, a.i you miht say.
Ctii le Jerry yr'-w wiim 'ii' im, and
ooine hSoIik towards ( 'hrlvtiuas he e;ot a
hran'-liert' ere. lie! f-r savin' into hi' !i";nl.
It ma-, if faniilj
jest he fore 1 he ce
lt to Ills ie. 1 I
ilev ol eiti owe iiioniin ,
liif . I ha he iln ul'a led
tuel l he place in Nc-
heliiiur- hi' ahsci read ihe hmu chapters
IK fall and winiei
to kis'p It, then, ,
he looks a t A tint
and puis his ilium" in
Ir.iwi'i' on a louj; fa, a",
Ket-w-y over liia hpe'ta-
flea, and sus he:
"Wife, I are of a notion that this 'ere
Christmas butim-as is all foolishness!
Seems if it mils: be a sin in Ihe sight o'
the l,ord to eat so much one day in the
year. I don't believe it's necessary to
make pigs 'u' gluttons of ourselves iu
order to have thankful hearts; and if we
go to merlin', and so on. why ain't that
enough? I reckon we'll sell the turkey
this year t ml have our usual dinner,
'long's there ain't no children cumin'
borne, nor nothin'."
Aunt Betsey set there with her hands
(in her lap, uot exactly thinkln', but kinder
WKjPrjn' , grievin". And when they
kneeled down to pray she kept ou wonder
' In' more'fl ever. She wondered what
she hail to be thankful for, anyway.
"Now, if Kllen could come home!" Kllen
was their daughter, all the child they had
In the world, and she lived so fur away
that he couldn't afford to come home
and bring the children bein' she was a
widder aud poor - but, oh, how her mother
did ranter see her! "What did she cure
shout turkey and plum puddin' if Kllen
id the children couldn't eat it with her?
Ye, the money might as well be put in
f OUR WIFB l A VKliT Sir K WOMAN."
the bank! she didn't csre. rio he
thought on and on. not hardly sensin' the
prayer mite.
Hhe went out to her work In the kitch
en festlln' all broke up. Hhe didn't know
why a should be, 'less she'd been kind
er secretly bopin' to have Kllen and the
ehildre. Christmas was more than she
could bemr. There wa'n't nothin' to her,
do time, m yo iiiixht say. and this was
Us Mt atraw M he camel's back. T
ft
4
I II " V V
V . ' . " I ra IV
I N I
. ' A A AT.. , JE S
any rate, all to once she tf'v' out and had
to go ter Is'd. 'Ihe next mornin' she
couldn't (.-et up, hut Uticie Jerry didn't
think much about it, tTpoecd nhe'd he up
binichy; hut when he come it) to dinner,
there lay his wife jest the wnne, an if
nil hadn't no thought o' Kettiu' up.
He didn't know what under the smi to
do, tint he knew lie must do soineihin', no
he het n hrick and put to her feet, and
was jest making a mustard plaster to
put on her somewheren when Mis' Hop
kins happened in.
She wi' how it was with Aunt Betsey
in a minute. She's awful cute about some
things, Mis' Hopkins is, and she ain't
afraid o' no man livin'.
"Uncle Jerry," snys she. mutter of fact
as you please, "your wife's a very sick
woman, and she's Koiu' to die right off,
I'm afraid, 'less we hyper round and do
soincthiii'. and do it quick. Hut fust I'd
better step over 'n' fetch the doctor."
Uncle Jerry was wonderful took down.
All of a sudden he realized that his wife
was invalooable to him: lie felt that he
f!
T
i 'tTija"
Ml i
AL A tAi .'roc
a
I -jar7
'.1I I.K ,)l KltV SKT I'AI.I. AS A STATU
coil, I t,i,i cet uioiiL' whhoiit her. nohow.
Hi' was as anxious to have the doctor as
Mib' Hopkins was, and told her to hurry
and brine him.
So she went hp lived near by and she
says to him:
"Hoctor Cross, now ia your chance to
do ii deed o' humanity, and put a spoke
in Uncle Jerry Foster's w heel for all
time! If he's :ot any heart and feelia's
you must tind 'em and work on to 'em for
hw wife's sake. U would be cruel to
brins: her back to life, 'less you can do
aomelhin' to make that life endoorahle.
Don't, I bec on ye, raise her up to live on
In the name old skimpy mlscrhle way!
IWtlrr let her die and done with it."
They discussed and considered over the
matter for a few minutes, then went to
gether to the house.
They found Aunt Betsey layin' jfst the
an mi ofi Iv she stoimed ervin'. The doctor
examined her and dinKk'ernoscd her case
na well as he could, then He motioned I n
cle Jerry out into the other room and mhet
the door behind him.
It MS'inx the doctor took him awful
solium anil in dead earnest, and uy he,
to begin wilh:
"Uncle Jerry, do you set high Tally on
your wife's life?"
"Ilih vally on my wife's life?" ny
I'ni-Ie Jerry, red in the face. "Of course
I dew. What you talk in about V"
"I was here when you fetched her home
a bride. I remember ho'v handsome shir
wan; plump an a pn'tritlgc, fresh as a
(lower, and n lauKhin' and chip'r n isirl
aa I 'bout ever see. Changed, terribly
I'hangeil, ain't sheV" turnin' to Uncle Jer
ry and fcelin' iu his pocket fer hi hau'
k'chif to wijK- away the tears. "It doen
beat all how she'a (haugtHl," sii'h he.
"Chanced:" ay Uncle Jerry, II of a
(luster, "of course nhe's changed! Why,
we've been married goin' on l!.r year! You
can't expect a woman to stay IS all her
life!" , .
"I know that farmers wives grow old
pretty fast as a Kineral tblnu; breuk down
younx, ilou't they? But, Uncle Jerry,"
squarin' round on him suddenly and look
In' him In the eye, "I want to ask you to
compare your wife's looks with the looks
of other wotnew of her sire In town, no
handsomer, no healthier than what she
wax. when you married her, and tell me if
you think there'f. a difference. Now.
they're different from your wife, ami
why? I 7 fair nA ctn,M- whr
shouldn't ahe look as happy, he as happy
and mak as food 'pearanee every way
aa theaa wowf And why Is It that she
has took to her bed in the prim - J life
and don't wan'er live no longer: Uor I
Iind that's about, the way it is with her."
When Uncle Jerry' came back he went
up to the bed and s; down In-side his
wife and looked at her. She was asleep,
and Mis' Hopkins thought he must 'a'
realized how pitiful she looked for (the
seen him draw his hand acrost his eyes
two or three times ou the sly.
Bimehy he got up and went out to Mis'
Hopkins, and, says he:
"What was die doctor's orders? What
can I do to help ye?"
"He ordered nourishin' food, and wine,
and so on," she says, "and 1 guess the
fust thing you may kill a chicken, if
you're in inter, aud git it ready t'er the
broth; then g" over to Jim Jackson's and
buy u ipiart or so of that oldest grape
wine o' his' n. She'll be awake by the
time yon eel hai-kwith it, I guess."
Uncle Jerry didn't so much as wink at
mention of ihe chicken, but when she
spoke o' the lv jm Sl, offhttUd and matter
o' course l.e ih'U'.vcd in his breath once or
twice l.iuiler spa smodicky, but he never
open.-!) his le ail.
When the broth was ready Uncle Jer
ry M' e, if he might, take it in; so Mis'
Hopkins tilled one of the chiny howls that
was Aunt Betsey's mar's and set it iu a
plate willi a cracker or tivo, and he took
'cm along.
The broth was good and strong, and
when Aunt Betsey tasted on't she looked
at her husband real kinder scairt, aud,
says she:
"Where did this 'ere come from?"
And he 'uugbod and says: "It's made
out o' one of our best Plymouth Mocks;
is it good?"
A vvouderin', quiverin' smile hovered for
a minute on to her poor face; she didn't
know what to make on't. But when he
lunged in the jug o' wine ami poured out
a hull half a tumbler full and handed it to
her, her eyes fairly ; tuck out of her head
wilh astonishment.
"Ilrink it: it'll do you good," snys he.
"It's Jim Jackson's oldest fc'iupe wine
you've heard tell on."
"Why -why, husband!" she whispered,
"didn't it cost an awful sight o' money?"
"Only 0 a gallon," he answered, tryin'
to smile, but lookin' rather ghastly. She
sipped it slow, cyein' him ovt.r the top o'
the tumbler as she done so; but pretty
soon she set it down and spoke again,
awful nieachin', and 'pealin', her lips
tremblin' ss if she was froing to cry.
"I'm sorry to put you to so much ex
pense, husband. I'm afraid I'm afraid
it ain't wuth while!"
He Rot up and blowed his nose with all
his might and main.
"I want you to pet well, Betsey. I want
you to get well!" he managed to say.
The strsngont expression come Into her
face you ever see in any creatjre's. Then,
ss if struck by somethin' in his looks, she
'X. . - ' .. ' .
-ss II -s
fflo3lDe !bf Christmas holly overall Ilx door
Wh(r Irjf bjiofcr junst;irj ,a flood otflloryfoanj)
Hp t()t(brisfmcis roi cucryuljae U6 cai),
Ler jen; brtale fj)tir soa souls inlljebtarfofDar).
IS '"fl t!H'.WnycbuK& Wls'RiiKilbiro Wand clear,
1 Rrffif liflk (rJnsr-Cfiia born fo S acWcar.
Sit Hiro mK arxnoJy.inlb mngirfo,
Andtyt sfirof Prorwsf m)t fawn JKy .
caftrloueand
seemed to get a dim idee that he was dif
ferent, and she tried to make out how it
was, but couldn't, and, bein' too tired and
weak to think much, she jest shet her
eyeR and give it all up.
That night Uncle Jerry harnessed the
old mare and went over and Rot Mary
Buell to came V stay with 'em a spell.
Mary's an excellent: good ham! in cases
o' sickness, and be!u' an old maid, she's
always ready to go fsi dew fer the neigh
bors. She's a prime miss and housekeep
er, and she's good company, too jest the
kind o' person to cheer Aunt Betsey up,
you know. Wall, it come along the day
I.N THdliPl O A PAKt'KL O' H ILUf.HV.
'fore Christmas, and Aunt Betsey lay
back in her easy chair in the cheerful sit
t in room. A pitcher full of late fall Dow
ers stood on the mantelshelf; a crackliti'
tire was buniin' in the open li replace, and
the old tabby cat lay before it on the rug,
punin' for nil she was wuth a erfect
pictnr' of content.
The door was open into the kitchen, and
she could see Mary steppiu' round about
her work, gettin' ready for to-morrer.
She could smell tlie stullin' for the turkey,
and the plum puddin' hukin' in the oven.
She knew there was a hull shelf full o'
pies iu the pantry she see 'em yesterday
six mince, six puukin, three apple an'
three crnub'ry tart. She thought it was
too many to make a;t once; and seemed
so strange. She sighed aud laid her head
back, wilh the old look on her face. She
was think'm' of Kllen and the children.
She sat there, blamin' herself and think
in' what a poor, weak kind of a mother
she was, tiU the tears rolled down her
cheeks. Then, all at once, she heard a
noise outside.
The stage had stopped, and there wns
the Bound o' voices talkiti' and laughin',
and of feet hurryiu' up the alerts. Then
the door oi-ned no, h was burst open
nnd in trooped a parcel o' children, and
behind 'em, not fur behind, with her hands
stretched out and the happy tears stream
in' down her pretty fa'", come her daugh
ter Kllen!
hm
atut an
foJLr "
Vim
How them two kissed and clung to one
V other, till the children got out o' pa
tience and wouldn't wait no longer for
their turn! Then Uncle Jerry came to the
resky and says, betwixt laughin' and cry
in': "There, there, children! I guess that'll
dew! It's my turn now," and he took her
to the lounge whe-e she could lay and
rest and still he with 'em all. She pulled
him down to her and kissed him and
w hispered:
"Oh, husband, how good you lie! You've
made me the happiest woman in the
world!"
Uncle Jerry got away as quick as he
could, and went out to the barn and set
down on the hay cutter und laughed and
wiped his eyes till he was some calmer.
Then he fell on his knees and thanked
(lod reverently for ;howin' him before he
died what true happiness wuz, and how
to get it for himself by bestowiu' it on
others. New York Tribune.
Another Year Is Iawning
Another year is dawning!
Itnar Master, let It be,
In working or In waiting,
Another year with Thee,
Another year Is leaning,
Upon Thy loving breast
Oi ever-ileepalng trustf uluesa.
Of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness nd graeej
Another year of gladness,
III the shining of Thy face.
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise;
Anoiher year of proving
Thy presence all the days. v
Another year of service.
Of witness for Thy love)
Another year of training
Pnr holler works nbove.
Another year Is dawning!
hear Master, let It he
On heaven or else In heaven.
Another year for Thee.
Don'ts About Gifts.
Don't above all things ask the giver
whether you may exchange her gift.
Don't forger that it is the inward spirit
that makes the real value of the offering.
Don't express dissatisfaction with a
gift, no matter how great your disappoint
ment. Don't above all things be guilty of mak
ing a list of articles you desire. This is
a species of polite blackmail.
Don't, even in your innermost self, spec
ulate as to whether your gift will bring
a return, and above all a return in mone
tary value.
Don't forget that the chief charm of a
gift is essentially the surprise. Don't,
therefore, barter with a friend as to re
ciprocal gifts.
Don't, if you have neglected to remem
ber a friend, wound her pride by sending
a New Year's gift in exchange for her
Christmas present. The motive is too ap
parent, Don't cive gifts because you feel com
pelled to do so from a sense of social obli
gation. There are other ways to acknowl
edge indebtedness than by making the
holiest of holidays a matter of trade aud
barter. .
Don't consider the Intrinsic value of a
gift when you arc the recipient. And
when you are tlie giver let the gift be
costly as thy purse can buy don't be
skimpy 1
Another Altered Will.
Little Alice Mamma snys she ain't go
ing to give you anything for Christmas
this year. Tapa's Maiden Sister- Oh, she
isn't, eh? YVhynot? Little Alice 'Cause
the present she give you Injst year was
worth twice as much as what you give us.
Will Receive Calls.
"Do you expect to receive calls on New
Year's day?" asked Willie Ilicollnr.
"Y'es," answered Mamie Hollerton; "I'll
have to. The telephone exchange where I
work wouldn't give me the day off. Isn't
It mean?" Washington Star.
A Clincher.
Mrs. CobwiKger You are to ask only
one more question the whole evening.
Freddie Then, ma, if Santa Clans really
brings the presents why am I not to look
out of the window if an expreas wagon
drives up to the door? Judge.
A Definition or Christina.
Sunday School Teacher Johnny, what
does Christmas mean? Johnny My pa
tayt Chriatinaa mean swapping a lot o'
thlnga you can't afford far a let thlaeja
fm don't want-Ufa.
How to Keep Cracker.
Complaints are frequently heard that
crackers bought at grocery store are'
Boggy and stale tasting, even when1
comparatively fresh.
The fault, says the Mercantile Jou
nal, Is In the way they are kept. Crack-,
ets deuiaud a warm, dry place, and they,
Khould not be stored near oil, fls-h or
other stroug-smelling goods. Great eara
should be exercised by grocers In this
respect. The cracker trade is one of tha
most Important features of a generall
grocery business, and it should be taken
care of. Crackers should be purchased!
In small quantities so that they will D(M
have time to get stale before being sold.;
They should be kept, as stated, In ai
warm, dry place, and customers should'
be advised to place them in the oven a!
few minutes before using. This Willi
restore their crispiness, even though'
'bey have become damp and soggy.
Scalloped Oysters.
Tuko two dozen large salt water oys-!
ters. Put them in a pan in their own
juice and place on the fire until they.j
boil, then drain. Take five ouiices ofc
best table butter, one large tablespoon'
of flour; mix, and let it simmer for &,!
half minute without getting browu.j
Then take half of the oyster juice an(Jj
add au equal portion of cream, and lot
it cook to thick sauce; mix it with the
oysters, and dour and butter. Season
with salt, a little cayenne pepper, a'
soupi-ou of nutmeg and a little Wor
cestershire sauce. Wash and. clean
thoroughly a dozen large, deep oyster
shells; then put about six oysters in a1
shell; sprinkle with pa.rnics.an cheese,'
bread crumbs and a little fresh butter.'
Bake for ten miuutes n a brisk oven
and serve immediately.
Corn Custard Pie.
One cup uf gra ted corn, half a cup ot.
milk, salt aud pepper (cayenne) slightly,;
butter the size of a walnut, oue round
ed tablespootiful of cornstarch and tha
yolks of two eggs. Stir the cornstarch
into tin; milk, then add the other ingre
dients. Iitike with an undercrnst only
and cover with a meringue, to which
add a pinch of salt and the same quan
tity of cream tartar; no sugar. Serve
as an entree, not as a dessert.
H inte.
To every fifty jhuik1s of fresh sau
sage or pudding meat use fourteen
ounces of salt and four and a-lialf
ounces of black pepper, and herbs to
suit taste.
Fat which is to 1 kept should be cut
n J small, and boiled iu a saucepan in a
little water, and never put into the
oven Io melt. If it has to be done in
the oven, the door should be left open.
When copper is very much tarnished
lie coated with verdigris, diluted oxalic
acid, in the proportion of a tablespoon
lid of the acid to a quart of water, will
clean it more quickly than anything
eise
Celery from the market may be kept
l'n-sli for some time by wrapping the
bunches in brown paper, sprinkling
lhriu with water, then wrapping them
in a damp cloth and putting in soma
cool, dark place.
A steady heat for baking cannot be
expected from a stove that is imper
fectly cleaned and choked with clink
ers. Too often the cook blames the
stove for imperfect work, when the
fault lies iu her own neglect to put it In
baking or cooking order.
An easy way to clean the horrid,
sticky oatmeal kettle iu which the
breakfast porridge was cooked is to drop
a lump of washing soda in a quart of
filter, and soak in the kettle on the
back of the stove for half an hour. The
glutinous crust can then be easily re
moved. Uieh cooky dough may be prevented
from sticking to the baking board by
inking a piece of unbleached muslin,
stretch it over the baking board so there
will 1m no wrinkles; dust it well with
Hour, and roll out the dough. Try this
method, and making cookies will not
try the patience half as much.
Sickroom Talk.
For cramps or pains in the stomach -try
a few drops of essence of camphor.
For binding up cuts and wounds al
ways use linen, not cotton, as the fibers
of cotton are fiat and apt to irritate a
sore place, while those of linen are per
fectly rounded.
For tired feet put a handful of com
mon salt into four quarts of hot water. '
I 'la ce the feet In the water while It Is
hot as It can lie borne. Then rub the
feet dry with a rough towel.
For making a clear complexion stir
wo tetiKpoonfuls of flour of sulphur
ilito half a pint of new tnllk. Iet it
stand n while, and then rub the face
over with It a short time before wash
In,'. Household s pice.
Everything is impracticable till It la
put In practice.
The vwy worst of creeds Is better
than no creed at all.
A decaying body Is not so pernicious
as a decMlug ul. !
An evtl soul Is not nn evil substance, '
but an evil Influence.
A revfitlon that needs to be propped
up is a "orry kind of revelation.
The iiiku who has no belief (veuld bet- .
ter sell all that he has and but one. '
A poor sermon following ft f04 aa
acts like damp air on an elots1oftl M
l?hlne.-Oall Hamilton. V -
:
T