'"'I"J"IPIPJW
vj'yj'jt'jL'Jm,"1"'"
t .
DECEMBE& 17, 1909 '
The Commoner.
13
mmmmammmam'mmimmmmmm. r
u Y ) -J
ommoaorif
"wV l A H,
THE LOOKOUT MAN
Just six years ago the "Lookout Man" appeared originally in The
Commoner. Regularly every year thereafter, at about this season
letters begin arriving, asking that it be re-printed. Therefore hi
response to numerous requests received during tho past two or three
weeks, it is again published, with tho very best wishes of tho author
for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all tho boys and
girls, everywhere.
Now listen, little children, and I'll tell a story true
And better you remember, for It means a lot to you
And all who act up naughty, and don't mind their ma's and pa's
You'll get a lot of presents, and a lot of Christmas cheer. '
Tho Lookout Man is walking when the stars begin to peep
To see if little children are in bed and fast asleep;
And all who act up naughty, and don't mind their ma's and pa's,
The Lookout Man is watching and he'll tell old Santa Claus.
I knew a' little fellow once who got real bad, and said
He didn't care for Santa Clans, and wouldn't go to bed;
And said lie didn't have to mind O, he was awful bad
And didn't care tho leastest mite in making folks feel sad.
But when it came to Christmas, he didn't get a thing,
For Santa Claus had heard of him, and not a thing he'd bring,
He knew that bad boy's record better mind your ma's and pa's;
The Lookout Man is watching, and ho'll tell old Santa Claus.
I also knew a little girl who was just awful bad.
She wouldn't learn her lessons, and she always got so mad
If anybody told her to be still and hush her noise
Well, she was always wishing for a lot of Christmas toys,
But when 'twas Christmas morning, to her wonder and surprise
An empty stocking hanging in the corner met her eyes.
You see, she acted naughty better mind your ma's and pa's;
Tha Lookout Man is watching, and he'll tell old Santa Claus.
The Lookout Man is peeping through the windows every night,
And counting up the children who are always acting right
And going off to bed at once when told it's time to go,
And never pouting, not a bit, or taking clothes off slow.
"He puts them in the good book, but the bad ones in the bad
And when he writes a bad one, 0, he looks just awful sad.
For he knows they will get nothing better mind your pa's and ma's;
The Lookout .Man Is watching, and he'll tell old Santa Claus. -
your lips began to chap and burn,
and In futile efforts to cool thorn you
used to run your tongue out and
around, moistening your llpa ns beat
you could. Then tho chilly wind that
would blow that moisturo through
the skin, and In a day or two your
face would bo sore just as far around
as your tongue could reach. Geo,
hOW it USed tO hurt! nnmnmhnr
you'd just mako up your mind that
yuu just wouldn't lick your llpa again,
and then you'd walk around until
your faco ached and your tongue got
unrulyand biff! Tho first thing
you know you'd bo licking your soro
lips and making them sorer than
over.
Wo cheerfully admit that tho fur
nace and tho hard coal baso humor
add a whole lot to modern comfort,
but after all thev hav thnir ,ii.n,
backs. For Instance, von nirnr. vnrv
well pop corn in either a furnaco
or a oaso burner. It took thoso old
fashioned stoves in which wo used
to burn a two-foot length of hickory
wood for that sort of thing. When
tho wood had burned down to glow
ing coals we'd open tho front door,
rake the coals down In front and
proceed to pop corn. When wo got
rich we are going to have one of thoso
old-fashioned stoves put up in our
very own room, with a lot of two
foot seasoned hickory in tho base
ment, and every now and then wo
are going to start a flro in that stove,
get a good bed of coals, and then
pop a dishpan full of corn, just as a
reminder of the old days. Of course
we'll eat the popcorn, not as a re
minder of old days, but because wo
are awfully fond of popcorn.
then? And that was ono of tho times
for tho Architect.
If I had J. P. Morgan's wealth
I d chaao out with a whoop;
Round up all hungry I could find
And nil 'em full of soup.
And roast hoof, and ronnf tnriu
and cranberry auco, and innMhod po
tatoes Hincarcd with gravy, arid
broad and butter and coffoo.
But tho hour grows late, tho fur
nace needs attention, and thoro l a
days work to bo dono tomorrow.
So tho Architect ia going to dlsmluB
thoughts of other days, and If ho
don't get to thinking too hard about
tho days to como ho'll hlko Into bed
and go to sleep.
.J
A WINTER NIGHT'S THOUGHTS
Coming home from work this even
ing I saw a big automobile, carrying
six or seven passengers, skidding
around on the snow. I never owned
an automobile, and I never had tho
pleasure of scooting around in one
when the roads were covered with
snow. It may be lots of fun, but
I'm here to assert that auto'mobiling
in the snow, no matter what com
pany you are In, isn't in it for a min
ute with the old-fashioned bob-sled
rides we used to take, years before
the automobile was invented. There
was fun for you!
Just as soon as there was a' good
snowfall the word would be passed
around that the "gang" would meet
at Frank's, or May's, or Fred's,
promptly at 7:30 p. m., Friday even
ing. We selected Friday evening be
cause there would be no school next
day. And then two or three of us
would skirmish around and get the
old bob-sled. Remember how we
used to put a wagonbox on the bobs,
fill the box full of fragrant hay and
warm robes, and then attach tho best
team of horses we could scare up?
"When all was ready we'd draw cuts
to see who would have to make a
sacrifice and drive one way, with
some other victim to drive back.
Then we'd drive up to the meeting
place and the whole bunch would
Pile in, nestling down into the hay
and covering over with tho warm
tobea.
Then away we'd go, the huge
strings of sleighbells making the air
ring with their music, while we added
to the music of our fresh young
voices.
Gee, how we used to sing! Lot's
see there, was "Steambot Coming
Around the Bend; Goodby, my Lover,
Goodby;" and "Gwine ter git a Home
in Georgie;" and "Hear Dem Bells;"
and "Jingle Bells;" and "Gwine
Back tsr Dixie;" and and , 0, we
can't recall them all now, but we used
to sing them.
And the merry jests, and the quips
and jokes! Me, 0 my! Remember
how She snuggled up close? And
how fearful we were lest Her hands
grew cold! And how solicitious we
were that Her nubia, or muffler, or
whatever you may call it, was prop
erly found around Her neck!
Huh! We'll bet a cookie that the
people who jimmy around In automo
biles this kind of sleighing weather
don't begin to have thd fun we used
to have in the old bob-sled. And we
didn't leave a trail of foul-smelling
gasoline behind us, either. The only
trail we left was a trail of music,
and good cheer, and youthful exuberance.
If I just oodles had of gold,
Like Andy or John D., .
In ev'ry homo where there's a child
I'd plant a Christmas tree.
Buckeye Pure Home Made
APPLE BUTTER
Our cuMmier ray hi tlm Ixsrt
thy over nU. Don't comparo
ourn with tJin cheap factory
Roods. Wo fillip to nil part of
tho United HtaU In small or
largo quantities. Battsfaetlnii
Kuarantccd. Write now for cir
cular mid sample.
C, J. MILLER CO., Dept. C, SmithWIle, Ohio
GET MORE FOR a&szs&Jfctt;
asbm - .. i nioro for tlmm than any
YOUR FUR 3aspfdsaroTOdS
,. i. ,Vrfn,fr?m,0toM Patent, more
5n,:i... T.in"ondt,,",n lMl'or nnl twice what
yoo can Kotnt homo, no mottorwhero ma lira. If too
trap or buy fur ,n,l today for our hl fr 'raUtoro
r?P?rS.iKtlI,lonll'J "rkstrnort. Pro for tu aiding
"" to yon. Wrltfl today; thUmayno?
flppeornBaln. g tlde &
P. O. Box No. 3527 Gerry, Pn.
adKk
Saw ff boy the other day whose
mouth had an appearance that
brought up some painful memories.
I can't Just describe it, but perhaps
you'll be able to catch my meaning
when I remind you of the days when
your mouth had a similar appear
ance. Along .about tho first cold snap
Twenty-four years ago, como
Christmas eve, the Architect de
barked from a passenger train at
Council Grove, Kansas. Thero waB
no heat around that portion of tho
train 'on which tho Architect rode;
neither did tho conductor appear
there for which the Architect was
truly thankful. I've wondered many
a time during the last few years how
tho boys manage it in these days
when tho railroad companies no long
er build platforms on their baggage-
onra AnvVinw wo rlnhnrlrnrl nf. f!miri-
rIl ("JrnvG. atennlncr off Into snow that I
seemed waist-deep, and finding a raw
frontier town that was as unhome
like as a town could be. Incident
ally it might be remarked that tho
Architect debarked at that particular
town for the simple reason he either
had to or freeze; besides ho was
awfully hungry. It was long after
the supper hour, and the Architect's
assets consisted wholly of liabilities.
As he chased up the street ho won
dered If it were possible that tho
print shop would be open at that late
hour on that particular night. It was
a mighty gloomy Christmas eve, If
anybody should ask you. Finally tho
Architect arrived at a hotel, and
while he was hesitating a man came
out, and spying the shivering printer
man exclaimed: "Hello, Billy! When
did you hit town?"
Thank goodness, it was an old
printer pal who had worked with the
Architect back in Missouri two or
threo years before. He was foreman
of the newspaper shop in Council
Grove. And instantly tho Christmas
lights grew brighter to tho Architect;
the Christmas stars twinkled more
merrily, and there was more of the
spirit of goodwill rampaging round
that locality than tho Architect had
seen or felt for a long time.
Say, isn't it a bully good thing to
run across a real friend now and
JIGENT8 UAltN 176 to S2M a month Millar
Hovety Knives. Hlidc. rnror steel, tilx months'
Fuaruntcc Handles decorated with name, nddrco,
loduo emblems, tnido designs, peisonnl photo, or
rlcturcH of IIiiyan and other celebrities. Qreat
tellers. Ulc commission. Wrlto nulelc for territory
hovolty Cutlory Co., 606 Bar St., Canton, 0.
sTrokTselreeo" HAY 'PRE&
tiflsfKflM
Covin Ittd
AIISIiilindfrM
Two Mm can run l(.
ThiAulo-FidinHiyfrMfC.
1533 W. 12 Hi J I. K.C.M9.
Aik for Citilozui No. 33
f CHOICE VIRGINIA FARMS
k i AA'toM f hettvO RyJhroueh ihcHcart
Arrp7o Vo.Ric1 5oil Mild Winters Good
YVPjAvhCiOftf.m M' Richmond. Virginia
pALL ON OR WRITE W. R. STOCIC-
well, Alvln, Texas, for orange and
fig BUD-uiviHiona
and up.
In 10 acre tractu
ACTUUJI CUItK sent by express to you on
14 dl nmH Free Trial.
If it aura send II; If
(31 vo express ofJIc.
National Chemical Co.. 701 Ohio Ave.. Sidney, 0.
mm not, don't
wnn
The salaries paid by Unrlo 8am
1 I fvil Hn-Tlcn firmlOT8 eoual
and exceed tho&e paid In any branch
to ClTd Her-ctce employees equal
ana exceca tno&e paia "J any uranc
of prtrauj commercial life. Thon
and of appointment are made
annually. 10 icarn now ywu
ecore a good troremnient poiiuf n
by qualifying at home U, paiany
Civil Herrice Kxamlnatl' n, vrrlUj
to-dayfor free Civil Servlca Boo.
toUrotUl rrrtjwJ" BaU,
l!oxllM,fclo, 'i.
MissouriAuctionSchool
(Largest In tho World.)
Had rtudenbi during tho AuruhI term from eev
entoen rtatcs. Noxt four week' term opens January
3,1910. Remember Uiat wo only rcqulro one-half
or IGO.OO of tho tuition down, tho other fifty arter
you have become a jaicccdul auctioneer and made
J200.00 out of tho business. 60-paRO catalogue ireo.
Publisher of Auctloncor Joker. GOc pr yr.
IF. II, Carjieiiter, Vreu., Trenton, JIo.
TOTERINARY COURSE AT HOME
ear and upward eia be made laicing our veirr.
iMnnn, t
la tlmplMt EnelUb; Diploma granted, poltion obtained lot
-V.I ...,. eoit within reach of allj uttifactioo (:
:.... ,!. fc. ONTARIO VETERINARY COR
RESPONDENCE SCHOOL, OtfU 10, Lcs4oa, Cau&u
t
, J j.