\ CHRISTMAS GEM.
On Christinas Kva the bells were rung.
On Christinas Eve the mass was sung ;
Thatonljr night In all the year
Sa\v thestoled priest tho chalice rear ,
The damsel donned her klrtle sheen/ ; , ;
The hall was dressed In holly green ; V
Forth to the wood did merry men go
To gather In the mistletoe.
"
Then opened wide tho baron's hall , , .
To vassal , tenant , serf and all ;
Power laid his rod of rule aside , ' / ,
And Ceremony doffed his pride. J ' . _
Tiie heir with roses in his shoes ,
That night might village'partner choose ;
TheMOrd , underogatlng , share
The vulgar game of" post and pair. "
All hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice the happy nlgut
That to the cottage as the crown
Brought tidings of salvation down.
t The fire , with well dried logs supplied ,
Went roaring up the chimney wide.
The huge hall table's oaken face.
Scrubbed till It shone , tho day to grace ,
Bore there upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then was brought In the lusty brawn
By old'bluecoated serving man ;
Then the grim boar's head frowned on hlgb ,
Crested with bays and rosemary. *
f- Well can the green-garbed ranger tell
How , whcji and where tho monster fell ,
tv What dogs before his death he tore ,
t'b And'allHlio ' baiting of the boar.
b-
The wassail round In good warm howls ,
b1 Garnished with ribbons , blithely trowls ;
There tho huge sirloin reeked ; hard by
1- Plum porridge stood , and Christmas pie ,
f-- Nor failed old Scotland to produce
At such high tido her savory goose.
Then camothe merry maskers In
An < l carols roared with blithesome din *
If unmelodious was the song
It was a hearty note and strong.
Who lists may hi their murmuring seo
Traces of ancient mystery.
White shirts supplied the masquerade
Andsmuttered cheeks Ihe visors made.
But , ah. what maskers richly dlght ,
Can boast o bosoms half so light ?
England was merry England when
Old Christmas brought his sports ngaln.
Twas Christmas broached the mightiest alej
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale ;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man's heart through halt the year.
By Sir Walter Scott , in "Marmlon. "
A RACE FOR A WIFE ;
OK ,
A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS PARTY.
BY PIERRE DUVAL.
How did I come to bring home a
wife from the colonies ? You would
like to know , would you ? Well , as it's
Christmas , when all ought to be every
thing that's nice and obliging , why , I'll
tell you ; but I warn you there is very
little romance about my story.
Two years ago , when I finished my
college career , my anxious , parents
settled it for me that I had been work
ing too hard , and needed a thorough
change of scene and complete rest and
relaxation ; naturally arguing , that , as
I had brought on indisposition by
study , a cure would be wrought most
speedily by my endeavoring to forget as
soon as possible all I had been at so
much trouble to learn. My dear old
mother thought I was thin and looked
pale. I did not feel pale , but had no ob
jection to take advantage of my fan
cied ailmentin so far as to agree readily
to their proposal to pay a visit to an
uncle who had settled in the Dominion
not far from Ottawa. It is nothing to
the purpose of this story how I jour
neyed over " the pond , " and saw much
that was interesting. Suffice it to say
that I arrived at my destination a few
days before Christmas , and received a
most hearty welcome from my jolly
old relative. I do not wonder that he
was glad to see me , as the long Cana
dian winter , when out-door work was
at a stand-still because of the depth of
the snow and the severity of the
weather , is a tedious affair ; and any
thing which breaks the monotony of
life is welcome.
This very monotony was to me a
complete change ; and most of all did I
enjoy the sleighing , which was both
necessary and delightful. No one ,
who has .experienced the-exhilarating
sensation of skimming along the deep
snow and it was deep that year be
hind a pair of spirited horses , as fully
alive to enjoyment as ever their driver
could be , is very likely to forget it.
Was it cold ? So the thermometer
said , even suggesting ever so many
degrees below zero as the measure of
it ; but.it never felt so cold as an ordin
ary sloppy winter day in the old
country. But this is nothing of the
story you wanted me to tell.
A day or two before the 25th , my
uncle got a letter from an old friend
and neighbor asking him to spend the
festive day at his house. He would
probably be considered a very distant
neighbor in England , being some
twenty-five miles away ; but in Amer
ica distances are so vast that such a
space seems a trifle , and did not count
at all as likely to affect our acceptance.
As female society was somewhat
scarce in our part of the country ,
and I heard that at Mr. Preston's we
should probably meet a large party , I
readily acquiesced in my uncle's pro
posal to go ; so we went. My two rela
tives , for my aunt 'was of tho party ,
drove in their.spber sleigh , while I was
fitted out with "the new vehicle just
arrived from the city , and the two
young horses.
Of the party nothing needs to be told ,
except that it was a complete success.
Wo au enjoyed ourselves most thor
oughly , and were only too sorry when
the dawn of the next day warned us to
break up and go home. .Now , among
the guests was a young lady to whom 1
had been introduced , who had taken
niyfancy greatly. She was young ,
and , of course , pretty , but seemed dread
fully shy ; and do what I might , J
could drawher out but little about her
self and her belongings. I had noticed
during the evening how she seemed
bored by the attentions of a man evi
*
dently much her inferior in birth and
education , but seemingly well-to-do ,
and I had done what I could to relieve
her of his perpetual attendance , but
still she did no more than respond in a
formal and correct manner. I had
heard that she was a relative of a far
mer some distance off , and had no other
protectors , being an orphan and some
what of a stranger. It was not till
afterwards that I learned that there was
a sort of tacit understanding of en
gagement between her and Bob Saund-
ers , and that to the outward observer
the girl was not a willing party to the
arrangement. Our host was a hospit
able man , and the good things of the
world had been freely set before the
guests , with the usual and natural re
sult of sorting out the more reasonable
from the over-indulgent , and before
midnight it became painfully apparent
that Bob had taken as much as was
good for him , and it further became
equally evident that he was not capable
of driving Alice home again. She , poor
girl , was in a terrible state of alarm
and chagrin , and I overheard her ex
pressing her disgust to a friend and
declining to trust herself to his care
again.
What could I do ? I was the only
one of the party who had a vacant seat ,
and I could not , in common politeness ,
do less than offer her my escort to see
her home.
Bob scowled awfully , when she firmly ,
but politely , declined his attendance ;
and when he heard that the upstart
Englishman had carried off his girl ,
his language , I afterwards heard , was
ON HE CAME , AND AS HE NEAKED TJS , HIS CUHSES AND IMPRECATIONS GREW PLAINER AND PLAINER.
not a little unparliamentary , and he
swore he would "upset his darned old
sleigh and the gal and all , if he swung
for it. "
Of this , of course , we were in blissful
ignorance , and I had hardly settled
down into the full enjoyment of our
morning drive , before Alice burst into
hysterical tears , and buried her face
in the buffalo robes , and sobbed as
thought her heart would break.
"Oh , Mr. Burton , " she gulped out be
tween the sobs , " I am so much obliged
to you for taking care of me. Please
forgive my crying , but I am so un
happy. "
1 did my best to pacify her , and suc
ceeded so far as to get her to confide in
me how she had yielded to the persecu
tions of her lover in so far as to con
sent to his visiting her. This was
chiefly in deference to her guardian's
wish and not because she could really
like or respect such a man.
We had not gone far in these
pleasant confidences when I heard
the jingling behind of other bells , and
Alice turned to me in a tone of great
alarm.
" Oh , Mr. Burton , I do believe that is
Mr. Saunders behind us , and he is
driving like a madman. But we are
nearly to my guardian's. Please push
on and get out of his way. "
But though I whipped my good
horses up to their best pace , they had
gone far and were getting pumped out ,
while our pursuer had a fresh and
splendid team.
On he came , and as he neared us , his
curses and imprecations got plainer
and plainer , and it was evident he
had lost control not only of his temper ,
but also of his horses too , and I was
soon painfully aware that we were all
of us in imminent danger.
Urging my steeds as well as I could ,
I steered for the side of the track , so as
to keep my precious freight furthest
from danger , but I was unable to get
out of the way , and in two seconds
more crash came the brute right into
us , and I remember no more.
* * * * *
How long I was unconscious I don't
know , but when I came "to myself 1
was lying in bed in a comfortable but
homely room , with a very singular
ignorance of how I came there.
"Thank God ! he is alive , " I heard
whispered , and , opening my eyes , I
saw the tearful face of Alice gazing at
me. The rest is simple of explanation.
I had broken some tfones and got a
tremendous knock on the head , but
some how managed to pull through the
shock , and thanks to the devoted nurs
ing of my dear Alice , quite enjoyed
the process of getting well again. She ,
dear girl , was not much hurt , because
of my precaution to drive so the ruffian
did not drive into that side of the
sleigh.
Does it want much explaining how
we got so to like one another that she
concluded to visit the old country as
my bride ? I think not. How did we
settle with Bob Saunders ? Well , we did
not have much trouble with him.
When he got sober again he was so
much ashamed of himself that he sold
out his belongings and moved out
further west , where the last I heard of
him was that he was an ardent apostle
of the Blue Kibbon Army.
LITTLE BESSIE.
An Interesting Christmas Story.
Deacon Amos Dorr was a thoroughly
good man and a true Christian , and
was noted for his deep love for little
children. Mrs. Dorr , his wife , was a
good and upright woman ; but was
noted for her deep leve for property.
Many years before our story , a little
child came to gladden the hearts of the
worthy couple ; but only for a few
brief years was she permitted to remain
with them.
Then came a day only a week before
Christmas when sweet little Allie lay
sick unto death with that dreadful dis
ease , membranous croup ; and that
year the Christmas snows were softly
falling over a little new-made grave , as
the grief-stricken and.childless couplej
sat by the chimney corner , in which no
gay little stocking was hanging , ready
to be filled with the little toys so care
fully prepared by loving hands. But ,
as the years rolled on , the cares of the
world entered into the mother's heart ,
and nearly crowded out the memory of
the little child. Not so with the father's
loving heart ! Ah , no ! Por the sake of
his lost darling , all other children were
regarded by him as so many precious
jewels , to be guarded carefully , and
most tenderly loved. The one great
desire of the Deacon's heart was to
adopt a little girl ; but never a word of
this had he spoken to his wife.
One cold November evening , when
the wind was wailing mournfully
around the old house , bringing to mind
the cold winter so near at hand , the
good couple were quietly seated in
their cosy sitting-room , engaged in
their usual evening occupation , the
Deacon reading , and his wife knitting.
Just as Mrs. Dorr was endeavoring to
calculate to a cent , how much that day's
churning would "fetch , " the Deacon's
voice broke the silence , as he methodi
cally folded his paper and placed it on
the table beside him.
" Seems as ef it grows lonesomer an'
lonesomer every year , Nancy"remarked
the Deacon , with a sigh.
" LonsomerT' repeated Mrs. Dofr in a
tone of surprised inquiry. "Why /
aint lonesome ; I have work enough to
do to keep me from getting lonesome ,
I hope. What in the world's come over
you , Amos V"
"Well , I don't know , " replied the
Deacon slowly , "Butsomehow or other
it seems terribly aorter still , like , round
the house lately. Nancy , " catching
his breath "Nancy , why can't we take
a child ? "
"TakeachildF repeated Mrs. Dorr
in amazement , dropping her knitting
into her lap and catching her spectacles
from her eyes. "What an idea ! as
much as I have to do ! Why , I should
go distracted to have a child round
under foot ; and the expense of bring
ing up a child , too , 'specially a girl
You must be crazy. Amos , to think of
such a foolish thing. "
"Well , well , wife , " hastily replied the
Deacon , "I didn't know but you might
think well of it , seein' we're all alone ,
so ; but I shall get along well enough , j '
Mebbe John's children will come down
next summer and stay a spell. "
"Dear me ! 1 never did see such a
man in all my born days , " said Mrs.
Dorr , resuming her knitting , "you ain't
never satisfied unless there's half a
dozen young ones at your heels. "
The Deacon took up his paper and
went to reading again , thinking that
enough had been said upon the sub
ject , for that time at least.
This was Saturday night. The fol
lowing day Mrs. Dorr was forced to go
to church alone , as her husband was
suffering from a cold , and declared
that he wasn't a-goin'to keep the con
gregation in a quiver with his cough
ing. " Left to his own devices , the
good Deacon , like men of smaller
growth , fell at once into mischief. Or
it might have appeared to Mrs. Don
had she known that her husband
availed himself of her absence by
writing a letter to his favorite nephew ,
John Ferris , in Boston. But fortu
nately , the good woman did not hear
of this letter untill a long time after.
And when that time came , "things
had changed , and she had changed ; "
so it did not matter.
The next day the Deacon walked
down to the village and mailed the
precious missive , and in the course of
a week there came a letter to the farm
house nephew John.
"Why that's John's writin' ! " ex
claimed Mrs. Dorr glancing over her
husband's shoulder as , with an impas
sive countenance , he proceeded to read
his letter. " It is from John , " he pres
ently announced.
"Do you want a boarder , Nancy ?
good pay guaranteed. John wants to
know if you'll board a four-year-old
girl for a while. He says she's quiet
and well-be-haved ; I guess John's sort
of a guardeen , or something , for th
child. " _ _
"WhyI don't know , " said Mrs. Dorr
impaling her back hair on a knitting-
needle and folding her hands medita
tively. "P'raps I could manage to
somehow. Winter's a good time for
boarders , for me , on account of butter'n
cheese. But a child well , I'll see be
tween now and morning. "
The Deacon wisely forbore to say
much on the subject ; for he very well
knew how his wife would decide. So
he was not at all surprised when she
said the next morning that "she'd
thought it over , and she guessed she
would try it , but she should want good
pay. " Secretly delighed to hear this ,
the Deacon immediately answered his
nephew's letter , and in a few days was
gratified by the arrival of Mr. Ferris
with his little charge.
" I will see that the child's board is
paid as long as you will keep her , Aunt
Nancy , " said the gentleman. " She is a
dear little thing and has neither father
nor mother. Her father died while in
my employ ; and the mother being dead
some time before , the children had to
be separated. There were two others ,
another girl and a boy. They are in the
asylum , " he added briefly.
" Why aint this one there too ? " in
quired Mrs. Dorr.
" O , I took a fancy to her , " replied
Mr. Ferris carelessly. "I wish she
could have a good home somewhere. I
shall look after her until she does , I
think. "
Mr. Ferris stayed with them only a
day and a night ; and with many an in
junction to his little charge to be a good
'girl and mind Aunt Nancy , he bade
them good-by , and was whirled back to
the big city.
Little Bessie was rather lonely at
first in the large , old farm-house ; bat
she was a cheery little soul , and soon
began to sine and chatter from morn
ing till night. She followed th Deacon
about like a faithful little spaniel ; and
then the good man was positively un
happy when she. was not with him. It
was a pretty sight to see the sunny-
haired little maiden trudging about
with the quiet old farmer , holding fast
to his big , blue-niittimed hand with her
wee scarlet-covered one. Every animal
on the place learned to love her , and ,
strange to relate. Aunt Nancy at last
fell captive to her infantile charms ,
and , unknown to herself , a big place
was thawinir out in * r hfi.irfc fnr
i
little child. And now Christmas was
come , and the Deacon , half suspecting
what was taking place in the mind of
his Avife , resolved upon a grand stroke.
Christmas eve , the child was un
dressed as usual , and placed in her little
cot which stood in a corner of the room
where slept the Deacon and his wife.
Not close by the bed where Allie's crib
used to stand , poor little orphan girlie !
Away off in a corner by herself , just a
poor little lonely boarder ! Ah well !
thy good angel is hovering near , littlo
one !
Mrs. Dorr , after setting things to
rights in the kitchen , for the night , re
turned to the sitting-room and found
it empty ; but in the chimney-corner
hung one of dear little Allie's stockings ,
filled as Mrs. Dorr quickly discovered
with the very toys she had had in
readiness so long ago , to put into this
same little stocking. As she stood
silently gazing at it , the tears slowly
gathering and falling , the bedroom
opened and disclosed the Deacon stand
ing there , with such a look of love and
longing on his kind old face , that it
instantly became manifest to her , what
her husband desired and expected from
her hands , as 7iis precious , Christmas
gift. And all at once her soul seemed
flooded with tenderness and love. Love
for the little child so safe in Heaven ,
and for the little one so quietly sleeping
in the little crib which the Deacon had
drawn up close to the side of the bed.
"Nancy"said the good man , holding
out his hand , and leading hiswife to
the side of the crib , "Nancy , will you
give me this little , child ? she is the one
gift I crave. "
" O , Amos ! " said Mrs. Dorr brokenly ,
"she aint mine to give ; she's the
Lord's ; but.I guess she's meant for
you anyway. I I've been growing
hard and stingy , Amos. I can see il
now. I'd most forgot my own little
girl , and everything else , but my own
self. But I'm a goin' to have a share
in this little thing , " she exclaimed
stooping to kiss the little sleeper. " I
declare , she looks as Allie used to , " she
remarked , wiping her eyes , as they
turned to leave the room.
" I've thought so all the time , " re
plied the Deacon , as he softly clreed
the door upon the sleeping child , Who
had all unconsciously , entered into t.
kingdom of love , there to stay , and
make glad the hearts of those about
her.
In a Dentist's Chair.
"ratty soon the dentist stuck hi *
head into the door and told me it wai
niv turn. I asked him how he had dis
posed of the roma us of my predecessoi
so easily. He smiled more sweeth
than over and mot'oned me into the
operating chair. By its side was a
little silver mounted spittoon , for use
in case : v vital organ was punctured. 1
.old him 1 wanted the tooth drawn
out front view , cabinet size. lie replied ,
that if I didn't likj the proof 1 could sit
over as maintimes as I liked. He had
me there.
1 threw back my head nml opened my
mouth. The dentist involuntarily
grasped the s de of his chair and said
he believed he wouldn't come in be
cause his feet were muddy. Then he
ran his arm into my face and began to
feel around somewhere inside. I se'zud
his arm , dragged it out of my person ,
and explained that my tooth was still
in 1113mouth , that 1 had not swallowed
it. He said yes. he knew it. I suppose
he had personally investigated. I never
experienced such an instance of fellow
feeling in my life.
Tve found it ! " he cried , excitedly ,
at last.
Tve known where it was all the
time , " I answered with chocked
sarcasm.
The dentist turned to his chest of
gleaming tools and picked out a
machine that I have seen blacksmiths
use in shoeing horses. The minute
the cold steel entered my mouth I be
gan to repent. It felt its fearful waj
alonjr until it got to a tooth that suitci
it. The critical moment had arrived.
The dentist leaned forward , planted his
head against my chest , braced both
feet against the writer , said ' 'now looi
pleasant won't be long , " and gave s
mighty jerd. There was : i cracking
sound in my brain , a blending flash ol
cerebral lightning , a sensation like the
disintegration of worlds , and the tootL
was out. I think the root was wrapped
about the backbone , and had begun tc
sprout in the shoulder-blade.
"She's a daispanted the dentist
"She's the best thing out , " I re
plied , coldly. Cabriolet , in the S2)ring
field (0. ( ) Globe.-Kepublic.
A Perishable Cargo.
Mr. William Parsons , the lecturer ,
was one day a passenger on a big
sleigh away up in Michigan. On the
road they met another sleigh not near-
ly so big as their own. The little sleigh
kind of kept to the middle of the
drifted road , and the driver of the bis
sleigh kind of turned clear out and
kind of turned his sleigh clear over and
plunged his six or seven passengers
up to their necks or heels in the chillj
drift , just as they happened to be shot
in head first or feet foremost. Loud
was their wrath. They wanted to mot
their cowardly driver. "Why didn't
you make the little fellow turn out ? "
Why didn't you upset him ? " "Why
did't you run over him ? " they demand
ed. "Could of done it , " said the
driver , groping around in the snow for
stray valises , "but I kind o' hateJ to
spoil his load. " "What was he haul
ing ? " demanded the lecturer. "Dyna
mite , for the mines , " ' said the driver.
They accepted his apology , and the
work of excavating for the buried Trot' ,
the entombed dress-suit and "The
Heros of the Homeric Age'5 went on in
silence. Brooklyn Eagle.
It's a wise night-key that knows its own key
hole. JYw HavenV M.
THE NORTH OF IRELAND-
farmers Who IIo : > o Jfot to Uuvo
Homo ICuIc.
Dating from Belfast The London
Times correspondent in Ireland writes :
Having spent : i considerable tlmo In
the south and west , I determined to sco
something of the other Ireland in tho
north. It is like a different country.
Even in Donegal the change of accent
strikes one. but on entering London
derry it becomes pronounced ; and il is
not only in their accent , but in charac
ter and dispoistion , that the people nro
closely allied to the Scotch. They are a
sturdy race , hardworking , independent ,
and thrifty. "You know very littlo of
this country , " said one man ; "if twolvo
people want to send a letter to Dublin ,
they'd go * co , ' in the penny stamp. "
I visited some substantial farmers in.
Londonderry who would answer very
much to the yeoman class in England.
The first was a prosperous man , who
had built a house fit for any gentleman
when he had no lease , and who agreed
on a judicial rent under the land act
without going into court. "Ye needn't
ask me anvtliing , " ho said ; "ynv only
'
to look at'me to sec that I'm content
ed. " He showed me over his farm
yard and oiliees. and from the appear
ance of everything I should say that ho
certainly ought to be contented. Ho
declared , nevertheless , that it was very
hard now to make both ends meet , if a
man is depending solely on the land.
" ' " he'said "but tho
"It's not the rent , ,
prices ; and you English with your freo
trade are ruining ius. " His parting
injunction was delivered slowly and
with great emphasis. "When ye go (
home , " he said , "tel ! them , whatever
ve do , not to give us home rule. "
The next man I saw had raised him-
sel * by industry from the position of a
common laborer , and had built : i houso
fully equal to the last. He was con
tent to live friendly with his landlord ,
he said , as everyone ought to be , and
he had fixed his rent with him out of
court. He grew a good deal of oats
and flax , and had a dairy of twelve
cows. "I suppose you were glad the
home-rule bill was rejected ? " I asked.
"Yes. .and the last one. too , " he said
eagerly , "Going to break our fifteen
years' * judicial lease' ! Whatever hap
pens after let us have our fifteen years
at any rate. " I visited another of the
same class , who had had some disputes
with his' landlord and was less content
ed , though his house was if possible ,
more magnificent than the others , and ,
like them , out of all proportion to the
& 5ze of his holding , which was only
about one hnndml acres. He had
always taken an active part in politics ,
he said , and was evidently an extreme
radical : but he abstained from voting
at the last elect on. as he would not
vote for a conservative and could not
vote for a home-ruler. Many of tho
Presbyterians in the north are , I be
"
lieve , "extremely democratic , and would
be nationalists if it were not for the
fear of be ng ruled by Rome. This
man also said that if he had nothing
but the land , he would find it very hard
to keep square and do justice to his
family ; but the open piano and hand
some furniture showed what that
meant.
What to Tcacli Them.
At a social gathering someone pro
posed this question : "What shall I
teach my daughter ? * ' The following
replies were handed in :
Teach her that 100 cents make a
dollar.
Teach her to arrange the parlor and
the library.
Teach her to say'No. . " and mean it ,
or "Yes , " and stick to it.
Teach her to wear a calico dress , and , ,
to wear it like a queen. |
Teach her how to sew on buttons , \
darn stockings , and mend gloves.
Teach her to dress for health and
comfort as well as appearance.
Teach her to cultivate flowers and to
keep the kitchen garden.
Teach her to make the neatest room
in the house. )
Tcash her to have nothing to do with \
intemperate or dissolute young men.
'leach her that tight "lae.ng is ua-
comely as well as injurious to iiealth.
Teach her to regard the morals and
habits , and not money , in selecting her
associates.
Teach her to observe the old rule :
' A place for nverx thing , and everything
in its i ii" < ; . " °
' 1 eai-.i her that mm \ l-awing , and
painting are real armm 1.icnts 1 in
the home , andins not to i.r " " ! ti'il
if there be timu and mouy i"r tiieir
use.
use.Teach her tlr. ; important tru'sm :
"That the more she Ihvs within In-r m-
jome the more she wili save , and tho
further she will get away from the poor-
house. "
Teach her that a good , steady , church-
going mechanic , farmer , clerk , or
teacher without a cent is worth moru
than forty loafers or non-producers in. /
broadcloth. " *
Teach her to embrace every oppor
tunity for reading ; and to select such
books as will give her the most useful
ind practical information in order to
make the best progress in earlier as
ivell as later home and school life.
Charleston ( S. ' . ) Dispatch.
Guin-Chewers.
There is a ludicrous habit in this
country , which shows how childish
some people are. It is that of chewing <
njnm. I remember that Stephenson , J
the novelistin his "Silverado Squatters"
mentions thai his gigantic Apollo in '
the foothills chewed gum and spat. It
is. I think , a habit imported from Mis- -f
souri , or else it was acquired among
the foothills when tobacco was scarce.
But grown up Yankee people have en
gaged at the pleasure. A somewhat f
noted Massachusetts professor , who
had lived here several \ ears , was sur
prised because I diil not chew gim. At
Los Angeles 1 did a favor for a San
Francisco practical politician that s.
I wrote for him a letter which h-j h'm-
self could not write. 1 hail acqu red : i
toothache from drinking too much ice-
water. and seeing him take out a silver-
plated box , I asked him for a bit of tho
tobacco. "It's gum,1' he sa L--cr"a/j
Francisco Cor. Jew YorkYorld *
