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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1910)
FORSflORTS PyjLoirrfe Dim/iam OahfypLjt'n' )\V, our baby had never encountered a locked door. The lovesome pit pat of Ills busy feel was herald at whose coining every door In the house swung open and over thresholds ho went Into assured wel comes. But we were plan ning n tree. And the library door was locked. He paused In his as cent of the stairs In button In a button that would not stay buttoned. It require, loueli time and lie sat down on (he. Btej) and with all his (on fat, wee An igers labored Then, "lias a* doodle b<n>, he objurgated himself as he Teaumed Ills climb of the stairs, the jbutton buttoned; "I)as a duryln' y It tie jgentleman!” He shook the J<nol). Waited, Jug (glng on the toes of him and dlscours Hiyf to Nloodemus. The door remained closed Two fat palms smote It wrathfully. “Open,” he commanded; "pease topon dla door," Nobody answered. "P-o-o-r y It tie boy," lie wheedled at keyhole; "sere ain't nobody loves ■*tm." Nlcodenius yapped and made feints at desertion when a dog harked out Isldo. Fawned back, and licked III., fingers where bread and honey aroma lugered. Fat up and waved an affable jpaw nt him. lie sat down on the floor and gath tree! hla yellow dog Into his pinafore nd hugged. “ 'Cept Nltndemus an- mvssef," lie (said. Great grand ranie up the hall. "Is you been a bad boy, dreat-dran ?’’ (he said. "Is you all abutted out?" Great grand sighed. "Seems like this horse Just will run •away,” In doleful tone, "and I've got a fbone In my foot and I can’t run after |hlm." In a wink he was after the rampant iateed. Captured and mounted, rode (It lordIIy hither and yon, ami when |al last he came hack from the breath Hess miles we had slipped down tho pack way and al Btalrfoot waited. Slowly, with dignity, he dismounted, put his steed In stall, came hnck to 'stair-head, and. legs astride and head ithrown back, surveyed us from the 'heights of remembered Injury. lie (eldo him, perky, tongue lolling out, fNIcodemus squatted. Long legs gathered to his chin, great-grand ranged himself on the top ■tep and twinkled. "Yes, sirs," quoth great grand; "shut ted up alt out!" Our baby nodded confirmation nnd iNIcodemus yawned In our fu-.s “Me'n inys Nitodemus an’ tii.vs dreal idran," lie gald. "An inys dreat-dran Is dot a bone tn Ids foot an’ 1 needed to kiss mys imivvi r." But for three long days the library ddoor remained locked. And regularly, after each morning’s breakfast, he mounted the stairs and tried the knob and cogitated to Moo demus, and poked broom straws under the door. Christmas eve we sat about a great open (tre. Great grand loved to dig nnd delve In the red charred logs and Imprison the swarms of rosy bee Fascinated, 1 would watch the swirl ing upfled sparks, wondering what phantasms of youth he saw nll-beautl ful in them, what faces went past in that rosy mirage (hat Ills own should wear so tender an answering look into eyes lie alone was seeing. Some times our baby would come to stand between his knees, head leaned against hiH shoulder, ami from within the encircling arms watch. Sometimes be would straddle one old knee and snug his head under the down leaning old chin, gold hair and white hair com mingled, and hand over the old hand, help the poker that prodded and piled the embers. And the wide eyes seemed to be seeing with the old man's vision Ing, so united he would sit. Christmas eve we sat about the great open fireplace. Great-grand sort ed and piled his red-charred logs. Grandmother was watching, lost in idleness. Grand fat tier had gone down cellar for apples and in my lap my baby was telling me secrets. We listened beyond the singings of the flames; beyond the delicate soft sing ing and the sighing and the laughters of them, the wind in the chimney. From the end of the new back-log the saps distilled, all the summer's rains and dews and green growings in their whicker w hicker. We had hated to shut out the skies, so divinely neur they closed in upon earth, with their starry strands garlanding the rim of hills. Our baby had seen Ills first me teor—a feathered trail of ethereal fire and a soundless splendor as the me teor burst and blggened Into a globe of Blysian azurp, and went out. And the black violet skies seemed yet deeplier black with that blue glory memorled against them, and the stars pallid and cold. And my baby won dered If there might not be another Christmas baby, in that blue glory. He wondered whether, if we'd go out. we might not find a few boys and girls and babies that got left over, when God forgot W'ho had asked to have some left at their houses. He wished he'd been there that night at the ox en's inn, to see the little child. So's he could have brought It home to his own sef's house. He wanted a bnbv so bad. And even Ills sweets freighted babble picked up that bine sky-mlsterv and wondered about it And Ins eyes were wide and fathomlessly sweet in the firelight, and tils hand clung all the while to my face and deared It, : and wove heavenly weave into my life ( in every least little touches of It lo my lips, my cite, ks and in tiie com ings home of It to slip into my bosom and there nest Then we told him that it was going to he the Christmas baby's birthday tomorrow, and because we so love Hod's little son we give, year after year, all life long, gifts to him and to each other on that day. And the llbrnry door, tomorrow, would lie un locked. and a surprise inside for us each and all. "Gracious!" was Ills sole comment; ami slowly the happy eyes slipped from us behind their curtain-fringes, j the little warm body lay heavy in my j arms. Slowly Great-grand unbuilded i the house of red embers, and coming over took the little sleeper Into his arms, rocked and crooned and hugged and God blessed him. And with grandmother's kisses on the wee feet that never were still save In slumber, and grandfather's proud look Into the unwitting face following after, I bore him away to Ills crib; ho loved, so loved! "Is Trismus turn?" I wakened with the words break ing the crystal of my dreams and kiss ing themselves against rny lips and a fat white body embracing my head "Yes, sir," I managed to say through the strangling arms of him. "Happy Christmas, Bob-for Short! " "Happy Christmas, Hob for Short!" echoed from the doorway; and "Hap He Had Never Owned a Kitten. py Christmas, Unli fot -Short!” floated In from beyond tho oust ami west shoulders of preal brand. He shouted, lie danced Never be fore hail lie been met by all the fam ily at crib side, lie jigged all over tho bed, trickling blarney merits and laughters at the three gray heads that waggled Hi unconscious tune to tli« , prancing! of him. Then, all his yellow body apant with j haste, Nicodenuis hustled Ills f it self j up the stairs Into tho fun he was i missing, and In his wake, Katy from ! ' her kitchen. i And with a ' Happy Christmas u> I ye7„ Mist her Politer Short." she set | a gray kitten on the floor. | We were all very still, as he slipped I from the bed and approached the kit | ten. He had never owned a kitten, lie | eyed It In raptured silt nee. "Meou," ; : said the kitten. i Into his cheeks the red crimsoned. "Oh!" he gasped; "wad you tail, titty; pease wail you tail! And she wagged her tall ami arched iter back against his feet and cajoled him. and as he gathered her into his nightgown and the white fat hare legs ran with their treasure, she broke into loud silken purrings. And Nicodemus sulked and , j fell Into a helpless yellow bunch of | i protest, when the gray kitten was held to his nose for a kiss. And we ail daw,lied until Katy's bell rang third summons to breakfast. ! Ho went up the stairs alone Then Nicodemus. Then Croat-grand. Then I. And then the rest of his adorers. He stopped at the door. "Open the door, sir." said grandfa ther. "Turn on, mtivver," he said, reach ing hand Into my hand. • So we stepped over the threshold j together. The room was darkened. The fire light dulled behind a screen. In the center of the room a low, fair branched young cedar tree gleamed like a great jewel. My hand forgotten, he circled the l tree. ’Round and round And we after. “Das a mo’ bu-tl-ful drum," we 1 caught the murmur as he inventoried "Pas a ylttle ’tend horse." He paused to Jog it and In ecstasy watch its tall go up and down. “Das a yittle toad- j frod in dat bid tumble. How you s'pose It dot In?” He tarried to In j vestigate, and set it rolling for the kitten to chase. Nlcodemus thought it was meant for him, and when he collided with the kitten, cowed and scared and muttering, he fled to a dls i tance and yapped at ball and kitten. And the inventory went on: "Das a dold waths, vlke niys Dreat-drnn is dot." He tarried to hunt a pocket, and deposit his watch therein. But first | he held it to ear. And the murmur resumed: “Dat waths is def an' dum j too. Das a plture-but an' das a piture- ! but an' das a piture-but. . . . Dra ' clous!" And Christmas w as on for Bob for- j Short.—New York Independent. Christmas Day To rule and reign with gentle sway, The King of Lome was bom today. No ualace walls enclosed him round, cBut in a manger ‘was he found: That so the boastful world might see The greatness of humility. He came, a child, in lovely grace. That so a child might seek his face; So poor was he, the humblest born Might come, without a fear of scorn. To all mankind he showed the way, And ushered in the dawn of day. And so, with grateful lomt and praise. We hail this blessed day of days. The children’s joy, the fxior man's feast. The star of hope to great and least: When holy angels come to earth. And sing anew a Savior’s birthI Give SHOP GIRL 1 Her Due§U{ ’^iu\)miVi'rpoVVgS(k N an excellent short story published not long ago, O. Henry] gave to his shop-girl; heroine a colossal char-t acter, emphasized that. In her were combined, the notable attributes] of Hercules, Joan of Arc, l'na, Job and Lit tle Red Riding Hood. And at this season o^ the year—“glad Christ-* mas days”—it easily! might seem to a less s y m path etlc person than the regretted (). Henry that tho shop-girl most stands in need of tho strength of Hercules, the heroism of Joan of Arc, the truthfulness and oth er singular excellencies of Una, tho patience of Job. Think what It must mean, from eight to six, or eight to, ten, as the case may he, to face and Serve the rattled throngs that are now 1 surging through the shops, think of the strain on endurance and nerve, on tempi r and manners. The wonder Is ! not that she often comes up to the de (minds on her, but that she ever does. Some of the veterans, survivors of many hard-fought Christmas battle holds, are marvels; may be sm n at fag end of day still alert, though droop Ingly so; still clear-headed, though with conscious effort; still with cour teous attitude In their serving, though those the\ serve have lost the last shred of any politeness with which they may have started out. Compare the manners of some spoiled darling, some indulged, arro gant child of wealth, with the dignity and patience and sweetness often shown by the girl behind the counter The one self-centered, of most rdstrlct ed vision, captious, petty; the other self-effacing, far-seeing, charitable, big Caleb In search of a wife might well pursue his quest along the aisles of the big Stores, ilnd womanly ideal standing there behind the counter. They are not all caricatures of fash ion, with hair tortured into latest ex aggeration, frocks cheap copies of showy splendors; not all more given to powder and rouge than to soap and water. And In the attainment of the so highly-desirable neatness and trim ness heroism again has to come to the fore, tt is no easy matter after long hours of labor to labor more, take pains for personal cleanliness, sew and darn when eyes are heavy, back is aching. Heroines every one of them that make a good show. I know a girl in a fashionable candy shop that every other night washes and irons that she may be*presentable the next day. Her moderate wage is the chief part of the family support, there is riot enough money for enough blouses to last the week, and so the midnight laundrying Is done as a mat ' ter of course. But how pretty and sweet and fresh the girl does manage to look In her snowy white and well brushed black; much better dressed, she seems to me, than the woman of fuss and feathers. What little mothers they are, a lot of them, simple affectionate, domestic creati./** — though so often character ized ns vain, shallow, foolishly am bltlous, thinking only of dress and 'Mates." I know one girl that worked In one of the department stores which keep open evenings at Christmas time, who the night before Christmas did not leave the store until midnight, I then after traveling an hour on the street cars to her home stayed up hours to trim a wonderful Christmas tree for the children of the family, the bunch of little ones the poor seem a! ways to have with them. I know an other glri that Rt this season goes down unusually early mornings to ar range "stock,” comes home unusually ,afe evenings; but after dinner cheer fully dons kitchen apron and helps with giant plum pudding and other Christmas preparation that yearly Is repeated in honor of old England and the home left behind when there was made search for fortune in the rich land of' America. These are just two instances, the one quite commonplace, unheroic, but you may pick up a few for yourself by eavesdropping a bit in vour shopping; observing among the buyers the many shop-girls purchasing toys and silver "pusher,” children’s gloves and sweater, or gray dress for mammy, muffler for daddy. Of course there is any number of pert, Incompetent girls that wait on hapless customers, rattier keep hap less customers waiting, but they have been pictured with enough frequency, this sort repeatedly held up as typical, thereby obscuring the virtues of the many worthy ones following the pro fession of "waiting on." For some time past I have been gathering data, ma king experiment; and have found it the rule rather than exception that courtesy meets with courtesy. "Soft; and fair go far In a day," not only on highway tint In the miles of space in; a lingo department store. A man said to me recently; “How1 little of church Is brought into tlie. Christmas of today.” And how sadly true tills is—“church" in this c.onnec tion standing for whatsoever tilings are lovely, whatsoever things are good, of full Import to all religions. And bully ing and bullyragging a shop-girl at; tills season seems about as far from "lovely and good" as one may wander.j Put yourself in her place, remember ing previous failures of your own; when bodily weariness snapped; strained nerves, broke down poise. Ye gods and little fishes, in what condition is the shop-girl to "enjoy”' Christmas! I nin sure if I were she all I would ask of good Saint Nicholas; would he a dark, airy room far, farl away from people (from man, and es-| pecially woman); a great, soft bed! where I could stretch out long andj wide; silence ami sleep forever and. Sew and Darn When Eyes Are Heavy. forever. No dreams to disturb that sleep; no vision of past haggling, no vision of wearlsonr* "exchanges” to conic. Hut the reality Is a long way from lids that I woiM ask. Do you suppose such a proud wage earner as sliu would be content to let Christmas day go by without displaying wealth and power? No, every dependent in tha liom-ohoid must partake of her bounty, every pensioner tie given good proof of what it means to have her dress up ami go'down town ever} day. Noth ing of niggard Is the shop-girl at Christmas, she is as much a Lady Bountiful as any millionairess of them all. What a creature! A “Hercules, a Joan of Arc, a I’na, a Job" and a Lady Bountiful on eight dollars and less a week! (Copyright. 1910.) THE IDEAL WORKSHOP. CHRISTMAS TIME. 1 have often thought of Christmas time, when It has come round, apart from the veneration due to Its sacred name and origin, If anything belong ing to It can bo apart from that—as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charit able. pleasant time.—Charles Hickens All Nebraska Women Uphold Puritan We strictly The die guarantee tinct flavor Puritan Flour. - the whole Veu may use some taste of the half a sack or "bigger, whiter, more and if it does lighter loaves’’made not reach yourexpec* From Puritan F lour has rations if it li st not brought about its exetu make the very 1>< t bread, 81 ve use in the best Ne rake, biscuit or pie crust that braska homes. So great is the you ever baked if it does demand for our Hour that we not do all this, bring the rest have g-iwn in a few years from of the sack back and your grocer a 200-barrel-a-day-mill to our will refund you your money. W present output of 2,000 barrels. I liat want you to try this flour at our is putting on the ciphers fast, but the risk we are just that positive of largest increase is yet to come. There is your approval and steady patronage there- hut a one-word reason for this exceptional after. success—QUALITY. Wells-Abb jtt-Nieman Company The Pu ritan Millers—Schuyler, Nebraska C. A. Heck Buy Watertown, Wisconsin Rye Flour, Gold Coin Flour. Get some Tankage for your hogs. I also have Oil Meal, Rock Salt, Barrel and Sack Salt. Give me your order for Coal and Wood 1 also handle Feed, Baled Hay and Straw and all kinds of Grain. Give me a trial. C. A. Heck Exhibits from every western state, showing un.u is grown uu.i now to grow it. Inhibits irrigation ami drtV funning methods, ixxnibits , showing how to raise more corn—wheat—- .1 : oa,ts aliaiia and potatoes. Good roads ex ! hiUil alld lectures -how to prevent hog ehol- I era. Moving pictures and illustrated lectures — Kood music and clean entertainment Ad mission 25 cents. $i Come to the Omaha Land Show, USE OF WORD “SCALAWAG” In the South It Does Not Carry Re proach of Dishonest Character— Old Political Term. A New York woman talking with a southern woman mentioned a well known lawyer, a native of Virginia, but now a resident of New York. "Yes, 1 know him," said the south ern woman. 'Tie was a scalawag." "Oh!" gasped the New York wo man. “Surely not. At least, 1 never have heard a word against him. Are we talking about the same man? 1 always have understood that the one 1 mean is a man of unimpeachable honor.” The southern woman smiled, ‘les, we are talking about the same man.” she replied; "but 1 see we do not at tach the same meaning to the word ‘scalawag.’ Evidently with you it means something dishonorable, or at least reprehensible. Did you never hear the southern use of it before?" The northern woman shook her head. "1 never heard it used in any way except to indicate a man who would resort to trickery, or even ac tual dishonesty, to attain an end." "I never have heard it used that way in the south. There it is an old political term. It originated Just be fore the war. Down in Virginia, in those days, a man who had originally been a Democrat, hut who became a Republican, or at least a Union man, was called a ‘scalawag.’ ” "Oh—same as those we called ‘Cop perheads' in the north." "I think so. I'm not saying there was no reproach implied by the word in war times, but not the reproach of j a dishonest character.’’ Wonderful Dog. Jess is an Irish setter belonging to Henry Crouchley, a paralyzed watch repairer at Islington. When a constatilo came with a summons to pay ihe dog's license .less took It to her master, who cannot move about Mr. Crouchley said to the constable, “I cannot get on without h«r; she is my only friend, companion, servant and messenger. Every morning she fetches the newspaper to my bed di rectly it falls through the letter box. Letters she brings in the same way.” A note was put through the letter box and was immediately fetched to the bed by the dog. “Jess help me greatly with my work," said the in valid "She knows the names of all my tools and brings them whenever 1 need them. She goes out and buys my food and tobacco.” Lord Tenter den heard of the case and paid the license. False Hair Supply. Most of the best true false hair now worked up on such a grand scale comes from the southeast corner of Hohemla. In this hair-raising rpgion the human hair market Is a too com mon sight, and the getting ready of 'he stuff for the white world market Is a big and diversified business. The supply is helped out by cargoes from China, and large quantities of China hair it takes, too, at that. It comes packed In straw In bales averaging 130 pounds in weight. Chink hair, as everybody here knows, Is u bad black, intensely so, and in such color Is no use or value at all. So the first thing to do is to make It a missionary blond by bleaching it in a pretty strong hath of peroxide of hydrogen and ammonia This kills germs and makes the hair pretty safe.
