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GOOD od - fashioned
Chrismas with the
logs upon the hearth
The table lilled with
f casters anthe room
a roar th mirlli
With the stockins
criinimcd tobustin
antlie tnedders piled
ith snow
old fashioned Chrismas like wo
had so long ago
Now tlihiS UiR thing Id like to see agin
afcrc I die
lu Chrisnias in tho city here its dif
ferent oh my
With the crowded hustle bustle of tho
nlu hy noisy sroet
An- the scowl upon tho faces of the stran
Ci that you moor
Dh theres buyin plenty of it of a lot o
gorgeous toys
An it takes a mint o money to please
modern girls and Loys
Why 1 mind the time a jack knife an a
toffy lump for me
Made my little heart an stockin jus
chock full of Chris mas glee
An theres feastin Think o fesdin with
these stuck up city folk
Why ye have to scuk in whispers an yo
darsnt crack a joke
Then remember how the tables looked all
crowded with your kin
When you couldnt hoar a whistlo blow
across the merry din
You sec Im so I dont
care much for style
An to eat your Chrismas banquets hero I
wouldnt go a mile
Id rather have like Solomon
diuner set
With real old friends than turlcle soup with
allthe nobi you d goL
Theres my next door neighbor Gurley
fancy how his brows ud lift
If Id holler Merry Chrismas Caught old
fellow Chrismas gift
Lordy Lord 1 d like to try it Guess hed
nearly have a fit
Hang this city stiffness anyways I cant
get used to It
Then your heart i kept a swellln till it
nearly bust ycur side
An by night your jaws were achin with
you smiles four inches wide
An your onemy the wostone you d just
grab his hand an oay
Jlebhe both of us was wronz John Come
lets shake Its Chrismas Day
Mighty little Chrismas spirit seems to
dwell tween city walls
Where each snowflake brings a soot flake
for a brother as it falls
Mighty Httlo Chrismas spirit An Im
pin in dont you know
For a good old fashioned Chrismas like we
had so long ago
Centurv
SOMETHING TANGIBLE
I
fKiMwa 21
sBwf
NK
i A at
i
E was tired the look
ot ennui on the
stern cold face the
drawn expression
about the eyes the
listless pose of the
body the aimless
uncertain wander
ing of the thin ner
vous fingers bespoke
it verified it made
iYWl r port a i n
Yes he was tired
As he glanced about
his elegant offices
now deserted by the
clerks for the Xew Years holiday
the suggestion of wealth power and
high financial standing had no charm
to evoke enthusiasm To Eichard
Penrith the handsome balance in the
ledger the princely securities locked
up in the massive sfe the plump
bank account at the great trust insti
tution across the way were no more
at that moment than a heap of
dross a bundle of withered autumn
leaves
One oclock in the afternoon the
clerks had gone home and he sat lost
in gloomy profitless motiveless rev
erie Two he still stared at vacancy
thinking of nothing of everything
wishing the wheels of business would
never stop feeling as lonely and out
of his element in the festive pros
pects of the next day as if he was an
uncongenial spirit from another
world
Three oclock
From the stone paved court below
there was wafted to his hearing the
merry voices of jroung clerks and
messenger boys engaging in the
pranks and capers that followed the
last settling up of the year The
earty boyish accents made
him wince How long it seemed
since he was a boy How
many years since he put love emo
tion every human sentiment into a
sealed casket buried it fathoms deep
and became a sordid money making
machine With a sigh bitter and
resentful he put on his hat hurried
from the office stepped into his hand
some carriage at the curb below and
was driven homeward down the mag
nificent boulevard one of the richest
certainly the most wretched of men
in all the great city
The portals of his -princely home
opened to admit him to luxury and
comfort a king might covet His
sister who directed in domestic af
fairs and well maintained the social
status of the establishment met him
attired with the elegance of a queen
Eichard we shall need you to
night
He frowned irritably
What is it now be queried
A reception I expect two gener
als mj artist and some of the best
i2
KF
people of our set Do try and come
out of your shell of uncongeniality
for once
And shrivel in tho hypocritical
glare of false friendship and hollow
pleasure he interrupted bitterly
No sister I thank you but a quiet
corner for me I am tired I am
weary of all this show vanity and
vain labor Five years a drudge five
more a cynical flint hearted money
maker and what is the recompense
nis sister stared at him in amaze
ment The recompense Was the
man going mad Wealth social emi
nence a proud name What heights
could possibly lay beyond that pinna
cle of earthly grandeur and success
Excuse me for to night pleaded
Penrith I am tired of it all Oh
if out of it all I could extract one
grain of comfort one genuine emo
tion of enjoyment something akin to
the old boyish zest something tangi
ble
Something tangible ne dwelt on
the words at the stately dinner table
They lingered with him as he tried
to settle down to a quiet smoke in the
library There arose in his mind a
picture of the past It was poverty
obscurity then but a thought of the
bare footed rambles through the
woods of the real coziness of the lit
tle attic room back at the old home
stead of ambitions tinged with ideal
sentiment and glowing hopes glori
fied the years now dead
He glanced from the window at
the dying day Mournful inexpres
sibly cold repellant unlovely seemed
the wilderness of stately mansions
and stiff precise equipages on the
street without How different the
dear old village where he was born
The narrow streets its quaint homes
its heart warming people fioated
across his vision now and seemed
part oL another world
It was not so very far away
little country town nestling
1
V
PMS
That
among
the hills was only an hours ride from
the great metropolis Was he getting
sentimental What was this strange
impulse that lured him to steal
thither like a thief ashamed and try
to warm the frozen currents of his
dreary life at the ashes of a dead past
Ah the dear old town How
natural it looked The old red
school house the rickety depot the
broad common once again for the
first time in ten years Richard Pen
rith trod his native soil that night
He wandered about the place like
an uneasy ghost haunting the scenes
of former experiences He felt a
keen pang of actual envy as he peered
through the frost crested windows of
the homely village store and saw its
proprietor happy serene all one
glow of perfect delight over the
gathering in of an extra few dollars
for holiday business Why a turn of
stock in the city often meant a for
tune for him and yet scarcely stirred
a nerve
All heart all sympathy all human
simple felicity What a paradise
compared to the hot house superfi
cial life of the city He paused as a
name spoken by a bent old man
passing with a companion struck
his ear with a shock
Its all Miss Naomis doings sir
Bless her dear heart Shes nursed my
wife back to health shes got my boy
a situation and we aint the first
that angel of charity has helped
Miss Hewitt is a great friend to
the poor 3es
Naomi Miss Hewitt Eichard
Penrith stood stock still on the snowy
street A slight flush surmounted
his brow his eyes grew larger then
tender
Strange how he had forgotten her
stranger still that after all these
years the sudden recurrence of that
once treasured name could stir his
nature as it had not been moved for
nearly a decade
He tried to smile at the memory of
their boy and girl love but failed
Something choked him as he walked
on and paused to peer through the
windows of a neat pretty cottage
Yes there was the best room
brightly lighted and old Mrs Hewitt
seated knitting surrounded by cozi
ness and warmth There was the
pretty rustic porch How often he
had kissed Naomi good night under
the dew spangled vines surroundingit
All was the same only tho vines were
dead and drooping now All was
the same His heart gave a great
bound as the vivid lamplight showed
a little framed portrait on the wall
his picture as he had been treasured
esteemed faithfully by the winsome
lass he had sacrificed to the cold
cynical demands of gold
He fell to wondering how Naomi
looked now She was not visible
about the house and he strolled re
luctantly on and passing people
stared suspiciously at him He fol
lowed the concourse Ah another
reminder of the past the old church
its glowing portals an open welcome
to all the weary and hungered and
penitent
He entered and glided to an ob
scure pew It took him back ten
years How a certain watch night
meeting one New Years Eve long
ago came back to his mind Naomi
was there then and he was her com
pany Why Naomi was here now
Yesl his heart thrilled as he made her
out
Changed Yes as gentle years of
sympathy and purity and love for
fellow mankind change the face of a
saint The glory of perfect woman
hood in her kindly beaming eyes
made Eichard Penrith shrink at a
sense of his own callous unworthi
ness
Angeliic influences were here to
night surely The white haired
preacher seemed to appeal to his
heart as to z brothers He was lis
tressed awakened and then a peace
ful calm swayed his soul he hated
the things he had loved he realized
the hdllpwness of the bright bauble
he had striven for holding at its call
only bitter dust and flight
How his heart beat It must have
been dead for years New Years
chimes ringing he stood on the
church porch he timorously ad
vanced to the side of the trim lov
ing fond woman he had watched all
the evening
Naomi Miss Hewitt do you not
remember me
Her face paled her little hand
trembled as he grasped it Then her
soul beamed out in honest welcome
and then
They were hoy and girl again
keeping company walking home
from watch meeting as of yore and
the holy stars smiled down
Eichard Penrith bade Naomi
Hewitt good by at the cottage porch
only to return the next day
At evening he returned to the city
to be greeted with dismay at his un
explained absence by his sister
You have alarmed us Eichard
So unlike you too J3ut you look bet
ter I declare You havent seemed
like your own self for an age New
Years resolutions Eichard she
laughed archly
Yes replied the brother his eyes
sparkling I have determined to turn
over a new leaf
Indeed Give up your
come out in society
cigars
As a married man ves
Eichard
I mean it sister spoke Eichard
Penrith solemnly and earnestly
This New Years day has taught me
to value the true pleasures of life
not wealth not power not pride
Ah You have found something
else Eichard
Yes replied Eichard Penrith
tenderly Back at my boyhoods
home back where Naomi is waiting
for me to claim her as my wife I
have found something tangille
love Maugaket Maiiax
CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM
The Day Should lie One of Joy and
I Lr J
r
piuess in the Rural Home
Because the regular routine of
chores has to be gone through 365
days a year is no reason why Christ
mas and other holidays should not be
days of gladness and good cheer upon
the farm
Make the same provision the day
before for the lessening the amount
of work that must be done as you do
for Sunday then let it be done up as
quickly as possible as thoroughness
will allow and we believe in showing
good will to even the dumb brutes
by giving them an extra allowance of
feed either in quality or quantity
not that we think they have any ap
preciation of the day or motive that
prompts it but they will appreciate
the fact The work done up turn
about to have just as good a time as
possible a day full of joy and happi
ness because the pleasure of others is
sought more than the gratification of
self
If the home consists of only wife
and I sec that wife has as much at
tention and waiting on as when you
were courting her If there is sleigh
ing the old times can be all the better
revived if not and the wheeling is
not good just make the day one of
the best in which to see your girl
If tho home nest has birdlings in it
have a romp with these if the bird
lings have grown to be great strap
ping fellows show them that father
can be a boy with them and have a
good time at hunting trapping or
whatever they choose
If those who bless your home are
fair maidens of sweet sixteen or
any other -age consult their wishes
and tastes as to how the day is to be
used Id either of the last three
cases be sure the wife and mother is
consulted and her wishes put first
Where there is hired help have the
day a glad one for them too whether
they wish to seek enjoyment else
where or in the home of their em
ployer
Americans do not take enough
holidays American farmers do not
unbend often enough or long enough
Try taking more leisure begin with
New Years 1S93 and continue at
intervals through the year and see
if Christmas 93 does not find you
younger and less worn out than
Christmas 1892 did
IVist Years Christmas Gifts
I wonder where last years Christ
mas presents are A great many of
them have gone into the shades of
the dust bin a great many of them
are nuisances around houses a great
many of them have been kept to give
to somebody else this year I suppose
some of them have been and are re
ligiously kept Everybody has some
little keepsake often the least costly
that he does not want to part with
Who knows A little hand has
wrapped it in silk paper and tied it
with blue ribbon and the ribbon is
around it yet perhaps the paper too
There is a little tender note in the
packet signed with a little tender
name and it carries indestructibly
the whispers of a tender love The
little hand has possibly slapped him
since and rested affectionately before
the minister in anothers palm but
that little package recalls a lot of
sweetness and in the seclusion of his
thoughts even in the ecstasy of a new
love he says to himself If I hadnt
found her out San Francisco
Chronicle
Now Johnny youve had a merry
Christmas and you must be good till
next Christmas to pay for it Oh
yes of course be good I dont be
lieve you can hire me to be good a
whole year for a tin horse and a story
book just like what Bill Jones waa
going to trade me for three marbles
Not much
MISS MAXWELLS PENNY
THE GIRL REPORTERS CHRIST
MAS ASSIGNMENT
Her Purchase of a Rare Coin and Her Dis
covery of the Mate to It Tvo Guests at a
Cheap Restaurant Who Formed a Rather
Interesting Acquaintance
Brother Meets Brother
i
fe
W I i
W
HE spell of Christ
mas seemed over
all at the Beacon
office that morn
ing though most
of the boys were
eating their din
ners in hotels
boarding houses
and down - town
cafes and those
who had homes of
their own could
not take a day off
to spend in them
Even the dusty
old bronze statue
of Justice at the
head of the stairs
had blossomed out
into holiday
aspect The so-
jciety reporter had
filled her scales
with bunches of holly until the severe
goddess looked like a jolly flower girl
out on a lark
The elevator man was radiant over
a small box fixed up in the corner of
the machine a box in whose slot in
numerable quatters were being
dropped but from which nothing
visible came out at least nothing
visible to the boys as they straggled
into the local room and began to
rummage for mail in the wire basket
or peep warily into the assignment
book for the day
By and by the girl of the office
came in and leaning her elbows con
templatively on the railing which
hedged the divinity of the city editor
from the hoi polloi looked down at
that imposing individual dubiously
She was among the latest of them all
that morning for somehow after she
had started from the boarding house
she called home the thought of that
other home down by the wide Ottawa
and the carols they wore singing there
came upon her and she had slipped
back into her little hall bedroom
again to have out the good cry that
would come
But this she thought truly was no
excuse to offer to the city editor
When men take the local chair they
kbandon hearts Patient generous
aind men have been known to accept
the position and they were changed
as in the twinkling of an eye It is
not written that a city editor or a
ballet master needs be heartless
perhaps it does not require to be put
in so many words
Still she couldnt help hoping
against hope that he would remem
ber the day and send her home again
She was very tired after all the society
events she had reported the previous
evening ana it was so nam to worK
on Christmas
The city editor called a message to
the Press Bureau over the phone
signed an expense bill for the relig
ious editor ordered the sporting ed
itor to look after that game of indoor
baseball at the X Club and be sharp
about it and to take in that sale of
fast horses on his way back sent the
pretty boy of the office on a social
assignment then running his finger
down the columns of the assignment
book until he came to the initial B
M said briskly Theres a nice
little assignment for you Miss Max
well Take a whirl around among
the cheaper restaurants of the city
perfectly safe by daylight and watch
the kind of dinners some folk have to
eat at Christmas Splendid chance
for fine descriptive vriting Make
about a column and a half if its
worth it and have your copy in early
as possible for were going to be
loaded to the guards to night Mind
the cheaper the restaurants the bet
ter material for you to work up
The girls heart sank She was a
little bit of a body with a brave soul
but now things really seemed to be
getting too hard to endure She was
even a trifle afraid to go to these
places besides the actual unpleasant
ness of it all but well were not
jEalph and little Paul even now coast
ling their new sleds down the hill of
Monte Bello right on to the frozen
white breast of the Ottawa and was
not little Gertrude radiant in a new
shawl and her Blanches pocket just
so much the lighter Of a truth
there could be no carping if there
were to be more shawls and toys there
must be more work So the girl
slipped a bunch of copy paper and a
couple of pencils into her shopping
bag and started on her round
It was the same story new to
Blanche Maxwell perhaps but old to
those who know city streets and city
ways A dreary thronging of the
men about town
Christmas One of the holidays pleasant tis
true
But -what is the man about town to do
All the clubs are deserted the men who have
ties
Are at home to day looking in somebodys
eyes
What -was it to Mobcs world weary and tired
To see and sec only the land he desired
It was not such a hard assignment
after all and after three or four
shabby restaurants she had become
quite used to it and entered the
shabbiest of them yet with almost a
happy air It was indeed a cheap
place even lower down in the scale
than probably the city editor had
dreamed of sending her a place
where there was a 1 cent line in the
menu thus- Bread 1 cent milk
1 cent etc
The girl took a seat at a vacant ta
ble and ordered tea and rolls she
never expected to consume while she
ensconced herself behind that morn
ings Beacon and proceeded to size
up the heterogeneous collection of
patrons that filled the dingy place
But first she took a long look at a
man who had come in and quietly
seated himself opposite her Then
her eyes came back to him again and
there they stayed and filled with all
pitifulness
He was a man of about 35 years
pale with the pallor of exhaustion
and hunger and threadbare in the
extreme Yet he was unmistakably
of finer stuff than those about him
even as china excels earthenware
though it be soiled and cracked The
greasy waiter with slippers flapping
lo sely from his heels pushed the
bill of fare toward the pale man
who took it anxiously then said in
quiet tones at the same time laying
a battered penny on the coarse linen
cloth Bring me bread please
The greay waiter stared impu
dently Then seeing there was no
earthly prospect for a tip he went off
remarking audibly that there was a
snide feller a blowing hisself on his
Christmas dinner No doubt hed be
wantin flnger bowls ar solid silver
service
The girls heart grew hot within
her as she heard then she leaned for
ward impetuously and said Pray
do excuse me but I am making a col
lection of coins and I would so like
to buy that curious penny from you
I will give you 50 cents for it may I
have it please
And before he could answer she
had confiscated the penny and laid a
bright half dollar in its place
A faint red dyed the mans blood
less brow I think I understand
he said quietly and I thank you
young lady for I am hungry I con
fess and that is my last penny But
pardon me this time you cant
be overburdened with money yourself
or you wouldnt dine here -Christmas
day
Oh please dont mind me Ive
lets blundered Blanche and if you
dont care Ill lend vou the money
just
The man looked grateful and as-
tonished the greasy waiter into civil
ity by ordering a beefsteak Then
he explained
It too was an old old story of
wild oats wickedness illness poverty
and repentance friends lost and
utter loneliness The penny was the
only novel feature in the whole tale
only this was a silly unworldly girl
and she wept behind her paper long
before that was spoken of You see
people from the country are so easily
moved and well the mans face
was a tragedy in itself
The penny oh yes it wasnt an
ordinary penny at all but one of two
queer coins which had been given by
an eccentric uncle to twin boys and
kept afterward as talismans by them
both Somehow he never had been
able to get over the idea that that
penny would bring him luck Perhaps
it was only a remnant of the super
stition that clung thick as the odor
of tobacco to the wings of the
wretched little theater where for a
time he picked the banjo and sang
topical songs And he hated to let
it go this morning horribly but
hunger is stronger than superstition
or that queer thing called reverence
and so
Well would the young lady kindly
keep the penny until he could re
deem it He would surely get work
soon
Work exclaimed Blanche Do
you mean anything
Anything at all
Then come to the Seventh Church
corner of Mary Jane and Worthing
ton streets Ho you know where it is
I WOULD LIKE TO BOV TIIAT CUKIOOa PEVNr
Ive an assignment to do their
Christmas tree gathering to night at
eight oclock and maybe I can hear
of something before then and let you
know
A more unworldly person than
Blanche Maxwell would scarcely have
expected her penniless acquaintance
to keep his appointment a less in
genuous than she would never have
made it for innocence is the most
daring thing in the world But he
was there pacing up and down in
the bleak air which penetrated his
worn garments like a steel knife She
almost felt a sense of proprietorship
as she greeted him and hurried him
off into the pastors private study
where she had often held converse
with the keen witted eloquent pas
tor of the church Leaving her rag
ged friend seated on the crimson hor
ror of a couch presented by the
Ladies Aid Society she went in
search of the minister
Mr Miller she began breathless
ly Ive such an object for you to
work off some of your charity on
Im sure hes worthy though I was
introduced to him through no more
responsible source than this penny
The ministers benign face con
tracted suddenly Lifting the penny
from her hand he beckoned her to
lead the way She brought him to
the study and then stood aghast at
what she had not thought of before
The same height hair eyes every
thing save the marks of dissipation
and what contrasted with health
happiness and plenty
Thcyre enough alike to be twin3
she thought and then -Henry
brother
Eobert forgive
Blanche stole outside and crouched
on the doorstep while within tho
chorus rose
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinnors reconciled
God and sinners reconciled said
the pale man lifting his hat rev
en tly v
And Blanche the young heathen
l
- ym
I
1l 1 r
Irani
hesrv nnoxunal
as she turned in the last page of her
copy that night murmured So there
was luck in the crooked penny after
all Chicago Times
Columbus and Queen Tsubclln
As it happened Isabella had no
money at hand Her war with
Granada had cost a prodigious sum
She found herself in debt even to her
own servants Political reasons of
great weight with the resolute Ferdi
nand who was justly content with
the practical results of concentration
of power and economical reasons of
great weight also with the conscien
tious Isabella who was most anxious
to bring about some system and regu
larity in her revenues induced their
refusal in view of the fresh outlays
required for the expedition and of
the exaggerated demands for rank
and office should the expedition yield
its promised results But to the
friend of the discoverer neither of
these considerations appeared suffi
cient to warrant the abandonment
and rejection of such marvelous
plans
As soon as Santangelo heard of the
flight of Columbus he went to the
Queens chamber and implored her
to order him to return being sup
ported in this by the Marchioness of
Moya And when the Queen com
plained of the exorbitant demands
of the discoverer he reminded her
that the cost would be but a trifling
consideration if the attempt succeed
ed and if it failed could be reduced
to next to nothing When to thi3
cogent reasoning the Queen objected
the emptiness of the Castilian treas
ury and the need of again pawning
her jewels to raise the means San
tangelo unhesitatingly assured her of
the flourishing state of the Aragonese
finances doubtless because of the
revenues yielded by the expulsion of
the Jew and of the resources there
available promising at the same time
to win over the perplexed and inert
mind of Ferdinand the Catholic
Thereupon messengers were sent
post haste who stopped Columbus at
a neighboring bridge some two
leagues away and made him turn
back to Granada where in April
1492 the articles of agreement
known as the capitulations of Santa
Fe were signed granting Columbus
all he asked Thence he went to
Palos in May to set out in August
from that port upon the new and in
credible Argonaut voyage in the
course of which his search for tho
oldest and most historic regions of
the earth of olden time was to lead
him the revealer unintentionally
and unknowingly to chance upon a
new creation -Century
Talent Kccojynizcd
Many citizens of Illinois who at
tended the recent Democratic con
vention at Chicago owe a debt of
gratitude to genial Hank Evans the
Aurora statesman who presided over
one of the doors of the convention
Henry has a warm side for all Hli
noisans Many a man who was un
known to Evans imposed upon his
good nature by gaining admission
under the plea that he resided afc
some cross roads hamlet of Illinois
On the second day of the convention
a short pudgy fellow brushed up t
the door and said
I have come all the way here to
see this convention and I want to do
it
Where is your home
Aurora
Indeed What is your name
My name is Evans Hank Evans
Well I am very glad to meet
you rejoined the doorkeeper and
if you are really Hank Evans I gues3
I will have to let you in because I
know Mr Evans is a stanch Demo
crat and I would be sorry to do any
thing to offend him
Thereupon he passed the insistent
stranger into the convention hall at
the same time pressing into his hand
a calling card with his own name on
it The fellows face was a study at
that moment
Go in continued Evans You
dont deserve recognition as an Hli
noisan but your qualifications as a
Mar entitle you to a seat Chicago
HAiiibAT the inventor of the cable
street cat system states that the sight
of six hoises vainly endeavoring to draw
a car up a steep hill at
first suggested to him
for his invtntion
San Franfiifio
the foundation
