THE HAPPY NEW YEAR
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m His tiny ire spcaw
gfer which he hangs
a the trees
1 No fragrance of sum-
icr no petal of
roses
To brush as we
pass we see only
i rip 4v
dead leaves
MJMfi f fiWJ Now dear merry
VSiftfat W Christmas h a s
BimHiMU bwlfily departed
k34nral A Saw Vear stands
Hi sii i
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scanning the
ghosts of the
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vWmmi Wife shoulders a u d
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To think nionthtj and seasons are fading
so fast
See whirled in midair are white suowflaUes
descending
Each flake seems a spirit dropped down
from above
As though for the New Year to earth they
come lending
A promise of purity blesing and love
The tali trumpet creeper whose scarlet
tinged flowers
Last summer made gay Its beautiful dress
Stood yesterday drooping and leafless for
hours
Now snowclad it gleams In renewed love
liness
How they pile how they gather the snows
in their whiteness
Led onward by sileuce who moves with
out sound
Their feet shod in crystal and sparkling In
brightness
They drape frosted venture oer tree bush
and ground
Vo thought with the summer all beauty was
dying
We thought with the old year all Joy flown
away
But spirits of snow to our shorn world came
flying
And the New Year has blessings perhaps
for each day
Harkl Wild bells are ringing Yes joy bells
are flinging
Out welcomes of glee to another New Year
Alay each moment be crowded with laughter
and singing
And during its stay may no sorrow draw
near
Ring on New Year bells Let thy ringing
mean gladness
Ring all ills away but ring loves warmth
within
Though the old year just died and we raw
It with sadness
Yet happy may prove the New Year we
begin
Christian Intelligencer
I A CHRISTMAS f
I EEUMON
T -was Nell who
thought of it first
But ubot all of tho
clever ideas in our
family had their ori
gin in Nells fertile
imagination Brother
Tom often told her
that she ought to put
a card in the window
and in the papers of
fering Ideas for
Sale Nell was
grandfathers favor
ite and she was very
fond of him One
day she evolved this idea and laid it on
the family altar at a discussion we were
having regarding the approaching Christ
mas festivities
Ive just thought out the loveliest
scheme for grandpas enjoyment You
know that he hasnt seen one of his
brothers for a long time and its twenty
years since he saw our Uncle Henry
Now cant we get up a great family re
union as a surprise for grandpa Uncle
Henr could come here in a day
Hes nearly SO I said
I know but he is stronger than most
men of TO Uncle Harvey who is only
73 could come in a day and a night and
Uncle Joel could come in ten hours I
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TIIKTRE AIL COMING TOM
think that it -would be just lovely to see
those four dear old souls all over 70 to
gether and to hear them tell talcs of their
childhood and boyhood
After imposing solemn vows of secrecy
on all of us Nell ran off to her writing
desk to write letters to grandpas three
old brothers and to Lis sister Ann A
week later she met me at the door when
I went home to dinner and said gleefully
Theyre all coming Tom Ive had let
ten to day from every one of them And
grandpa said at luncheon that hed give
s good deal to see the boys as he called
them He wanted to know if Id go with
him if he went to visit them all in the
spring I could just hug myself for think
ing up the whole scheme
Each of my great uncles arrived on the
day before Christmas and grandpas sur
prise was complete He showed no signs
of needing Nells smelling salts although
he was visibly affected when his aged
brother Henry arrived and they clasped
hands after a separation of twenty years
Youve grown old Hiram quavered
out Uncle Henry Seems to me ye look
bout as old as I do
Oh I guess not Henry I guess not
said grandpa a trifle stiffly for he was
sensitive regarding his age
Dont he boys said Uncle Henry
appealing to his two white haired broth
ers I bet 1 could fetch ye to the ground
first in a rassle that is if ye rassled fair
which ye didnt used to do when we was
all boys together Why Im hanged if
Hiram dont part his hair or what hes
got left of it in the middle yit I reckon
ed youd git over that when ye came to
havin oe foot in the grave and tother
one no bizness out
Grandpa flushed and said coldly
The combing of ones hair is simply a
matter of individual taste Henry
Nell hurried Uncle Henry off to show
him bis room and grandpa said to Uncle
Joel
You bear your years well Joel One
would hardly guess you to be sis years
older than I
No Hiram they wouldnt One tiling
Im a good deal fleshier n you Im kind
o prised to see jou so kind o all skin
and bone
Come now I rint quite that Joel
I weigh 139
Is that all why Hi I weigh ITS
and
Come Uncle Joel I want to show you
some of the family portraits in the par
lor said Madge noting grandpas rising
color This left Uncle Harvey and grand
pa together
Joel and Henry were always unneces
sarily blunt in their speech said grand
pa
Yes but they genally hit the nail on
the head said Uncle Harvey You do
look as if the wind would blow you away
Ilinim and I notice youve a kind of limp
in your gait
Ive nothing of the sort Harvey My
ler and I aint more than two thirds as
bald as you are and not half so gray
Oh you aint Ill count gray hairs with
you any time and Ill bet you a
harp that
Come Uncle Harvey I said let us
go to the stable I want you to give me
your opinion of a horse Ive just bought
The combined efforts of Madge and Nell
and I sutllced to maintain peace at the
dinner tabe We kept up such a rattling
fir1 of conversation that the four broth
ers had hardly a chance to speak to each
other We saw grandpa wince when Un
cle Henry ate his mashed potatoes with
his knife and we knew the full extent of
our grandsires agony when Uncle Joel
poured his coffee into his saucer and blew
it before drinking it Uncle Harvey spoke
but once but that was once too often for
he said explosively
Oh I say boys do you remember that
Sary Jane Skimmerhorn Hi used to be
so sweet on when we all went to the Hop
viue school You member how he used
to kiss er there at the end of the lane
Well shes livin yit an Id give a deal
to see Hi kiss er now She weighs 329
pounds and has a beard that Tom here
might be proud of an shes had fifteen
children an theyre all livin I was jest
thinkin what if Hi had married er as he
used to swear he would Eh Hi
Uncle Henry and Joel roared with
laughter and Joel choked on a mouthful
of coffee Grandpa turned pale and it re
quired all of Nells cleverness to prevent
a scene
All of the cousins and uncles and aunts
in the city had been invited to come in
that evening to enjoy a Christmas eve
reunion of the family and to be entertain
ed with family reminiscences by the four
old and reunited brothers At 8 oclock
we gathered around a great open fire to
hear our aged relatives reminis as
Madge mischievously put it
Tell us all about when you were boys
together said Cousin Ned Drayton I
guess there wasnt much time nor money
wasted celebrating Christmas when you
were boys
Well I guess there want said Uncle
Joel I guess O say boys do you re
member that Christmas we four boys
went bear hunting back there in the
Maine woods when we want none of us
fully grown
I remember it as well as if it was yes
terday said Uncle Henry I remem
ber jist how that bar squealed when I
shot im
You still stick to it that you shot im
Henry said Uncle Joel an I am as
sure as Im livin that it was my shot that
fetched im
In a horn it was said Uncle Henry
testily Your bullet went clar over the
bar and lodged in that big pine we found
with a bullet hole in it
Theres no use in Henry an Joel spat
tin so about which killed that bar put
in Uncle Harvey for Ive an idee the
beast would have got up an walked off
with both your bullets It was my knife
thrust that finished the beast
Yes it was sneered Joel Oh yes
to be sure it was snorted Uncle Henry
I guess that the blows I rained down
on the beasts head with the club I car
ried had something to do with finishing
him said grandpa calmly
Well ye aint got over drawin on your
imagination for facts hev ye Hi said
Uncle Henry The rest of us kin re
member how ye hid in the bresh tremblin
an bellerin until Ave was almost ready
to skin the bear an then you come out
with your little club and give the beast a
whack or two
Henry Myler that is not true
If it aint Ill eat my hat
I clubbed the life out of him said
grandpa
I tell ye I killed that boar myself
Ye didnt
I know I did
My club counted for more than
Your club Pooh
Now Henry I wont stand it to
Id like to see ye help yourself
Shet up all of ye for I
Dont ye tell me to shet up
The dispute waxed hot and hotter un
til Madge got Uncle Henry off to his room
and Nell had done the same service for
Uncle Harvey while I dragged Uncle Joel
away for a smoke with me in my own
room where he berated his brothers fear
fully Grandpa stalked off to his own
room
We managed to keep the four old hot
heads from getting into a row on Christ
mas but Uncle Henry and grandpa did
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DISCUSSING THE BEAK QUESTION
not speak to each other all day and to
tell the unvarnished truth there was great
inward rejoicing when our three dear old
uncles departed Uncle Henry thrust his
head out of the carriage door and screech
ed out at the last second
I did kill that bear
Yon never called out grandpa sharp
ly from the stoop and they never saw
eah other again
I admit that my dear little scheme
failed said Nell when we were alone
together The next time I bring four
old gentlemen together for a Christmas
reunion Ill select deaf and dumb men or
men who havent quite so much dynamite
and chain lightning and undimmed
sr SKEEKSWT
event which Christmas commemorates possesses for humanity the
THE meaning Compared with its profound importance all other events
or indeed the sum of all other events sink into insignificance and the great
institution of which that event is the foundation stone has from a very early date
observed it with ceremonies of fitting stateliness and reverence But the note of
even the sacred celebration of the birthday of the Saviour has for centuries been
one of joyfulness and glad praise It is the one day of all the year when the whole
Christian world puts into practice the cardinal law of Christ The sternest hard
est and most worldly man pauses in his planning and grinding and for a day
at least allows his thoughts to dwell on projects for making other people glad The
Christmas tide festival is the special season for renewing the manifestation of
those family affections that are not dead but merely dulled by routine and fa
miliarity The head of the household who spends hundreds of dollars in providing
the necessaries of life for his flock without an emotion other than an occasional
thought of what a tax upon his income it is has his whole being stiiTed up as the
result of the expenditure of a few dollars in rattles and trinkets A sense of
his blessings thrusts itself on his attention A realization of the patient heroic
performance from day to day year in and year out of the unheroie uneventful
tedious and multiplied duties of the helpmeet and mother rushes on his mind to
gether with an uneasy knowledge of his frequent forgetfulness of it She is
V -
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GRANDMOTHER UNDER THE MISTLETOE
of the presents they would find accepta
ble with details concerning size color
and weight The wife would simply have
to join the bureaus subscribers find her
husbands list borrow the money from
him and give him a happy surprise on
Christmas This scheme is worth consid
ering It ought to take a irreat burden off
the ladies minds anyhow
Thrice Happy
He was a little ragged waif living in a
village of southern Kentucky A stran
ger to actual comfoTt it is not to be sup
posed that he was very familiar with the
pleasures of life One Christmas eve he
was standing before a shop window with
his lean little face pressed against the
pane devouring with hungry eyes the
beautiful display within
There was a lady in the shop deeply
engaged in purchasing gifts for her small
nieces and nephews She saw the waif at
the window ragged half clad and with
out doubt half starved as well
Frudence said she in speaking of the
matter afterward might have suggested
food and clothes But another idea had
taken possession of me I determined
then and there that that boy should know
the blessedness of happy childhood for one
Christmas at all events
On the impulse she called him in Toys
a wagon an iron horse with a flying driv
er madly sounding a fire alarm a drum
with gilded sticks a tin horn a pack of
firecrackers things which his poverty
blinded eyes had never before looked upon
in the light of real possession were put
into his hands
There was a kind of awe in his solemn
earnest eyes said the lady as though
the joy of possession had stricken him
dnmb
It was the day after Christmas that I
came upon him again hanging about the
streetB with that same old look of a beg
gar about him That is in all but his
eyes they I think were never quite the
same again They fairly shone when he
lifted them to my face in recognition
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the angel of his threshold and he turns to the heaven that seems so far away in
his business hours but now seems so near and powerful as he asks for its bless
ing on the little brood that clusters about her knee
For Christmas is essentially the childrens day Its specially religious signifi
cance can of course never be lost but it is doubtful if its spiritual influence wouul
be so widespread but for the myth of Kris Kringle With its dawning faculties
the child learns of the wonderful little man with the queer tufty coat and rubi
cund face whose advent on one particular night in the year is the most extraor
dinary event in existence and when the revolution of many yuletides has turned
reality into myth the disillusioned one enjoys at least half his earlier delights in
witnessing another generation of Kris Kringles little subjects enjoying that mon
archs season of blissful lordship In millions of homes the same picture is seen
Day breaking through the frosted pane and on the dim stairs tiny white robed
figures stealing down the creaking steps Eyes are dancing with anticipation
and apprehension for there is sopjething uncanny about this dear old king of
theirs and mother has to take up the rear in similar white robed dishabille to
inspire confidence in those little throbbing hearts And when the chimney nook
is safely gained what clamor what pounding of drums and blowing of horns
what joy that the funny fat good natured old gentleman is still alive and looking
after his own May every home in Christendom see this picture
listic vigor in their make up I positive
ly believe that Uncle Henry would have
trounced grandpa if hed stayed another
day Utica Globe
Puppets Made of Gingerbread
The city of Amsterdam claims St Nich
olas as its patron saint and during the
first week of December confectioners
shops throughout the city display one
special delicacy called St Nicholas
cake of which large quantities are sold
at this season Men and women
made of this crisp brown cake or gin
gerbread can be bought in different sizes
and at all prices These SAveet creatures
are often called sweethearts vrijers
e sav in Dutch and the girls receive a
man the boys a woman 1 remem
ber quite well what fun it used to be to
hear the servant come in with If you
please maam here is Miss Annies
sweetheart and hand a gingerbread
man to my mother
Christmas Gifts for Men
It is a great relief to note that some
philanthropic writers throughout the
country are engaged in ielling what sort
of Christmas gifts men would like The
writers are not all successful and they
reveal frequently the inspiration of wom
ans ideas mans innate modesty and self
effacement precluding him from speaking
for himself
But somebody should speak for him be
fore another Christmas has elapsed It
is recorded in the seventh chapter of The
Autobiography of Pharaoh I that the
monarchs wife gave him for a Christmas
present a necktie which he could not wear
without inviting insurrections in all
Egypt Thats where il1 Christmas neck
tie jok began the Christmas cigar joke
following it when Sir Walter Raleigh
first amazed England by puffing tobacco
fumes The jokes have endured but the
joke has not not if the man knows it He
may have an incorrigible passion for neck
ties but to have his own wife go out and
pay out his own money for a tie which he
will wear only on dark nights and when
his coat collar is turned up is what he ob
jects to The trouble being probably
that a woman buying something for a man
sees it merely as it looks on the counters
while the nitin sees it in its relation to
himself and to the uses to which it must
be put
What is needed is a Wives Information
bureau where fcusbteds can leave a list
Good morning Joe said I What have
you done with your toys
Imagine my surprise when he said I
give em to Jack Parker the colored boy
over yonder to Scruff Town
What said I you have given them
all away All your beautiful toys He
was silent a moment and then his ragged
little face glowed as he replied
I had em I had em a whole day I
aint got em any more but I had em any
how
He was the proud possessor of three
pleasures that of receiving of giving and
the ever blessed pleasure of a happy mem
ory Youths Companion
A New Years Superstition
The English peasantry in some locali
ties had an odd superstition that it was
unlucky to take anything out of the house
until something had been broujht in so
very early in the morning the wights
would leap out of bed and rush forth
soon to return with pieces of coal or stone
in their hands hoping thereby to avert
misfortune Here is on old rhyme of
warning
Take ont then take in
Bad luck will begin
Take in then take out
Good hick comes about
A Warning
Rhvmes on the mistletoe
Are all very well y know
But in mistletoe season
The promptings of reason
Are toward the adagio
The gallant had better go slow
For kisses at times uring woe
To the doubting young Thomas
May come breach of promise
By way of the mistletoe
What She Bought Him
No said Mrs Cumso to Mrs Caw
ker I know well enough not to buy
cigars for my husbands Christmas pres
ent What did you get him I
bought him a razor found it on the bar
gain counter and got it for ninety eight
cants Judge
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BROADACRES CHRISTMAS
At Christmas play and make gooft cheer
For Christmas comes but once a year
Old JKhynie
UKIST3IA3 monies
but once a year
Well gosh all flab
hooks who
At has the Christmas
bills to pay Id ever
ask fer two
Or three or four or
any more an what
we have to day
There may be some
but say by gum I
alnt built t hat-away
Ive got to git a sled fer Ned and buy a doll
fer Nan
And books and toyB and lota of Joys fer lit
tle crippled Dan
For he cant go about you know like other
boys and run
And that Is why we all must try to help him
have his fuu
And Liza how these girls come up sh
dont want dolls no more
Shes got a beau It cant be so a clerkin
In a store
Bnt after all shes bout as tall as was her
mother when
We fell In love were In It yet lots deeper
now than then
And so a year at didnt bring a Christmas
seems to me
Ld be about the saddest thing a mortal man
could see
Fer who would miss the Christmas bliss be
cause theres bills to pay
There may be some but say by gum I
aint built that-a-way
Niion Waterman
ACROSS THE STREET
The Change that Came with Another
Christmas Time
iiMBlJWvV U All 4Ct
was
high
wide
AST Christrhaj
the house acrosaV
the street from
mine was the
brightest and gay
est of any in the
block There were
beautiful Christ
mas wreaths in
every window and
the whole house
aglow The shades were thrown up
and the soft lace curtains parted
The tree in the great parlor of the
house across the street was larger and it
had costlier presents on it than any other
tree in the town And most of the pres
ents were for the little girl in the white
dress and the big pink sash who could be
seen from the street dancing around the
tree the happiest sweetest little maiden
in all the world and the light and life and
joy of the house across the street
Tills Christmas time all is dark and
fdlent and gloomy in the great house
across the street There are no Christ
mas wreaths in the windows no ray of
light comes from behind the closely
drawn blinds no childish voice is heard
within the house There is no bright and
beautiful tree but on the spot on which
the tree stood last year there is some
thing white and as beautiful in its silk
and satin and velvet finish as the skill and
wealth of man can make it But the sight
of it brought a chill to the hearts of those
who saw it carried into the house on
Christmas eve and when the eyes of the
mother and father fell upon it their hearts
bled anew
The passersby who saw the bands of
white fluttering from the knob of the door
of the house across the street went on to
their own humbler houses thanking God
that their own little ones were left to
them no matter how little of wealth or
beauty there might be in their homes
The poorest house in which there was
the laugh of children was so much less
desolate than the great mansion across
the street in which the childs laugh was
forever still It added to the melody of
Paradise that Christmas morning It
rang out clear and sweet across the jas
per sea It had gone through the Gate
Beautiful and into a house not made with
hands eternal in the heavens
Christmas Carols
Christmas gifts of coal and flour are
In order all this month Philadelphia
Ledger
That man never lived who had any in
fluence over his wife the week before
Christmas Atchison Globe
Small boys with an eye to the future
are willing to wear stockings many sizes
too big for them Philadelphia Record
Buy up the Christmas books liberally
and next year the authors will get royal
ties enough to dine at a restaurant At
lanta Constitution
People with bad habits might ease up
on them a little before New Years for
the purpose of learning whether it will
pay to swear off Cedar Rapids Gazette
If you want to give a man a Christmas
present that will please him give him the
right to act as he pleases about the holi5
day Nine men out of ten are blackmail
ed into buying Christmas presents in one
way or another Atchison Globe
What shall I order for dinner to day
love asked Eve as she absently pluck
ed a green apple Oh any old thing
retorted Adam wearily as long as it
isnt a spare rib Im sick of spare rib
He savagely swatted a rock at a garter
snake New York Press
Wife I think I will surprise you with
the purchase of a watch to wear Christ
mas Husband It will be an acceptabh
gift and I shall wear it with pleasure
Wife Oh but the one I shall buy would
be a ladys watch suitable for me to
carry Boston Budget
Her father had said it could never be
They both sat in the parlor also in tears
After long searching and a desperate ef
fort she found her voice Then in de
spairing tones she cried ph Charley
If -we must part let us -wait-till after
Christmas Philadelphia North Amerii
can
Christmas Eve on the Reservation
Santa Glaus of the Tepee
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