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jfp^'Evergreen? jj IF Marston Ifercer V Jii C?WHVt ^ McClura Kr*>r*prr Synthetic j Jj SVERY year about the mid- s die of November a small a sign appeared over the j s door of the Thomas cot- ti tage which bore the T legend, "The Evergreen Shop." a Every year during the Christmas ji season Ruth Thomas made hundreds g of evergreen wreaths, which she sold a for Christmas decorations. This was why the people of Brierly w called her the evergreen girl. I ti The day before Christmas Ruth sat In her little shop finishing the last p: wreath she would make mat season. u "There!" she said, deftly twisting a E ? sprig of bright red berries among the tl evergreen stems, "that finishes Helen j A Stanwood's order, and thank goodness , h it's done in time. Oh, dear!" she sighed,' g< laying the wreath aside, "I do wish I j could spend one Christmas time en- d< joying myself as others do. Why, there tl has not been anyone here over the holidays since I can remember, and I have ir not been to a Christmas party In years j ei | ?not since the time I went over to h j Dolly Blair's with Dane." I ri A warm color suddenly glowed in the { girl's cheeks and there was a soft light j tl in her brown eyes as she thought of! I that memorable night. | si Dane Stanwood (had taken her to; ^ that party. Once during the evening it lie caught her she was standing under the mistletoe bough, and? g The sudden roar of a high-power auto- e mobile broke In upon Ruth's musings, and she looked out In time to see a p long blue roadster flash past the gate, d The car belonged to Dane Stanwood. n Shortly after the Christmas party at s< Dolly Blair's Dane had gone West to g become a mining engineer. He had ^ vwrltten a Tew times to ?tutn ana iaeu < * the letters had stopped coming, and she had not heard from him for nearly ti four years. Thee, just a month ago, j> "Trie Girl I Expect to Marry Is Here." he had suddenly appeared in Brierlj s with the blue racing car. Soon It waij; rumored that he had made a fortune1 In the mines. , d The second week after his return1! Stanwood bought the old Blaln man-j-' sion and gave the information that he' f intended to move into his pew hom? n before Christmas. Next he announced .0 that preparations were under way foi y a party which he was giving Christ (C mas eve. j a The evergreen girl had been sur, . prised and a little bit hurt becaus< Dane had not even called. She hac v thought It strange, too, at first, thal.il she did not receive an invitation t< the party, for she knew nearly every f one In Brlerly was going. j ^ But when Ruth was told the partj n was to be given In honor of Stanwood'i a fiancee, she understood why she ha< not been invited. "That Is why Helen Stanwood dldn'i! mention the party when she orderec these wreaths," Ruth thought, as sh< began tying them together. "Of course I would not go anyway now. My, bui j; they will have to hurry if they han? all these wreaths before eight o'clock.' i The evergreen girl was so busy get1 ting the Stanwood order ready that sh<; did not notice that the blue roadster ? had returned and stopped by the gate Neither did she observe the broad shouldered young man who was stridlnf up the path. The bell Jingled merrily' q 'There's Helen now, after th< t] wreaths," Ruth thought, and she rat ^ to the door. Dane was standing in th< j, porch. I q "Why, Dane!" she exclaimed, draw l p Ing back in contusion, -now yot ( n startled me. I thought it was youi c elster, and?" I o ' "Helen has gone to Balford to meel a a friend who is to spend the holldayt n with us," said the young man, "so sh< g sent me after the wreaths." He smilei j< down at the girl. "This is the ever green shop, isn't it?" "Yes," said Ruth, forcing a smile ii return. ! n "And you are the evergreen girl?" I ^ "I believe they call me that," sh< i answered. j ^ "Well/* said Stanwood, "Sis told m< j s to be sare and fetch you back with mi I e when I returned.1* j a " B< "Back with youl" echoed Ruth. Really I?I can't go. There Is so mch to do here, and?" "Bosh!" laughed Dane. "Of course ou will go back with me. Fact is ou'll have to." He waved his hand s Ruth started to speak. "No exuses now, for I won't listen to 'era. ou see," Stanwood went on, "Sis uud er friend were supposed to help get lings ready for the party tonight, ut she telephoned just as I was leavlg the house that the train on which | er friend was to arrive is very late, j he may not get back until nine o'clock, | nd the party begins at eight. I told Is I could never get things ready in ! me, for the decorating Isn't half done.! hen she happened to think of you,1 nd I said right off that you would be 1st the one to help us out. You're not olng to disappoint us, are you?" very oxiously. "We-11, perhaps I can go for a little hlle," said Ruth. "I'd dearly love to Im that Christmas tree." "Of course, I won' stay to the arty," she thought as she seurrled pstalrs after a wrap, "so I won't see ane's sweetheart, for of course she is le one Helen Is to meet at the train. ' nd I really ought to help Dane and Is sister out, for they have been suet i Dod cnstomers." Dane ushered Ruth into the big, ouble parlors of his new home, where le Christmas tree had been placed. j "Do you suppose," he asked, point- \ ig to a great pile of evergreen at one ! ad of the room, "we will be able to ang all these wreaths and then decoite the tree before eight o'clock?" ; The evergreen girl gave a merry lite laugh. "I am sure we can if we work fast," tie answered. "I am used to this 'ork, you know, and with your help : won't take long." "How long have you been the everreen girl?" Dane asked, as he and rrror-o trtmmlnp n rhandelier. "For the past three years," said tan wood, 'Tve celebrated Christmas y working from dawn till dark. This 3 the first enjoyable Christmas eve I ave known since I left Brierly." \ i "It has been a very pleasant eveing for .me, too," said Ruth, "and I ave enjoyed it ever so much. Now, ;e'll trim the Christmas tree, and then ou can take me home and get back a time for the party." At half-past seven Dane surveyed he big double parlors with satisfaction, ^ith the help of the evergreen girl he ?d finished the decorations and everyhing was In readiness for the guests. "The rooms look just as they did our years ago at Dolly Blair's Christlas tree?even the mistletoe bough,", aid Dane. "Don't you remember how tiat one hung right over our heads, as bis one does now?" The evergreen girl was silent. * "Had you forgotten, Ruth?" he per-; isted. "No," softly, "I had not forgotten." UV/vw mavtavi ^K/MirrKf T koil f/\rrrAffnn AUU IiC V CI lUVUgUt X UUU iVifeVWUVU| Id you, dear?" j "But you ^ever wrote, Dane." "Because for a long time I was miles rom a railroad or post office and could iot send any mail. But I've thought f that night, though, and all these ears I've been planning to have a Jhristmas party as much like that one s I could, only this one tonight will e for you." v J "But isn't the friend who is coming ?*ith Helen your fiancee?" faltered tuth. "Not exactly," laughed Dane. "That rlend is Harry North, Helen's fiance.' .'he girl I expect to marry is here, ow, and, by Jove! I've caught her gain standing under the mistletoe ough." A vtS I When Christmas Sings, '"ffiraj It is a song, flpjffl It is a smile, It is that long 75B5W Dreamt "Afterwhile;** That season sweet i When in us rise I Our hearts to meet The splendid skiea With love and faith Of better things? When Christmas sings, When Christmas singsf ? The Greatest Quality. The Christmas message tells us of: i.ji. a, i, ??,1 Ti. :n ,i v./ini>t i ruu 5 lUUltTlllUUU. il la uu Wiu ucait ; hat waits us when we turn to gratl- j ude and prayer. God has always Dved us; he loves us still. Every true i Jhrlstmas thought and gift Is an ex-! ression of that divine love which has I lade our own love possible. Every j lalm upon oui mercy 'and our gener-1 slty is a call to become like Christ ill the enduring qualities of the hu-' jan spirit were present at the maner: "But the greatest of these is ' jve." 1 One Advantage. "What does it profit a man to have a lillfon dollars if nobody-wishes him a appy New Year?" "Of course, he's rather to be pitied, ut he is certainly in a position to conume more champagne on New Year's ve ttan the man who has no money nd whose friends Are as poor as hlm-j This is my third season," Ruth relied. "I found, that there was a big emand for wreaths and laurel trimling during the Christmas holidays, a three years ago I opened an everreen shop. I love to do this kind of >ork, and although the season is a hort one, my little shop pays well." I The evergreen girl might have added more than this, the rush of work ust at Christmas time helped her to orget the dull ache In her heart which ras always so hard to bear during the olidays. She said nothing of this, bough, but asked, instead: "Tell me, Dane, how you have spent !hristmas while you have been away, lave you been where there was much iprrv-makine?" ix First Christmas Observance I i| ]* The first Christmas celebrated ? !;<: 'j inside a house on the American S jj;> continent was on December 25, X iis s 161S. Our Puritan ancestors ji jj; ;![ finished their first house at g jj; <? Plymouth, Mass., having spent x> ];!; !? more than a month in wanderiflg ft jjl v about in search of a place of g jj;; % settlement. The company was 5 !;!; ^ divided into 19 families, and to jf j| each person was assigned a lot jj> for house and garden. It was a if <3 not a very cheerful Christmas & '<& ! j for the Puritans. All of them jf j j 5 could not be accommodated in- g J; ijj side the house, so that some of ji !;jl them were left out in the cold, jf jj;; .j but the religious features of the x? ;* day were not forgotten, and it jj! x may be said that the Babe of i jj; Bethlehem was prayed to and jf ;;!; 'I sung to In a most fervent man- j> !;j! -x ner* \ !> ij; MAKE IT A MERRY CHRISTMAS ? ?? < jjs Cause Others to Be Happy and Feel j!;!; the Joy of Sacrifice?All In the I ? - ik front tianKs. w Christmas! jj> Every year it comes and every year we love it and wonder w?y we haven't made the'spirit of it last all through the y??ar, writes Margaret Mott Gor- ;i; don. Perhaps we do not have the time? But to what do we give our'jij time? And why is it that at Christmas ;;\ we all "take time" to do the many lit-1; \: tie thoughtful things that we have been postponing for months and ;; months? j;j;' One of the things we seem to forget < | is that the morp we give to others the more we have ourselves, and the more we have the capacity for giving. It is ^ a wonderful thought and one that we shonld carrv around with us all the k time. For we always feel so tingling |! and joyous when we have made a sac- ;j; rlflce or see that we have really made someone else unusually happy. ^ This year for most of us Is very dlfferent than any we have yet lived, be- ;j; cause, even though we are not all ae? tually on the firing line, we are there ;i; In our hearts and the thought cannot but give us a strange exultant feeling ^ ?to be In the front ranks, marching with the music 1 ;lj; After all, that is just what the spirit jjj of Christmas is. During the Yuletide we are all in the front ranks and tri- ;j> umphantly moving forward, toe we are thinking, not of ourselves, but of others. And that very sense which loves and therefore serves, which understands and therefore sacrifices, ls'lj: the true spirit of Christmas. It is the o real thrill of life. It Is the greatest and most far-reaching emotion in the world, and Just to know that we are ? capable of that feeling, even though It i ;jj; should come only once a year, would show that there is the right spirit with- jj; in us, and with a little cultivation we j;$ might make It last all through the year. ' li|; ' # BESTOWING GIFTS IN SECRET ! I I ( } > Practice of Putting Out Shoes and ;i; Stockings Resulted From Plan i;j: of St Nicholas. Christmas stockings have come down to us from the good St. Nicholas, who was a saint of the fourth century of the Christian ejra and was born De- ;i; cember 6, 342, In Lycla, Asia Minor. !j; He was regarded as especially the pa- i;j< tron saint of children, young girls and ;i; sailors. The Christmas stocking cus-i;j: torn arose as follows: ;j| It seems that St Nicholas, who was [;!; the archbishop of Myra, lived In the !!j; same town with an impoverished no-:;!; bleman who, because he had no por-j;!; mwA Mo /laiiffhforo onH In- ' 7:' UULIO W 51YC UIO UttU^UbViO UUU) . yj deed, no means with which to support j ? them, was about to sell them Into a ? life of sin. St. Nicholas, who was ac- hjl customed to dispense his large for-]!;;! tune in gifts of charity, resolved to res- ;i; cue the young women. As he ap-':|; proached their house, wondering how; 11; J he should proceed, the moon shone out >;!; and displayed an open window. In-' stantly St. Nicholas threw a purse of ,'Ijl gold In at this whsdow which, falling at the feet of the father of the girls, enabled him t? portion his oldest daughter. The second time St. Nlcholas visited the house he also was able to throw a purse of gold through an open window, thus providing for the portion of the second daughter. On the third visit the father, watching for jj> his benefactor, cast himself at the feet of the saint and cried: "Oh, St. Nicholas, servant of God, wfcy seek to hide thyself?" The saint made the father promise , J - ? ? 1 ~ l?wnm 1 2s liut lU rtveai ui? ucuaaiiuuuo. , // this habit of bestowing gifts in secret and under the cloak of night arose the; j* practice of putting out shoes or stock-:;* ings for the younger members of thej;| family so that the good saint would be; j able to fill them without being spied on. ft STAR-BEAMS. ft While the stars of Christmas shine, >? Lighting the skies, ?> Let only loving looks 8 Beam from your eyes. it , While the bells of Christmas rinff, $ Joyous and clear,, Speak only happy words, } All mirth and cheer. 1;Z Give only lovlns gifts, ;> And In love take; 8 Gladden the poor and sad, ' [+* For love's dear aake. HBBSH8SSBSSB p-i i"ip-ei-if-if-i fi r?i PiPiriPiriPiPiPiP JULJIJLJIJIJIJIIJIJIJIJIJIJIJUIJI Kg Reductions in Mi and Ufes and * ?i\ /j Long Coats. \ men* these 4 / WKPII or navms 10 c 1 ' JWmjl them down to \ llfflwil Pr*ce8? Come. & before they ar Especially should these CI ing soldiers. Every garment sented?of the very best matel t LADIES' Ladies' .Long Plush Coats, wor Ladies' Long Plush Coats, wor Ladies' Long Plush Coats, wor Ladies' Long Broadcloth Coat MEN'S N Men's Suits, worth $30.00, nov Men's Suits, worth $25.00, nov Mon'c Suits worth $20.00. nov X1J.V11 U UWAVK/J ?? w? -J / Men's Suits, worts $15.00, nov All Boys' Clothing Offe] UNDERWEAR. Our stock of Cotton and Wo< derwear is still very complete can fit you either in shirts and < ers or Union Suits. Come in ar our line?at direct from mar turer to wearer prices. BLANKETS A In order to move our large we have marked them down tc They would pay more at whol LADIES Ladies' Sweaters in an asso Splendid quality, best materia price now, $3.50. MEN'S HEA Men's Overcoats, worth $23.00 Men's Overcoats, worth $16.00 Men's Overcoats, worth $15.00 Guaranteed Raincoats, from ... Shop early this week?avoi of the season's offerings. Mah ing the Christmas Season. D. POL ABBEVILLE, j \y> II en's and Boys' Clothing | >ses' Long Plush Coats j | $5.00 l Prices on ge stock of. ^'J/ and Boys' lg and La- J/f md Misses Ve have just received a large shipgoods and to avoid any possibility arry them over, we have marked below to-day's manufacturers' in and see these wonderful values e picked over. othing prices appeal to the return- 8 is guaranteed to be just as repreials and made up in the latest styles ' ' '' ' * i: ???^WP??P?M? , , LONG COATS. th $25.00, now $21.OU 8 th $18.00, now 15.00 if th $15.00, now 12.50 i|' s, worth $20.00, now 16.00 IEW CLOTHING. | ; jf 7 $27.00 ii M 7 21.00 j|i y 18.00 iji. I 12.50 | red at Big Reductions. SHOES! SHOES! ir'Jj >1 UnWe We have draw- Shoes ia see for every member of g ,ufaC" the family. . | | ND COMFORTS. f M stock of Blankets and Comforts, > far below their market value. esale than we are asking for them. I' SWEATERS. | 1 rtment of the season's best models. Is and latest styles worth $7.00, our j I ,'l VY OVERCOATS. I | now $18.50 i|; , now 14.00 if 3 >, now 12.50 | en nn i_ (mo en I i ?PO.lJ\J lO 21 d the last-day rush?get the pick :e our store your headquarters durzZ JAKOFF I SO. CAROLINA. | MIIIMIII'MlifflllilliMM^^ ''' ihww* n# ? hi iclciciclciciclclclclclciclclciclcickc h ?ct^^3131ti313l3137313t313n2nm3tzn s