Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PAGE TEN • r < n Happy Christmas for Aged Artist Finds Fairy Spirit Shines Behind Gloom and Cold of the World. iromni f b By CHRISTOPHER G. HAZARD RECT as ever, , land striking bis cnue sharply upon the pavement as he strode along, the old man was a distinguished figure amid the hurrying Christ inas crowds. He pressed on like a contradiction of the Christmas spirit. He had not far to go before reach ing the ancient looking *hou3e that had once known youth and gayety as the result of his prosperity, but, which in its loneliness and disrepair, had be come a surviving sympathy in his ! later and adverse experiences^ There he could sit and renew Ln memory the ! events and associations of happier days, which, like pictures In the gal lery of life, were vivid again for a I moment out of their tarnished frames. They were more real than the pic tures that bung upon hts walls, for It Is the artistic atmosphere of the day that determines the light In which Its art shall be viewed, and these works j of the past had become only memorials to the present to which he had come. But the present realities of the past ] are as helpless as the old-fashioned- j nesses of the present to succor fainting > mortality, and the old artist had to'1 confess on that Christmas eve that he 1 i was not only hungry, but rather hope lessly so. It was true that his artistic remains were not wholly despised. Mr. Blavatsky’s auction room was not very far away, and there wus a dally slaughter of helpless pictures there. But this massacre of Innocents their father could not consent to: he felt ready to starve first. Then certain publishers had offered something for a set of skeletons, but in order that they might reproduce them upon a re duced scale, which was intolerable to his artistic pride. So that "The Soli tary Pine" whispered to "The Old Meeting Hoose” that It looked''as tboogh they would all go down togeth- ‘TPhat is that thing?" he said folistletde IPisdom i Bq Uiolet Alleqn Storeq, —in Montreal Tamib/ Herald Their Christmas and an Odd Tree i l CHRISTMAS EVE $ filled One Surprise Package That Brought Joy to Entire Family. By GERTRUDE WALTON f l IT IS plain to see that for this Christ- J mas there will be no tree—I mean ! one that isn’t made from a basket or a table—no real tree. Any kind of a Santa Claus, as well as trees, would die in this terrible place. It would be more bearable If James were home," Mida Lee exclaimed im- j patiently as she looked lovingly at a photograph of her elder sod, James, who, because of government service over the sea, could not spend Christ mas with his home circle. As she looked out over the treeless, snow-covered prairies of her northern ranch home, eight een miles from town, where the season’s drought hadjobbtd them- of garden and grain, her sighs rose to an excit ed exclamation which brought twelve - year - old Clara from an adjoining room to hear the secret her mother re vealed. "Let us be a tree—and a Santa Claus, toe. Ton may be Santa Clans and I will be a tree laden with packages which yon may take from me and give to. the boys at the sheep-herders’ wagon tomorrow. Fa ther and Lester will be gone to town C HRISTMAS baskets with holiday cheer. Money jingling gaily with no mercenary hardness about it. Sleigh bells tinkling In the clear, pure air. Shops alight, and filled with people. People with countless bundles: Red ribbon, wreaths, Christ mas cards selected at the last moment. Christmas greetings on every lip. Light in windows of houses. Trees decorated with tinsel and toys. Shadows dancing between the fireplace and the tree. Christmas decorations, never out of style, always lovely. Christmas plants, bunches Of flowers, boxes of candy. All being bought, delivered or arriving. Doorbells ringing. Surprises. Friends remembering. Loyalties emphasized. Kindliness. Christmas Eve I—Mary Gra ham Bonner. ((g). 1926. Wertern Nawspaper Union.) present them with a tree and Santa Clans for Christmas Eve,” Mrs. Lee laughed. Mrs. Lee sang all the next morning at her baking, after she had tucked her husband and ten-year-old Lester in the sled for their long drive. In the afternoon, with * basket on her arm and some small packages fastened over her coat, so she would represent a tree, Mrs. Lee and Clara started to the wagon to carry Christmas to the sheep-herders. . ’ While Mrs. Lee put the wagon In order, Clara tacked up blti of Christ mas color she had clipped from maga zines or had designed from paper. On the way home Mrs. Lee an' Clara planned to havo their ChriRma packages fastened over Mr. Lee, who would serve as a tree, while Lester as Santa Claus, would distribute the gifts. Upon arriving home they were surprised to find Mr. Lee and Lester, who had expected to be away until dark. There was greater surprise when they found the chores done and supper ready. "Let us have onr tree and Santa Claus first," Mr. Lee said, when he heard of the plan of a "man-tree" and a boy-Santa Claus. Of course, every one was willing. So the packages, some of which had been brought that day from town, were being fastened over ‘‘llr. Lee as the tree, when he said, mischievously winking at Lester, "Please don't forget the large package I just brought for all of you. It la In the closet.” I Mrs. Lee and O&ra ran excitedly; to the closet when a package—a tall! boy—seized them parked near the hall. Russwln opened the door of the machine and helped Caroline in. Closing the door he seat ed himself at the wheel and soon they were off down the road. "Engine’s a little cold," apologized Russwln as the car alternately coughed and choked, getting up speed. “That was a great dance. Always seems so good to see all the old col lege fellows back home. I never re gret my four years, even if I did have She blushed and shook her learned locks, J to leave you. * Yes,” laughingly ho slipped his arm around Caroline as she nodded her assent. H E CHANCED to spq a bunch of greenu That hung above his head. ,, And turned her face aside. "Oh. that is verq interesting]"' She rapidlq replied, ' "The drnids used to hunt for it To keep their souls from strife And sometimes theq mould cut it domn XPith silver bladed knife. And one time baldir of the Nona, Or legend tells ns so, Vas shot with arrows of it, so ! Some fear the mistletoe." ‘'The Mistletoe? Step on! a bit I’m not afraid of this. , 111 tell qou what 1 know of it." He told her with a kiss, Not Too Late for Merry Christmas Suddenly a car with glaring head lights came around the bend in the road, blinding Russwin’a eyes. Trying to avoid hitting the approaching car which was coming at high speed, he turned out some little distance. Al most before he knew what had hap- both In his anna. Through smoth ered Joy-cries of "James! When did you come?’’ Mr. Lee explained that on a previ ous visit to town . he had received word that James was coming home for Christmas. He kept the secret aa a happy surprise from * Mrs. Lee and Clara. Upon pretense of get ting some gifts for the children, he and Lester had planned the trip to town after James, who was now hungry and ready for rapper. "May I serve as your tree this year, with branches, I hope, strong enough to h61d all the trust and confidence you place In me, ea well aa to hold any The Old Artist Had to Confssa That He Was Hungry. er, and "The Mountain Summit" sug gested to "An Evening Sea" that it might be better to stoop* to conquer, j l There was no token of this last idea, \ | however, in the preparations for the ; night that signified the old man’s in tention of remaining in and sticking j the sitnation out He had no ear for ' the chimes that had begun to ring out There was not a trace of expecta tion of Christmas cheer in the detei> mined expression of the face that was reflected from the old mirror. They must all belonw to the past forever,! There was another thought on the way, though, and it found expression that Christmas morning when the ar tist awoke to a rather cheerless en vironment to be fummoned to his door by the loud knocking of a very rotund, florid and merry Individual, who seemed to have brought his years with & Hard Jolt for Ruspwin and Caroline. I pened the car was sliding down tha Trip Home From Dance and- * Up P er y ® n ® wb f£ k ; u . la “ d t d 10 th ! ~Tti r» • .j bottom of the ditch, and with a great lunge turned onto its side. Caroline caught at Russwin’s strong arm. She uttered not a sound, but gradually, as the car tutaed, her grasp relaxed and she formed merely a limp little heap along with seat cushions and other accessories which all tum bled into a pile on the Inside of the car. Russwjn’s only thought was of Caro- ■m By ELEANOR E. KING I HE moon rose clear and bright over a freshly snow-laden 'world. It was the evening of the big and young all over the countryside participated, a night remembered throughout the year, and anticipated long before its arrival. The couples fairly flew around the hall, some spryly, others not quite ao nimbly. Nevertheless, there was an Christmas dance line. She made no reply to Russwln at the Trunket- as he endeavored to free her. He ville town hall, an wondered 1^ she had been made un event in which old conscious by the awful jolt, or killed outright. - . * . . He heard the whir of an approach ing car. Exerting his remaining strength, terror-stricken, he yelled! "Stop r “What’s. the matter heref* cama two husky voices. ■4 9 "Give me a lift; break the top o~ do r ^ ^ heroic effort about it that was appeal- him into a congenial and friendly dl- ing, to say the least. The last strains something to get this girl out" mate. An old friend from a far conn- 0 f mtislc died away promptly as the' With the help of the two men Russ- try, he. took in the state of things at a clock struck twelve. No newfangled win and Caroline were, extricated and glance and as quickly decided upon his course of action. After the greet ings and the historical recountings were over, and as a result of this moat unexpected visitation, a number of tha paintings that had concluded to die were introduced to a new life upon the walla of one who had never lost his love for them, and It appeared that the one aim of their new had been to get them at their maker's ideas about these all-night dances won prices. All of which gave to tha old favor In this town, artist a new view of the fact fhat As the couples filed out of the hall, w* _—j . while the arts may change, hearts do Caroline and Russwln were, the last “rt » J*«w rttutj to leave. Arm in arm, apparently Suf- Santa Claus allows me to cany to his which all art strives in vain to fully fident unto themselves, deenlv en- children everywhere? Again I hope they were speeding Caroline to the nearest hospital. The doctors, after examination, and what seemed to Russwln untold time, pronounced Caroline uninjured and attributed her unconscious state to merely fright , , ' Russwln, gathering her In his anna tenderly whispered: "Caroline, it was a hard jolt, hot I guess we stUl are duo for our Merry, Merry Christmas.** (A 1»*6. WMttm N«wapap«r Union.). that I may he a worthy Santa Claus— His Santa Clans—to distribute His peace and good win," James said aa he learned of the afternoon visit'to the His Word for It Whers Ifistar Christmas takas 'fcls stand, , represent, the reality of the fairy spirit grossed in ap alj-abaorbiag cqnveraa- I ^l^iSddEfdJi that moves and shines behind all the tlou) they. approached a smell car x charm uh * wrinkicc all awajfr ■ ' v : / — gloom and cold of the world. Til be , hanged." he said, **tt he didn't look jest like senta Claus’* ♦ * THE CLINTON CHRONICLE—$1.50 A YEAR V V w jfc