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I His Last | 1 Request | ? By JUUA CRAY ? i EVEN the little old basement dining room had put on quite a festive appearance Christmas morning. It was rather cold, and the furnace was In its usual state K?f T?o * ! ATT V?o/^ otn^lr VI. VVJf i COCl ?C, Ulil ran^j uuu oiuvu holly and evergreen around the oil ipaintings of garnished fish and "Highland Cattle," and each table had a brave sprig of mistletoe tied with crimson and green ribbon laid beside each jplate. That was Beth's special offering. As each member of the household came in the greetings were hearty and ,quite satisfactory, even to Beth. She had not thought the experiment would bring out even that much fellowship and good will from the silent, self-absorbed crowd at Mrs. Forbes'. She put the prettiest bunch of all and a card of Christmas cheer beside Mr. Benchley's plate. Poor, grouchy old Scotchman, nobody ever had a good word for him. In all the months that she had been an inmate of the | Forbes domicile she couldn't remember j that anyone had ever given him even a pleasant greeting. He came down stairs to DreaKtast late ana aiways ; grumbling, grumbled at his food, which I Carrie, the colored maid, slid across the table at him, grumbled at the furnace and weather and the mailman, at the boarders and Mrs. Forbes and life in general. But Beth liked him best of all. That j morning she had found outside her I door a box of fresh violets and a book ; she had been wishing for inscribed I from her sincere friend, Alan Farley. ; It was the book more than the inscription that showed the thoughts of the ! giver, for it was named "The Well Beloved." As Beth glanced through it; she had smiled, remembering a verse that Alan liked to repeat from Mrs. ' Browning: What shall I give to my beloved? A little faith all undisproved. That was what he gave to her, only not in small measure, in full rich measure, all his heart's faith and love, ask- j . ing her to believe in him and be patient for his success. And she could not tell him that she didn't give a rap for his success; that she would rather a hundred times over have been mar ried to hira, even If she had Kept on with her own work, and they had been running mates together. So between them was the promise of marriage and to the boarding house at large he was "there sincere friend." { "The old man's sick in bed," said Carrie briskly, as she swept the crumbs from Beth's place. "He ain't coming down. He's groaning fearful." (?f|ristmaa iforcutg Good gracious! LooK what Santa brought! j A stocKing full of foy, And a Teddy Bear that couldn't get in. All for a good little boy. ^ We Birth tf Christ HND there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the lird came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown around about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angels said unto them, "Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. "For unto you is born this day., in the city of David, the Savior, which is Christ, the Lord. "And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."?St. Luke 2:8-14. AFFLUENCE ?? ? npi L TEa.l "Some people seem actually proud of a headache after a New Year celebration." "It isn't the headache they are proud of, but the fact that they had enough money to acquire one." SANTA CLAUS IS A FAITH , Take Kris Kringle Away From Chi!. dren and You Rob Christmas of Half Its Joys. Some very honest people are such sticklers for truth that they are concerned about our firm belief in Santa Claus. Well, it is a good thing to t stand up for truth, if we really know the truth. But we know that a great many very learned people have been wrangling about what truth is for several thousand years, ud yet it does not seem to be definitely settled. But for the most of us truth is what we truly believe. It is the faith that is in us, and Santa Claus is a faith, if not a fact, and so we say again that we do believe in Santa Claus, says an exchange. 1 Toiro Snntfl Clans awav from the children and you rob Christmas of half its joy. Grownup though we may be, we would rather hang up our stocking "the night before Christmas" and find it bulging full of gifts in the dim light Christmas morning, than to have a carload come duly tied up and labeled, and delivered by the mailman. Who wouldn't? There is a lure in the mystery of Santa Claus that has endeared him to every childish heart, and so do not take him away until you have something better to offer. Only Once a Year. But how seldom Christmas comes? only once a year; and how soon it is over?a day and a night! If that is the whole of it, it seems not much more durable than the little toys one buys of a faker on the street corner. ^ ^ ? J .But sureiy mai neeu uui auu uugui not to be the whole of Christmas; only a single day of generosity, ransomed from the dull servitude of a selfish year. If every gift is a token of personal thought, a friendly feeling, and unselfish interest in the joy of others, then the thought, the feeling, the in; terest, may remain after the gift Is made.?Henry van Dyke. His Fun. "I don't believe in giving expensive Chrisfrnp.3 gifts." "Neither do I, but It's a lot of fun expecting them." j @ IN A BOTTLE ff m ? THRU A // M1 ? STRAW IS B 1 i H vll I |eroVCoja I Chero-Cola f BAMBER \f Presents I SERVICEABLE I XMAS GIFTS I n 1 I i ! Handkerchiefs, Hosiery, House | i Slippers, Ties and Scarfs, Bath ; Robes, Crerpe Waists, Etc. W 1 I ALSO FULL LINE MEN'S AND BOYS' SUITS | AND OVERCOATS, SHOES AND I I UNDERWEAR. I I i PRICES ALWAYS RIGHT. ' W. D. RHOAD BAMBERG, S. C. 1 ero-Cola |-> ( REFRESHING QUALITIES. 1' (With no bad at., effect, I } Ml Chero-Cola |U is the popular choice $ 3 *? r* - f% l 11 tv) 5 or Satisfied customers aeciare a "THEM'S NONE SO GOOD" | \ JrT >;|H refreshing qualities of the @ Jl nut and the delightful flavor X tropical fruits are offered ? in CHERO-COLA. Bottling Co. | I Her Christmas Present xmav\\ ^^?\W^(.'no'MJCHN ) ] -a**.**- ? [&-' - " ' - V> |- r " - -! if Y0ON<t MAN-D'YE KNOW The /vp<.-Ri,t\ (*-EP*E >T T*>E I |6e??TEST PLEASURE AT XMAS I JoTS \l I KNOW &OME- ; TIME I* DERIVED from MAK- I TH'IOPQ ~> J I %a*r<Vi?S?> ' i IN<T others HAPPY. ^OME . V2J ,t>gft J nft*f..Y?RY Ul^^W] | I f ; i n AmWA<. /: : I V present. 7 I *1 I iSi. ? I