University of South Carolina Libraries
% CHRISTMAS, 1894 "M V.V QQd mUQAY SUPPi£M£Srf„« v^ k MEW YEAR, IS9S. fWW, POLLT: HEEK’S such a lot (K .,. U nvirur ‘his thoughts j h<* noU»«i a sinall fifnire tn.ttin^ along’ finish*-.!. lhat Santa f tou * : ^ j le for ~ >t a ji aljK.ut the load of ohli- hy his side. He h>oked at it and “Hut I II take you home will rhea he KKin^ gation that was on him and hla h*.pe- caught two big brown eyes glancing up you like, and you « an share my flustered Tommy that he could do noth ing for a moment but stare at the big brown eyes and grow red in the face. Finally he said: | “Why. you see—ahem—it's—it's—" And here the watchman came along and. seeing the ragged little owner of the face, hustled him out with some scornful remarks about beggars. As the little fellow disappeared through the door and down the outside steps Tommy saw a slight figure tattered and shivering. And then the doors swung shut and Tommy turned to his work, with all of his own troubles crowded out of mind and only sympathy for the crisply cold. own, he took down his sluibby overcoat from its peg, shook himself into it. put on hie hat. and went out of the bank. He noticed that the streets were full of happy, hurrying throngs of people, most of whom had some package or bundle, but he wasn't envious, though he wished for a moment that he might have la-en able to send to his mother and sister some of the many pretty things he had seen through the shop windows as he walked homeward eaeh evening. He started west at a brisk walk for he couldn’t afford to ride, and it w as He hadn't gone far when felt first-rate, the hank. way, and they both Then Tommy said: “Well. I don't exactly *<<r/i I've only got an interest in it. Say! To-morrow's Christmas! Know that? - ’ “H.-t 1 do!" said Chip; “that's w'y I'm scrubbed him up and fitted him into a back-number jacket and trousers which her own boy had worn years and years ago, before he ran off on a lake schoon er and got drowned—then it came din ner time, anil oh, dear! what a feast a hustlin'. I want to be in with the that dinner was to Chip. Then-wasn't other good people. 1 want to eat tur key." “Well. 1 <4-11 you." said Tommy, “1 •hin t want any errands done, and I don't know of anything I can give, you ' to do. Chip—" any turkey, but then- was the tenderest and best stewed chicken that ever Mrs. Hloonier had cooked, and the gravy was simply delicious. Then there were nice, warm biscuit to split in half and smother with this gravy; and mashed fWtt to Place. . when 1 1 feel a little anx ious, cause He might forget we’re twins. S'posen he'd peek in at our bed Bout leven or half-past ten. And say: “There's Dolly Brookses' bead. And—Dolly Brooks again:" And then he'd pull our stockings down. And shake his head, and sr.y. With such a dreadful stlngv frown: “She can’t fool me that way"’ DoU.Y: Poor Polly wouldn't have a thing. How terr'ble that woull be' For every single toy he'd bring He'd s’pose would b'long to me. Polly' let's take our picture books Before we go to bed. Marked' Polly Brooks and’ Dolly Brooks.” And hung tin m overhead. Then, w hen old Santa comes our way. He'll smile :he biggest grins. And tiptoe 'round the bed. and say: "What have wc licit'• Ah. twins!" - Outlook. gation „ - j . , , less struggles to extricate himself from | into his own. the quicksand of debt ir which he had It was the l>oy who had wanted floundered in his efforts to care for his earn the “Christmas stake.'’ to Hen- the wan little face looked up . jadatoes and homemade bread and but-j bravely and the big brown eyes stead- ter; and to top off with there was the ied themselves a bit till Tommy had . thickest, and j nicest, and sweetest ap ple pie that ever was baked. And Chip 'ith in*-, if had two glasses of real milk. Christ- j And how his big brown eyes sparkled mas dinner with me, whatever it may and his pale cheeks brightened! What be. How's that; eh. old man?" a merry little fellow he proved to be. The big brown eyes in the little pah* with his quaint sayings and his extrav- ^ * A IMJM ii M 1 A t/' I* pether 1/ i ’TACKS of mon ey all around! Stout littlecan- vas sacks bulg ing full of gold and tied to- trongcord: mat nlf* UfliiMV'i! rfM-/! 1 '.!' the neck with little paper rolls <»f silver «l*>llars piled up in pyramid form, and heaps and heaps of packages of bills counted and done up in little paper bands! Some of these packages were <>f on**-dollar bills and some <'f lives an*! some of tens: others of twenties and fifties and one- hundreds. They were stacked up at the back of the desk where Thomas Tippy was sit work in the bank, for he was a teller of some sort, or under- teller, or -omething which entailed a great deal of work and very little pay. as positions > f responsibility often do. As one looked through th<* little brass- barred window at “Tommy,” as every- \jfi'dy in the bank called him, he ap peared to be a veritable money king. Wealth was ail around. Besides being all over the two standing desks Ik- tween which he worked, it was stowed away in drawers. I have no doubt, and piled up on the floor. Tommy was hard at work. It was the day before Christmas, and people ha<l been making deposits, and drawing money, and getting drafts, and doing all sorts of things which they will insist on putting off till the last minute. He was writ ing in an effort to close up affairs for the day, and his arm rested as he wrote on a package of one-hundred-dol- lar bills when he glanced up and saw at the little grating through which he had to look at the public a pair of big, greedy eyes set in a very small and very wan face. The face itself barely reached above the window-ledge, and Tommy couldn't tell whether it be longed to a boy or a girl, it was so pinched, and hungry, and dirty. The eyes of the face were devouring the money, as the eyes of the poor are prone to do. and the owner of the face seemed lost in contemplation of the gorgeous sight. Then the eyes saw that Tommy was looking at them and shifted to meet his own. Tommy noted tnat they were singularly beautiful eyes of brown, with long, curving lashes. He must have been looking into them with a very kindly gaze, for they seemed to read in his look a friendliness that made their owner bold. "Flease. mister," said a small voice, which evidently eamc from the owner of the eyes, “can't I go on an erruu', er something, so's to earn a little t'hris'mus stake?” The owner of the eyes evidently took Tommy for the owner of all the wealth around him, and of the whole institu tion as well, and had a notion that if he chose he could hand out a bag of gold coin or two or three of the thick slabs n *r* /, I , ' fs * '1*11 F s - ft n : t"‘ vVV'-'V'- I, 'W'» f > jc ..#p r : ■X ’ c* Ir r ; ■T Hjl '8 ’1- ’» ■T -Si. ’ 1 - - ,.. V* * 0 ' •r , ' J y. '.p;- a * ’’f 11 m - - '"J** - , i Hi Wr f 1 m *+ — 4 }■ ¥**. J®* j . -u. jiici * 4 .1^ .Hk- I " ::K|f W-Vm#- !*••'^ ‘’‘•+ ■ V'-. l ' iiT' 0i'f *■■■ mmm; ^ A RACE FOR A HOLIDAY DIMMER. ’»• poor *>1*1 mother and a helpless invalid sisU*r in a little Wisconsin to,vn. r I'he Tommy stopped short, so did the boy. “Hello!” said Tommy, cheerily. E SAT besida the oltl-tinie lire, and iu ita ruiidv t’leains. We talLed about the old-time t b 1 n K s- and dreamed the old-time dreams; And wife was at her knittin ' while 1 was smokin' slow. But both of us w;.s thinkin' of a Chriw'.ma^ long ago. We old folks—well, we ain’t aomuch on Christ mas nowadays. Although the Lord ha-, led us 'long on all our wanderin’ ways: But. siltin' by the old fireplace, the bright tlames seem to t/low Anu Ik’ht a little face w< loved on*- Christmas lorn.- ■df.'o'. A little liM'e—th< lage girls. Lik< spring's r*-d roses blossomin 'round with golden curls; A face we've Ui scd—a fae*- we've missed many a weary year; (How sweet th* Christmas tim< would be that *i< ar ia< e was near!) sweetest face of all tae vil- rimmed for if :;ood enough for Mary, always jes much too tV« didn't (hink John but yon see. Her mother—six was good lor me. That though they took and run av. ay—and though it M ‘ mod a erime. 1 sold I'd look it over if they’d cone hack Christina - time. lonesome, with only ''bnstmas now. an The house, it '■cuiiS so wife an’ me: An Christmas ain't like never more will be. 1 An though we thank the Lord tor all w*- can t ke*‘i> ba*-k the sigh*. An through the sunshine of the year-, the rain falls 'round our eyes' They sat beside the tiielierii.g t-r< and in its ruddy gleams Thev tulKed ulanit tlx- *>ld-tiu)(- thing- and dreamed the old-time dreams: The Mary of the golden * uiis and one who loved her best. And sweetly dreamed a little on* up*-n the mother s brea-U Jifj (Z — V ’ IL 'yj. 'nl -Ik load ha*l been mtuie iulinitcly heavier } "Where did you conn- from? by a saxi accident to his moth-r. which had resulttnl in a broken limb and which had necessitated nurses and in- crcaaed «l*x;t4>rs' bills ami n<> end of *-x- P*-iim- during the fall, and Tommy had been obliged to borrow money from a private Sliyl(x.-1< in the bank and pay a mini uody usurious interest jx-r mouth I: r t lx- satu*-. 11 e had haettoseud ht^mc t he big «-n*l «»f his small salary, too. each mouth, and, what between this and the bor rowed money he had run behind in his board, and was in alMiut as desjMTate a financial fix as a hard-working, honest and faithful employe ever was. Only the extreme kindliness <»f the little old lady with whom Tommy Is ’ 1 in a little old cottage on a lit tle by-street on “Been a waitin' fer ye.” piped the small voice, with equal cheeriness. “T ought meblie you might want a errun - run som ers." "What's your name?" asked Tommy, iu an admiring tone, his face beaming. “Chip.” "Anything else?” “Nop. Nothin' but Chip. Ye see, I'm a hustlin’ fer myself, an’1 hain't had no time to think up names. A lit tle feller like me don t ketch on very easy, you know.” Tommy lutd start*-*: on and this last speech had come from tlx- small figure as it trotted along. He looked down and saw the big brown eyes looking up at him. They were Ix-autiful to look face glistened with the tears that agaut admiration of Tommy! And when touches of unexpected kindness always j dinner was over and Chip was happy as produce in sensitive natures, but the voice made :t great effort to be as brave “BEEN A WAITIN’ FER YE.” of greenbacks which were scattered around no promiscuously. This abiding confidence in his greatness on the part of the owner of the small, wan face so the West side enabled him to keep his into, and th*- voice was such a cheery head alxive water at all. But he was one of those stout-hearted fellow; of whom the great W< rid rarely h*-*rs and wouldn't let himself got sour or <toss. When at last he had straightened everything up and had packed away little voice, without a trace of a whim* in it. that Tommy felt immensely rt« freshed “And what made you pick me out?” asked Tommy. “Well, 1 liked your looks, and— w'y. you own th*- hunk, don't you, an’ the bundles of bills, and the bags of gold, and the paper rolls with the silver all that mom y u,' ever thing?” dollars inside, and hud run over in his f ! ommy 1* ol ’*! clown again and mind all the good he miffht do if only a laughed. ( p looked up and laughed, small portion of all this money was his it was right jolly to chum along that and cheery as ever when it replied be tween shivers: "I call that—way up in G. an'— you're a pr—prince o' the bl*>od—you are!" “Hut it there." said Tommy, as he stepped under a gas lamp and held his hand to the little great soul by his side. The cool little hand snuggled confident ly in his and the eyes looked ba*-k into his own and the t>ond of intimacy arxl warm friendship was complete. Thereafter Tommy held <'hip's hand as they tramped along west, and when they reached the side street in which he lived. Tommy lifted the thin little figure in his arms ami with Chip's hands clasped round his neek walked into the presence of kind old Mrs. Bloomer It was meager fare they hud that night, considered front the standard of high livers, but Tommy was used to it and it was simply luxurious to Chip. But th*- next day after Tommy had chummed with Chip all forenoon and got friendly and learned all about him --which wasn't much, he hadn't a friend in the world and after Mrs. Bloomer had taken him iu huud aud he could be Tommy got out his har monica and played dead marches till Chip was "mighty nigh to bustin’,” as he himself expressed it. In the evening Tommy took ( hip t*» the theater ami sat up in the twenty- ■ five cent gallery, and they hud the l»-st : time in the world, ami wouldn’t have changed place ■ with the swell people in th*- first-floor 1>o.\**n. not on any ;te- eount. Aud when they had gone home and to lied and Chip had snuggled I down by his side, Tommy asked: “What are you thinking about, Chip, old man?” A small, thin arm stole up over Tom my's breast and hugged his shoulder j ■ warmly. "I was jist a offerin’ a lx*t to myself,” ! said Chip, sleepily, “that you wasn’t nothin’ less'n own brother to Santy Claus. Ain't ye?” But before Tommy could answer happy little Chip was far afloat on . dreamland's delightful sea and was living over again the pleasures of the day, while in Tommy's heart there crooned a s*x;thing song more sweet ami comforting than any millionaire iu all the great big city could ever hope to hear.- Kirk La Sheik-., in Chicago Mail. THEY SAT BESIDE THE FLICKERIN'*; FIRE. An*' looking In Uic- face of bim «ho leaned above her there. Arm kissed her cheek, and tenderly smoothed down her golden hair She said: "We've been so long away from mother, that 1 know She's lonely in the home w« left f-o many years ago!" No other words she said, but he kissed back the tears that came. And whispered. "If they loved you then, they love you still the same; The old home must Ire lonely, though the fire is blazing bright— The little one shall plead for n«—tbev'll 1:1s* him Christmas night)” And soil was that, while afm o'er the remem bered dells Still brightly beamed each Christmas star and pealed the Christmas; bells. The wanderers went home and in its loveli ness and light They found a welcome, and a kiss for baby Christmas night —Frank L. Stanton. In Atlanta Constitution Drlinit*- and Specific. <>ur resolutions for the new year sbottlil Im- definite and *-p4-<-iti*- Do not say simply that you w ill be more lib eral. but say just how liWral you will lx*. Do not say that you will lx* more faithful, but say just what duties, i neglected iu tlx* past, you will engage to perform in the future. Do not promise that you will give more of your time to the service of th*- Master, but decide upon the p'’'>jxu-tioii of your time which you will give. A promise may !<«• almost or altogether worthless because of indefinitctics*-. Let us deal honestly anil reverently with Him whom we serve. Vow and pay.-- I’nited Hresbyterian. SANTA CLACH IN * IIICACO. a/ 1 ; ■ t ’J Ml V Santa Claus Take me up to theroof, l*oy. I tried to get there in my usual way. but it was no use- my team isn't equal to it!—Fuck.