The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, December 21, 1894, Image 15
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CHRISTMAS, 1894
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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-
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’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
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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
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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.