The Chickasha Daily Express. (Chickasha, Indian Terr.), Vol. 10, No. 322, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 24, 1901 Page: 4 of 12
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Chickaslia Daily Express.
CIIICKASIIA I N I ). TEE.
Tuesday December 24th 1901
THE NEW YEAR GIRL.
My little lady alts alone
In her boudelr whit and gold.
Waning to (rent the New Year
And bid adieu to tl
What la beyond the
(Hark te the bells
ind oia aaieu to tne nia.
morrow?
that ring);
Aft there teaxa or amllea and sunihlne?
Oh.
what doea the New Year bring?
STEPHEN
WELLS'
CHRISTMAS
JOHN CASTON
My Lady rose from the table and
wept gracefully from the dining
room statuesque end beautiful as
always. At the door she turned and
aid:
"Why certainly have them down for
the holidays If you think they would
njoy it. My time will be eo fully oc-
cupied however that I will not have
much of It to devote to them and our
holiday atmosphere la not of the sort
tbey are accustomed to in the country
I fancy." This with a smile denoting
well-bred acqulescenoe but absolutely
devoid of warmth.
The man behind her gray and a
trifle bent with tired eyes deep wrin-
kles In hie face. Inclined his bead with
half sigh and replied:
"Thank you my dear and I guess
you are right. It would be anything
but a merry Christmas I fear for the
girls here. We seem to have lost the
spirit of the season. I thought per-
haps they might bring a little of the
holiday cheer into the house but you
are right It would only spoil their
season."
Insooth it was little of the holiday
cheer that the great house had ever
known. Long long years ago just
after they were rr.arrled and when they
had lived In the humbler home In the
suburbs Christmas had been a season
of holly and mistletoe of love tokens
and surprises of turkey and cranberry
sauce and pjum pudding. Especially
after baby oame there had been some
gorgeous celebrations with Christmas
trees and Santa Claus and all the
things so dear to the heart of child-
hood. But when the little one died the
shock and sorrow and the disappoint-
ment and the heart-sickness were so
keen that it was simply Impossible to
return to the old habits and ways of
which the little one had been so es-
sential a part They had even shrunk
from the ordinary manifestations of
mutual affection and companionshp
which served as a poignant reminder
of the loss each felt so deeply in their
very different ways.
Something of all these things was In
the mind of each that December even-
ing a week before Christmas as they
sat in the magnificent drawing room
he half reading his newspaper and she
Idly turning the pages of a magazine.
Presently she rang for a servant and
ordered her carriage.
"Are you going out?" he asked a
hade of disappointment In his voice.
"I thought I would go to consult
with Mrs. Bogardus regarding the cbtr-
Ity ball" she replied. "It Is getting
near the time and we are on the com-
mittee. However if you have other
plans It Is not at all important"
"No" he replied "I have no other
plana. I have a trial balance to go
over come tr think of It"
But his eyes looked more weary and
more sunken as she left the room. As
she turned to wave him a good-natured
adieu he arose to go to his li-
brary and she caught the expression
and her eyes contracted with a puz-
zled look.
It was a stormy night and as My
Lady rode through the rain her car-
riage collided with a cab recklessly
driven in the opposite direction
and of the wheels was taken
I l A v.. to j l va
1
I
off and the occupant consider-
ably shaken up. Then she was
compelled to seek the shelter of a cot-
tage (the accident occurred in the
poorer district of the city) until the
coachman could summon another car-
riage. She apologized with her char-
acteristic grace to the faded little wo-
man who offered her a refuge In re-
sponse to the driver's appeal and was
received with whole-hearted cordialty.
It was a very humble home in which
My Lady had found refuge. It was
small and scantily furnished and every-
thing was of the cheapest. The car-
pets the furniture the clothing of the
people were all of the cheapest and
the atmosphere was that of the most
rigid economy. And yet there was ex-
cellent t.tste displayed notwithstand-
ing all the cheapness and everything
was neat and tidy and the atmosphere
was distinctly that of a home. All
these things suggested themselves to
her as she seated herself in the modest
little parlor. A sturdy boy of three
seated at a table making marks on a
sheet of paper eyed her askance. En-
couraged at ber smile he volunteered
the information that he was writing a
letter to Santa Claus.
"I'm tellin' blm dat I want a tandy
tane and some cboo-choo cars" he In-
formed her.
"Do you think he will bring them?"
she asked.
"Es I do. Mamma says dat he will
If I don't ask too much. Do you think
dat Is too much?''' he demanded.
"No Indeed" she responded warm-
ly "and I am sure he will bring
them."
"We always try to observe Christ-
mas and the holidays" lemarked the
faded little woman. "Of course we are
not able to do much but we try to
catch the spirit of the days and It
seems to brighten us all up so much to
forget the worries and struggles for
one day now and then and It Is so
much to the children. I want to show
you what I am going to give John If
you don't mind. I've just got It. and
I will burst if I don't show it to some-
one. John Is my husband you know
and he is very fond of bunting but he
doesn't go very often because he hasn't
got a gun and It costs so mucb to rent
one." Whereupon she dodged into a
closet and emerged with a bright new
iouule barreled shot gun.
"And that ain't all" she went on.
her eyes glowing with excitement "See
what I've made for him" and sbe dis-
appeared again and emerged with a
Vi flKw jiw .iM j 1 a
complete canvas hunting suit "I made
this all but the hat" she said. "The
gun was the hardest I saved it all
out of my table allowance excepting
ten dollars I made by baking for the
Woman's Exchange. He doesn't know
anything about that though and my
but wouldn't he be mad if he did. Ho
thinks I have enough to do with the
housework and the children."
The faded little woman heard a step
on the walk and hustled her treasures
back Into their hiding place. The door
flew open and John appeared covered
with snow. He men lly kissed the wife
and boy and was duly presented to My
Lady at which he subsided in great
confusion. There was some little talk
about the approaching Christmas and
when a few moments later the wife
went out to put the boy In bed John
said hastily:
"Would you consider it asking too
much of you to look at a present I
have got for the little woman. It Is
out of my line and it cost quite a bit
and I could change It now If it was not
all right"
My Lady acquiesced and John rushed
out of the room and returned with a
cloak of rather good quality exceed-
ingly good quality in contrast with the
things In the house.
"I think it Is the most beautiful
cloak I ever saw" My Lady responded
warmly with moisture In her eyes.
Then she added hastily "for the price.
Of CHHISTMA..T Monjvitc.
It Is well worth the money I assure
you and your wife will be the happiest
woman in the world I am sure."
e e e
A half hour later sbe entered her
husband's library and said: "Stephen
I have been thinking it over and I real-
ly would like to have the girls down
for the holidays. I have decided to
decline all invitations for the Christ-
mas week and I think we can make it
pleasant for them and as you said
they may bring some of the holiday
cheer Into the house."
"Very well" he responded looking
at her In some surprl-e but evidently
pleased "I will write them tonight."
As he rose from his chair he uttered
an exclamation: "Confound that rheu-
matism. I believe it Is getting worse.
I half believe if I wore home-kntt socks
like old Grandma Black used to knit
for me that It would help. This city-
made hosiery never comes up to the
mark set by the old-time bome-knlt
socks."
a e
My Lady was a vary busy woman
jik 1 J i . - 1
during the next week and kept much
to the seclusion of her room. On
Christmas morning when Stephen
Wells rose be found a chair standing
close to his bed and from one corner
hung on of his socks. Investigating
in amazement he discovered crowded
Into It two pair of knit socks and pin-
ned to them was the following note:
"Dear Stephen: "I wanted to give
you something that was my own hand-
iwork and that cost me somethiug of
time or sacrifice to get I can do so
little that I could think of nothing ex-
cepting to knit you some socks 'like
grandma used to knit' 60 here they
are not much excepting a love-token
from your wife."
The man went to the window and
looked out into the vista of sparkling
now for a long time. When he pro-
ceeded with his dressing there were
tears in his eyes. He went straight to
his wife and gathering her in his arms
kissed her again and again.
There were several surprises at the
Wells home that day. The formal
course dinner was supplanted mucb to
the chef's disgust with a genuine old-
fashioned turkey dinner; the house was
resplendent with holly and mistletoe
and In the evening there was the mer-
riest sort of a Christmas tree loaded
with good things. The nieces from the
country voted that It was the Jolllest
Christmas they had ever spent.
Down at the cottage whence the ln-
aplratton came there was another jolly
Christmas. My Lady had sent all the
materials for the most gorgeous dinner
that ever was served from an eighteen
pound turkey to plum pudding and
loads of candy for the children beside
a wonderful train of automatic cars for
the boy who wrote to Santa Claus.
8oclety wonders why It lost Mrs.
Wells and why the Well' gave up tbetr
mansion on the avenue and moved to
the cosy home-like bouse in the
suburb. The business world wonders
why Stephen Wells retired so sud-
denly from active business just after
making plans for widening snd extend-
ing bis operations. A certain little
woman who used to look faded but now
is quite fresh and rosy wonders what
good angel arranged for the breaking
down of Mrs. Wells' carriage in front
of her door and what there was In the
brief stay that gave the visitor such a
sustained interest In her affairs and
John's. For John now occupies a very
important and well-paid position se
cured through the influence of
WelU. (Copywrlgbt 101.)
T1 j . v - - - -
YULE TIDE PROBLEMS.
Hunting for a Chrlatmu preaent
For each blooming friend you know
la a teak that'a far from pleaaant
When your funda are running low.
It la hard to make aelectlona
That with joy all hearts will thrill
When you've got to make twelve sections
Of a lone ten-dollar bill.
People's wants are ao extensive
That they fill you with despair.
They all hope for glfta expensive.
They don't know how 111 they'll fare!
If you have a lot of money
Buying preaenta la great aport.
But It'a anything but funny
When your bank account Is ahort
rum 1
fHPISTMASl
Christmas tide has come again and
all the little children are thinking
about Santa Claus and some are won-
dering if be will come to their house
this time. There Is hardly any rea-
son for any child to believe that he
will not come. A good many thing
change In this world but on Christ-
mas Eve merry old Santa Claus Is al-
ways heard of his hair as white his
nose as red as ever; his bag of toys
just as full; his cry down the chim-
ney of "Any good children here?" just
as loud.
Kris Kringle Is another name for
Santa Claus and a very good name
too; and stockings are not the only
things that hold toys. Little German
peasant children often set their wood-
en shoes on the hearth on Christmas
eve pretty sure of a cake and a toy;
for children however poor their par-
ents may be are made much of in
Germany. And In Borne places In Eu-
rope a curious thing happens. The
mother the father and the rest of
the family sit about the Are together
on Christmas Eve.
All the room Is tidy. The children
half hopeful half terrified draw close
to mother father or grandmothers as
they hear a sound of trumpets or
horns outside. Then the mother says:
"What can this be?" and opens the
door. As she does so a number of
very strange looking figures come In
smongst tbem one person dressed In
white with wings and a great basket
In his hand and another In black
with a bunch of rods.
"God bless you all" says the figure
In white. "Are there sny good chil-
dren here?"
"Are there any bad children here?"
asks the blsck figure.
"My children are all pretty good"
the mother answers.
"I am glad to hear It." says the
white visitor. "I have gift here for
good children."
"Stop!" the black figure cries; "they
re not good. Hans struck his broth-
er yesterday. Oretcben doe not know
her catechism and Petra broke a
piece from tbe Sunday cake as It sat
to cool on the wlndow-slll. I will
leave rods to whip tbem all with."
Tbe children begin to cry. The
white figure spreads out his hands and
ays:
"The little ones will be better next
year.' Then he ukes one of the rod
from the blsck visitor and drives him
out Tbe visitors play on tbs Instru-
ments they hsve brought and the
whole family sing Christmas hymns.
The angelic visitor then empties L
basket on tbe table and leaves there
a great number of Iced cakes gilded
nuts gingerbread horse and wooden
toy and then depart. The mother
tells the children to be good all the
year lest tbe rod should really be left
for them on tbe next Christmas and
li bsve supper and go to bed
Christmas day I happy one for
most children all over the Christian
world and I hope that because this Is
so they will remember that this dsy
Is kept because eighteen hundred snd
eighty-one year ago. Jesus who said
"Sutler 'tt!e children. nd forbid
then not to come unto me. for of such
I the kingdom of heaven." was first
a babe In his mother's arm Mary
Kyle Dallas In the New York Ledger.
. .
mem
Car!
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Beavers, L. L. The Chickasha Daily Express. (Chickasha, Indian Terr.), Vol. 10, No. 322, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 24, 1901, newspaper, December 24, 1901; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc727317/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.