Brenham Weekly Banner. (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 51, Ed. 1, Thursday, December 24, 1891 Page: 8 of 14

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' AKE some lightly-
falling snowflakcs
somo stars somo
wintry weather
(Meanwhile the bells for miles around start
ringing altogether)
"With shouts of merriest laughter and with
sounds of merriest singing
Be sure whnte'er you do to keep the joyful
bells a-ringlng)
And Christmas trees enough to fill a forest
decked with berries.
Some creamy white and some as red as sum-
mer's ripest cherries
.And stockings of all sizes and all hues set
gently swinging
.From chimney shelves. (And mind don't let
the gladsome bells stop ringing )
And of mince pies plum puddings turkeys
chickens yes and any
Good things you find take plenty for you can-
not hare too many.-
Then Santa Claus get hold of when his rein-
deer steeds are springing
Prom roof to roof (cling-clangl cllng-clang!
still hare the bells a-ringlng)
JVnd help yourself to sweets and toy3 for some
poor little dweller
Somo pretty thin faced boy or girl in garret
or in cellar
To whose pale cheek the sight of them will
flush of joy be bringing
Louder and faster let the bells the festive
bells be ringing).
Then gather lots of greetings warm and untold
stores of kisses.
And friendly wishes happy smiles In fact all
kinds of blisses.
With "hip hurrah!" for Prince New Year his
way toward us winging
And now their very fastest must the wild wild
bells be ringing)
.And at ths last mix well with rhymes and
you'll have don't I know 'em?
X should for I've a thousand read a reg'lar
Christmas poem.
Margaret Eyttnge in Detroit Free Press.
DT on a front
gate before an
old-f asliioned
roomy house
on a quiet
road two lit-
tle girls with
sober faces
were swinging-
one December
afternoon.
They were
odd-looking little creatures for their
-dark woolen dresses came down below
their ankles and on their heads were
thick "worsted hoods while each was
wrapped in a big blanket shawl tied at
the back.
They were used to the cold and they
didn't-mind it in the least and just now
they forgot all about it in their absorb--ing
interest in some subject they were
(discussing.
''We'll be awful 'shamed to say we
didn't get anything Rebecca" said the
elder girl "and they'll be sure to ask a
lot of questions."
"Well we'll just have to stand it
that's all" rejoined little Rebecca
sturdily. '"Tain'tour fault we don't
have any Christmas."
"'But don't you suppose if we spoke
.to Aunt Jane she'd "
-".No" interrupted Rebecca. "It
wnrildn't do a mite o' good. She'd say
she didn't believe in Christmas. You
."know she would Prue."
"I've a good mind to ask her anyway.
I dont want to go to school next Mon-
day 'n' tell 'em we didn't have the first
thing. They'd think Aunt Jane 'n'
"Uncle Reuben awful mean to us. We've
lived liere five years and we ain't never
iad any Christmas yet"
Rebecca was about to reply but
"what she would have said will never be
known for at that moment a tall
angular woman with a thin face and
iron-gray hair drawn tightly back from
Tier temples came around the side of
the house.
"How many times have I got to tell
you girls not to swing on that there
gate?" she cried in a thinvrasping voice.
"You'll have it off the hinges yet. You
don't pretend to pay attention to a thing
I say."
Prudence and Rebecca with scared
faces jumped down from the gate and
vwalked quickly up the narrow box-
IT'S FOR CHRISTMAS AUNT .TASK."
"bordered path. Their aunt stood waiting
ior them and when they were within
neach pushed them before her into the
Icitchen.
"There's no need to idle round jest
"because school aint kcepin' this week"
she said. ' "There's plenty to do dear
iiiious! It's all foolishness havin' a
vacation. I don't.belicve in it."
--J
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"Rut it's for Christmas Aunt Jane"
ventured Prudence. "It's to-morrow
night you know "
"Xo I don't know" rejoined her
aunt; "and if tendin' school is goin' to
fill your heads full o' nonsense I'll
take you away mighty quick. I don't
believe in Christmas. There ain't no
sense in givin' a whole pack of presents
right and left. Now what under the
canopy are you cryin' about Prudence?
I declare if one or the other of you
ain't alwers cryin' about somethin !"
"She's thinking what the girls will
say when we tell 'em we didn't get any-
thing" explained Rebecca for Pru-
dence couldn't speak. "They're sure to
ask you know 'n' think it funny."
"Let 'em ask then!" said Aunt Jane
sharply. "I'd like to know if folks
don't think I'm doin' well by you as
'tis? Seems like 'tain't enough to feed
'n' clothe ye 'n' send ye to school. Ye
want a whole raft o' presents besides!
Well ye won't get 'em no matter what
folks say. I'm a willin' hoss but I
won't be rid to death by nobody. Xow
Prudence you stop that cryin' 'n' go
upstairs 'n' get your patchwork; 'n' you
go down suller after a pan o' apples Re-
becca. And I want 'cm peeled better'n
you peeled those yesterday too."
But whipping together squares of cal-
ico and peeling apples did not cause
either of the little girls to forget their
disappointment. They were very young
when they came to live with their aunt
and uncle in the lonely farmhouse and
they had been kept there so closely
that their ideas of Christmas had been
very vague and shadowy until this fall
when they had begun a term at the
district school. They had learned all
about Christmas then and for the past
fortnight there had been talk of little
else. It was hard enough to Prudence
and Rebecca to know that they would
be left out of all Christmas joys but
the mortification of having to con-
fess this the following Monday to their
mates would be they thought harder
still.
Rebecca felt that she could bear it
better if Prudence didn't take it so to
heart; but there was nothing of the her-
oine about poor little Prue and she
made no attempt to conceal the tears
that rolled slowly down her cheeks and
fell one by one on the squares of patch-
work in her lap.
Rebecca finding the sight too painful
at last turned her lehair so that she
could not see her sister and went over
in her mind all her small possessions
trying to think if she owned anything
that Prue would fancy for a Christmas
gift. There was that queerly-shaped
gourd Tim Binns the hired man had
given her and the pretty glittering
stone she had picked uu in the pasture
one day. But Prue hard seen these a
hundred times and oh course would
not care for them. Nowhere didn't seem
any chance to have any sort of a Christ-
mas. She turned her head and furtively
glanced at .Prue. The tears were fall-
ing still and an occasional stifled sob
made Aunt Jane look up crossly from
the ham she was skinning. Rebecca
sighed. If only Prue would not take
it so to heart! She was beginning to
feel a little despondent herself whsn
suddenly an idea came to her; an idea
so brilliant that for a moment she was
fairly dizzy with excitement. Her
whole face lighted up and her ab
sorption was so great that she forgot
all about the potatoes until a sharp:
"What under the sun air ye starin' at
Rebecca?" brought her to a realization
of her neglect.
"I ain't starin' Aunt Jane; I was
just thinkin' about something" she re-
joined trying to make signals of joy
and relief to Prue. But Prue shook
her head. The signals were too mys-
terious for her to understand and her
tears continued to now at intervals un-
til household duties called Aunt Jane
upstairs.
Then down went the pan of potatoes
with a crash the knife followed after
and Rebecca flew to her sister and
threw both arms rapturously around
her.
"We won't be ashamed next Monday
Prue!" she cried joyously. "The girls
need never know Aunt Jane wouldn't
give us anything; for I've thought of
something Prue" her voice sinking to
a tense whisper. "We can make a
Christmas tree for ourselves and we
can hang up our stockings too. We
can just pretend to have Christmas
Prue and it'll be the same to talk about
as the real thing."
"Pretend it! I don't understand"
said Prue slowly.
"I can't tell you now there comes
Aunt Jane. But don't cry any more.
It'll be all right!" And Rebecca rushed
back to her chair and picked up the pan
of potatoes just as Miss Jane's hand
turned the knob of the door.
"I wonder what that there light in
the old henhouse means?" muttered old
Reuben Paine to himself as he came
up the path from the barnyard on
Christmas eve with a full pail of milk
in each hand. "Those young ones are
up to something I'll engage."
He set the milk down and walked
softly over to the henhouse through
every crack of which ancient structure
long given up to ruin and decay a flood
of light was streaming. To tell the
truth Uncle Reuben had a very warm
place in his heart for the two little girls
his pretty gentle niece had left as a
legacy to him and he would have shown
it very often but for the fear that Jane
would take him to task for it. And
now as he looked in at a crack in one
side of the henhouse a sudden moisture
sprang to his eyes and when he
straightened himself up again he stood
staring straight before him for a full
minute.
"I declare! I never saw the beat!" he
muttered as he turned away.
He picked up the pails again and wont
into the kitchen where his sister a big
gingham apron shielding her black al-
paca dress was frying potatoes for .sup-
per. "Where be the children Jane?" he
asked.
"Dear only knows!" answered Miss
Jane in a tone of vexation. "I can't
keep track o' 'em. I sent 'em out to the
well much as an hour ago 'n' they ain't
come backyet."
"I wish ye'd let me show ye where
they be Jane."
An odd tremulousness in her brother's
voice struck Miss Jane and she turned
sharply around.
"What d'ye mean Reuben? Xothin's
happened to "em I hope?"
"Xo nothin' ain't happened to 'em.
But they're out in the old henhouse
Jane 'n" "
"The old henhouse!" interrupted Miss
Jane. "What under the canopy be they
a-doin' there?"
"They're they're havin' a Christmas
tree." answered her brother "'n I want
you to see 'em. Jane. The poor little
tilings! They've got a little hemlock
a-settin" in a wash-tub o' ashes 'n' it's
covered all over with candle ends "n'
there's a g'ourd a-hangin' on it 'n' a
stone 'n' the parlor duster 'n' that tidy
Priscilla Xewcome knit 'n' the chancy
cup that belonged to mother 'n' it's
jest pitiful to see 'em Jane."
Miss Jane didn't answer. She was
very busy stirring the potatoes. But
presently she pushed the pan to the
back of the stove and taking her shawl
and hood down from a peg on the
kitchen door said in a muffled voice
as she tied the strings of the hood under
her chin:
"I s'pose I might as well go out 'n'
see for myself what they're up to. Why
couldn't they have their tree in the
The flowers of .Summer are fair to see
A-bloom 'midst the nodding grasses.
And sweet are their cells to the honey bee
That pauses and sips as It passes;
house ef they was so set on havin' one!
They'll take their death o' cold out'n
that draughty place."
Reuben followed her out and a mo-
ment later they stood side by side at
the door of the hen-house. The pres-
ents had all been taken from the tree
and Rebecca was talking eagerly.
"Xow you see what a splendid plan
it was Prue. I'm so glad I happened
to think of it. Xow on Monday we can
say we had a Christmas tree 'n' you can
say you got a tidy 'n a book 'n' a beau-
tiful stone that you mean to use for a
paper weight; and I will tell all I got.
An' it'll all be true Prue that's the
best of it. An' nobody'll ever know in
this wide world that we only pretended
Christmas."
Prue sighed as her cheerful little sis-
ter stopped talking. Older by a year
and a half than Rebecca she neverthe-
'WE CAS SAY
WE HAD A
TUBE."
CHRISTMAS
less let the latter take- the lead in all
things.
"It's better'n nothin' I s'pose" she
said drearily "an' I guess the girls
won't ask us to bring our presents to
school. But we'd better go in now
'Becca. It must be most supper time
'n' Aunt Jane will be wondering where
we are."
Reuben drew his sister quickly to
one side just as the door of the hen-
house opened and the two little girls
came out.
"Can't can't we give 'cm some sort
o' Christmas Jane?" he asked timidly
' I- im JiL3gt
as soon as the children were out of
hearing. "It does seem so pitiful to
have 'em a-doin' this way."
"I ain't got nothin' agin their havin'
a Christmas ef you choose ter pay for
it" answered Miss Jane her voice soft-
er than usual. "I ain't as mean
as some folks 'd like to make out.
The only reason I didn't give 'em Christ-
mas long before this was because I
didn't think you had money to pay out
for such foolishness."
"I ain't noways rich as everybody
knows 'tliout bein' told" rejoined
Reuben "but I guess I ain't so poor I
can't spend a bit once a year for the
poor little creeturs. I'll go down to the
store soon's supper's over 'n' see what
I c'n do."
Prude and Rebecca wondered what
made their uncle and aunt so silent dur-
ing supper and why Aunt Jane's voice
was so much kinder than usual but
not for a moment did they suspect that
there had been witnesses to that pre-
tended Christmas in the old henhouse.
AVhen Reuben got back from the vil
lage at nine o'clock and after putting
his horse in the stable came into the
warm well-lighted kitchen whqre
Jane was sewing by the center-table
his arms were full of bundles. There
was a little bedstead two china dolls a
tea-set a small kitchen a doll's car-
riage a bag of candy and half a dozen
big oranges. He looked a little anxious
as Jane unwrapped one thing after the
other for he half expected to be called
to account for such wild extravagance;
But fairer and sweeter is one w ee flow er
That blooms when the snow is falling.
And good Saint Nick at the yule-tide hour
On his dear little friends Is calling.
F. B. W.
but for a wonder Jane spoke no word
of blame or criticism.
They went together into the L-room
where the two little girls were asleep
but were scarcely over the threshold
when they stopped short for by the
light of a small lamp on the mantel
they saw a sight which moved them
both deeply. Under the mantel hung
two gray hand-knit stockings packed
full.
Miss Jane did not venture to look at
her brother as she went forward and
emptied the stockings. From Prue's
she took an old case knife an anti-
quated bead pin cushion an almanac a
china dog which belonged to the
spare room mantle a lamp mat and a
toilet bottle. From Rebecca's a match-
safe a shell box a photograph frame
a hair brush a broken ink bottle and a
battered silver cup that was a relic of
Miss Jane's babyhood.
"Well! I never in all my born days!"
she ejaculated under her breath.
"Reuben look here!"
But Reuben finding his emotion not
to be controlled by an occasional smoth-
ered cough had gone back to the
kitchen. Miss Jane found him there ten
minutes later sitting by the stove with
his hands over his face. He looked up
as she entered.
"Ef I lied to get them presents over
ag'in" he said slowly "I wouldn't rest
till I'd bought the hull store out. The
poor little creeturs!'
"Ye got enough dear knows!" re-
joined Miss Jane pretending to search
in the corner cupboard for something
which could not be found. "They'll be
as pleased in the mbrnin' as two
crickets."
The astonishment and delight of the
two little girls when they waked in the
morning and found their gifts can better
be imagined than described; and there
were no happier children in the old
district schoolhouse the following Mon-
day than the two whose pretended
Christmas had become a wonderful
reality. B. Hollow ell in Christian
Union.
"Well. Bobbie" said his father the
other day after Christinas "aren't j-ou
sorry Christmas comes only once a
year?" "Oh I d' know! If Dr. Squills
has got to come the day after Christmas
every time I'm rather glad of it."
Golden Days.
We always like best what the other
boy got. .
HOLIDAY JESTS AND GEMS.
The small boy hasn't to be got out
of bed with a switch on Christmas
morning.
The almanacs put the shortest day
of the year just bsfore Christmas but
financially it is the next day after.
You cannot cut Christmas out of
the calendar nor out of the heart of the
world. T. W. Handford.
"I'm sorry I didn't ask Santa Claus
for a few more things while I was
about it" said the young miser. Judge.
Job got his certificate for patience
before he was obliged to go out and buy
Christmas presents for all his relatives.
Baltimore American.
Charley Was Slow. Amy "Are
you going to give Charley anything at
Christmas?" Mabel "I'm thinking of
giving him a hint." Epoch.
Tommy "1 wish Christmas had
come and gone." Johnny "What for?"
Tommy "Because then we could quit
being good." Golden Days.
Be merry all be merry all.
With holly dress and festive hall.
Prepare the song the feat the ball
To welcome merry Christmas.
TV. R. Spencer.
"The holiday spirit is an all-pervading
one" remarked a father as he
bought his little boy a fifteen-cent tin
horse; "but it costs money." Puck.
Mother and daughter examining
Christmas presents. Daughter "Are
both of these boxes of candy differ-
ent?" Mother "Xo; neither is alike."
Wife "I hope you are pleased with
those slippers darling?" Husband
(hesitatingly) "Yes dear I'm so glad I
learned to walk on snowshoes when I
was a boy." Washington Post.
The church bells of innumerable
sects are all chime bells to-day ringing
in sweet accordance throughout many
lands and awaking a great joy in the
heart of Our common humanity.
Chapin.
Johnny "Say pa to-day is Christ-
mas." Mr. Squeers "That's so my boy!
Well I'll let you go without a spank-
ing to-day. Xo child of mine shall ever
lack something to remember Christ-
mas by."
It is well for everyone during the
holidays to be filled with the Christmas
spirit but they should not regard this
as permission for unlimited and unre-
stricted indulgence in Christmas punch.
Somerville Journal.
If j'ou hear a man protesting loudly
during the week against the promiscu-
ous slaughter of seals you may depend
upon it that he very grudgingly bought
his wife a sealskin sacque for Christ-
mas. Philadelphia Call.
Willie "I don't believe the stories
about Santa Claus. Do you Fred?"
Fred "Xo I don't either; but 'sh!
don't let's talk so loud. He might hear
us and then he wouldn't give us any-
thing." Harper's Young People.
Christmas.
Christ the Lord is born to-dav!
Hang tho houso with holly gay.
Ring the tuneful bell!
In tho churches vast and dim.
Solely for the love of Him
Tho Te Deum swell !
Meet the poor with open hands;
Ask that Christ's Divine commands
Sweetly in thee dwell 1
Grace W. Halght In Good Housekeeping.
Fifty-two times the shuttle has
flown in each flight weaving a week
with a golden border of Sabbath. Three
hundred and sixty-five times the clock
has struck twelve for tho noon and
only one less time twelve for the night.
In that time how many marriage gar-
lands have been twisted how many
graves dug how many sorrows suffered
how many fortunes won how many
souls lost how many mortals saved !
Talmage.
-
Johnnie Say pa. is this what Santa
Claus brought you?
Mr. Scantlox Yes my boy. What
do you think of it?
Johnnie Well I think that Santa
made a mistake as you always part
your hair with a towel.
Unexpected Munificence.
"Jane" said Mr. Skinnphlint a soft
ened light shining in his eyes "I think
I have never given you anything for a
Christmas present have I?"
"Xo William" answered Mrs. Skinn-
phlint. "You never have."
"This Christmas Jane" said Mr.
Skinnphlint in a voice trembling from
unwonted feeling "shall be a different
one from any we have ever had. What
would you say to a present of some use-
ful article for the house?"
'I would like it vory much William."
"Something for instance that would
be both useful and ornamental? Some-
thing that you could select yourself?
How would that do?"
"It would please me above all things."
"Then Jane" said Mr. Skinnphlint
with an effort to retain his composure
"we need a new bootjack. Here is
twenty-five cents to buy it with. If it
costs less Jane" lie added in a broken
voice "j-ou can keep the change." Chi-
cago Tribune.
There is a gleam of comfort for a
man even when the Christinas present
season is in full blast; his wife does not
want an Easter bonnet now. Philadel-
phia Times.
JJAS2A CLAUS MISTAKE.
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T ' V
ADDY'S lost the
job he had a-
drivin' on the
line.
An' so he 's took to
carryin' a adver-
tisin' sign;
All 'at he 's a-mak-in'
now is fifty
cents a day
Walkin' up an
down an' givin
little bills away.
Daddy he tells mammy 'at it won't bo long
afore
He fin's anudder job at sumpin' 'at '11 pay him
more;
An' Bess an' me 's a-hopin' 'at he '11 git It soon
a cause
It's putty nearly 'bout the time to look fur
Santy Klaws.
I'm 'mos' eight years old an' Bess is littler
an' me.
An mammy 's been a-promlsin' 'at we could
have a tree
Big as what the Dolans had las' year on Chrisa-
mus.
An' there 's seven little Dolans an' there 's
on'y two of us I
But mammy now is worried 'bout the rent a-
comin' on.
An' we don't drink no more coffee an' the bag"
o' flour's gone;
An' the coal 'at 's in the closet 's a-glttln down
so fast
"We sirs the cinders over twict to try an make
it last.
So it don't much look as if a tree 's a goin' to be
had.
An' we 've stopped a-askin' mammy 'cause it
on'y makes her mad
An' we both have made it up to stop a-plaguln
daddy too.
Fur centses to buy candy with jus' like wo
used to do.
But we keep a-hopln' to outset's it won't be
alius so.
An' a-prayin' an' a prayin' though we don't let
mammy know.
If there 's a job to spare 'at daddy '11 git it
right away
Sumpin' 'at '11 bring him more 'an fifty cents a
dayl
Malcolm Douglas in St. Nicholas.
UNDER TI1E MISTLETOE.
AN EMBARISASSINO SITUATION.
SEASONABLE SCRAPS.
"And why do they spellitXmas pa?"
"Because my son it has so many ten-
der recollections" Munsey's Weekly
Christmas is the only holiday of the
year that brings the whole human fami-
ly into common communion. Charles
Dickens.
A man's pocketbook after Christ-
mas does not resemble a cloud. The
cloud has a silver lining you know.
Yonkers Statesman.
It is worth remembering that the
TaJue a Christmas present isn't de-
termed by what it costs but by what
it typifies"
j Xew Bedford Journal.
(.-r. o.t the Christmas table?"
"Eight of us. 'father mother andttie
five children." .'That's only seven."
"Yes but the turkey "vas ate' Phila-
delphia Times.
A Xice Present. "l7at'?. a
wallet you have Henry." .v Jf?
wife gave it to me for Christmas. JJr
deed! Anything in it?" "Yes; tiJ'e biU
for the wallet." J
About Christmas time a little girf
was told that "she was naughty and.
Santa Claus might not bring her a pres-
ent." "Well" said she "you need not
say it so near the chimney." Youth's
Companion.
HOW HE TTOULIJ SLIDE.
Mrs. Smitem (to her son) Which
would you rather have for Christmas
Robbie a pair of skates or a sled?
Robbie Can't I have both?
Mrs. Smitem Xo I don't think Santa
Claus would consent to that.
Robbie Then give me the skates.
Tommy Slimson's got a sled and I can
lick him. X. Y. Mail and Express.
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