w J i i r Father oalln me William, alter rail me Will, Mother rail me Willie but the feller c-ali ire Kill! Mlehtr irlnil I nln't a girl-rut bcr bo a boy W'llliout them sindies, curl ami thing that's w. rn by Kauutlcroy! tsiva to rhawnk green auplea an' g awlo uilii' lu lliu hike ITit to take the castor-lie tliojr give fr belly-ache! Moat all the time the hull rear roun' their alu't no lllc on me, But J"a' 'ton Christmas I'm aa good aa I klu bel Cot a yaller doc named 8port-slek 'lui oa the rat; Foat llilnit she knows the doesn't know where ahe la atl Hot a cllpper-aled, au' when ua boys gova out to mIIiIo 'Long ooiiii-M the grocery cart au we all book a rl.iet Hut, sometime, when the grocery man la worrited and rrnaa, He rendu at me wltb Ills whip aud larrupa up lliu Ihikh; An' then I lull and boiler: "Oh, 70a never teclird luel" lint Jen' 'fore CbrlNtiuaa I'm aa good aa I kin b! Gran'nin any ahe hopes tbat when I get to bo a imin I'll be a uilsslonor like ber oldea' brother Dnu. Aa wua et up by the caaulbala tbat Urea la ('pylon' Isle. Where every pruspeck pleaapa an' only mna la vile! But graii'ma kite bad uever been to aee a Wild West show. Or read the life 11 V Daniel Boone, or else I guess she'd know Tbat Hutl'iilo Hill au' cowboy la good enough f'r me Kit-ep' Jcs' 'foro ChrlHtuiu, when I'm good aa I kin bo! Then ol' Sport be hang uround, ao aolluia like ami Ht HI His eyes they seem a-saylu': "Whut'a er mat ter, Utile IIIHT Tba cat alio aneuka dowu off ber porch, a-uomlcrlii' nhut'a become I'T them two eneinleH uv hem thut uae ter mnke thing bum! But I am ho perllle and atlck no eiirneatllkt t hi, That mother ana to futlicr: "How Improved our Wllllo la!" But father, huvlu' been a boy hlHelf, sua- plelonn me, When, Jpk' 'fore Christum, I'm aa good aa I kin lie! for OhrlHtmaa, wltb Ita lota an' lota ur ca (Ilea, cakea and toy. Wna mailn, they aay, f'r proper kids, and not f'r naughty boys I po waau yer face, and bread yer hair, aa' nilu' yer p'a aud qT 1 s- Jifei trajT-.-': - An' don't boat Jut yer pantaloons, an' don't wear ut your shoes; Pay yeaaum to the ladles, an' ycsalr to the men An' whenthcy'i company don't pasa yer plat f'r pie again; ;But, thlnkln' uv the things you'd like to aee upon that tree, 'jea' 'foreC'irUtmaa be aa good aa yon kin Del Kugene Field. In Ladle' Home Journal. A CliriMlmuM KntoiLiliiinent. A novel Men for a children's Christ mn entertainment ia a butterflies' ball, write ICIUnhoth Robinson Sinvil. in the 1 .adieu' Home Journal. 'I'll is need tint mean lute hour 1:01 expensive drcssc. Tho boy wear tight-fitting suit of black or dark-brown, the girl aiiy pretty, fanci ful dree. 'I lie framework of the wing I deftly faahloiied of wire and covered with paper or the cotton crepon that comes In auch vivid color; these are apnnglpd with gold or painted to repre pent the tinting of the buttertiy'e wing. A light yoke of wire la constructed to fit, the ahouldera, fastening under the arm; ml to this the wing are attached. Th effect is vcrr brilliant and graceful. An other pretty fancy is an archery fete. The children carry small bows dressed with flowers, and sheaf of arrows In fiower-bedecked quivers. "You haven't got $5 about yen, Jones T "No, I haven't Wife borrowed tht last to bny my Christmai preseaf Atlanta Constitution SANTA CI-AU8 1 the cliililroua friend. Who lie wna we have little mean of knowing. Atithcnlic his tory 1 nlinoKt silent 011 the subject, mere ly stilting that lie wiim tlic llisliop of Myra, in Lyciu, and died uliont the .vcur o'.'ll. Trndition ha woven ninny 11 pretty tale about hiin, unci one rmiH that lie appeared in the night time tind secret ly made valuable presents to the children of the liDUHehold, What manner of person St. Nicholas was, seems subject to varia tion, according to the time, place or man ner of regarding him. Medieval paint -rs represent him as slender, and clad in full episcopal robes with miter and crustier. Modern painters mid storytellers in imi- gland, Germany and Anicricn, give us n Jovinl, rubicund type of a limit, with none of the features of the cleric. Kris Krin rIo ia regarded 11s it ti alternative name for Hanta Clans, lint he ia a totally differ ent being. Kris Kringle is simply a cor ruption of the German word "Christ Kimllcin," or Christ Child. Christmas ia children s nny; it is the day when, ns Dickens says, we should remember the tune when lis great found er wna a child himself. It is especially the day for the friendless young, the children in hospitals, the lame, the sick, the weary, tho blind. No child should he left alone on Christmas day. for loneliness with chil dren menus brooding. A child growing up with no child friend is not a child at all, but n premature man or woman. I no best Christmas present to a boy is n box of tools, the best to 11 girl any number of dolls. When thev get older and can write letters 11 postollice is 11 de lightful boon. These tire to be bought, but they are far more numsing if tnnde at home. Any good-sized cardboard box will do for this purpose. The lid should he fastened to it so that when It stands up it will open like a door. A slit must lie cut out about 1111 inch wide and from five to six inches long, bo 11 to allow the postage of small parcels, yet not large enough even to admit the smallest hand. Children should learn to respect the in violate character of the post from the earliest nge. Cnpitnl acraphooks enn lie tnnde by chil dren. Old railway guides tuny lie the foundation mid every illustrated paper a magazine of art A paste box. next to 11 paint box, is n most serviceable toy. Hobby horses are prohtnlile steeds and can be made to go through nny amount of pnees. Hut mechanical toys are more amusing to his elders than to the child. who wishes to do his own mechanism. A hoy can be amused by turning him out of the house, giving him a bull or 11 kite letting him dig in the ground for the un happy mole. Little girls, who must In kept in on n rainy (lay, or invalid chil dren, nre very hard to ninuse, and re courso must be had to story telling, to the dear, delightful thouMiind and one books now written for children, of which "Alice In Wonderland" Is the llower of perfec tion. B13GIXMNC ut nctiton City, on the Cnlon 1'uoihc Uoad. the tele graph line stretches to the north, leaps across to the I .a ramie mountains, and at a point opposite the great mass of earth and rock and tree, called Ked Butte, It come to a sudden stop. From this point to the fort, a distance of twenty-five miles, is the roughest mrtioii of the way, and the skulking bands of In dians make it the most dangerous. At the terminus of the line Is 11 rude shanty and a soldier operator. Close by the almuty arc tents of the soldiers, who are setting the poles and pushing the line along until the fort shall have electric communication with the outside world. It is December now only two days to Christmas. There huve been cold ruins, now storms, severe weather, and the soldiers nre wondering why they have not been ordered back to the fort for the winter, when a mounted messenger ar rives over the trail bearing the expected order. The Colonel's wife bus gone Kust. The operator ia to wire her to remain where she I until spring. When her an swer is received the shanty is to be closed up, camp broken, and the party headed for the fort. The afternoon wears away, the night come down, and some of the soldiers are asleep, when Itcnton City sends in its call, and follow it by a tele gram reading: "The Colonel' wife started West four diiy ago, and ought to be there or at the fort now." Next morning theie u au arrival from the South. The Colonel's wife, rid ing a horse with a blanket for a saddle, dismounted at the front of the shanty, and opened the door with a cheery "Howdy do, boya!" to the operator and the Secgeant. As both men stood at "at tention." she removed the bood and cloak which enveloped her, shook off the mow, and said to the Sergeant: "I cam through with hardly an hour's rest, and I'm hungry as a wolf. Tell soma of the men to cook something. I'll Civ tba Colonel a surprise." lOveryho-ly hustled and bustled, and an hour later ciimp was broken, 11 nil twelve people headed for the north, the strong est man breaking the way, nud the Col onel's wife bringing up the rear, with 11 kind word and it smile for every soldier. The trail led up a narrow valley, and the wild gale hud drifted the snow until the line hud to move forward at a snail's pace. At nightfall they had made just half the distance to the fort. In a thicket all ate supper together. Said the Ser geant, us he looked in vain for the stars: "1 saw 1 11 j ( 1 11 signs hack by the creek." "I see t lint you have revolvers as well as muskets," remarked the Colonel' wife. "Please give me one and extra ammuni tion. I'll try mid not lie 11 burden to you, at least." As the gale came sweeping down the valley and roaring around the mountain base, there were wild war whoops and (he crack of rilles. In the darkness a score of Indians had crept close upon the camp. Both sentries were shot dead. "It's only Injuns, boys; only Injuns!" shouted (he Sergeant, .mil he tired his lirst shot. "Now, then, push out." They had not moved ten rods before a rille cracked and one of the men pitched forward, shot through the heart. A minute later two more bullets whistled over the men's heads. Then the little bund was hidden from sight of the In dian sentinels by the blinding whirl of snow. "They're after us, ma'am," said the Ser genn t. "They won't take me prisoner." whis pered the Colonel's wife, us she held out the revolver. "That's right, mn'nm. We are headed for the fort right enough, nud maybe the red heads will haul off after a bit and let ns go in peace. A merry ClirlstmaB to you, though I've seen merrier ones in my time." For a mile or more the little party breasted the storm. Then came n sud den shot, and the rear guard went down. There were seven men and a woman at S o'clock. At ft o'clock there were but five men, at 10 but four, nt midnight only two. Two men and n woman the Sergeant, the solilier-operator, mid the Colonel's wife. The others had been picked off one by one. and the Indians still followed. Now and then the trio halted, knelt down, and peering into the snow-whirl, opened n fusillade which checked pursuit if it did not wound or kill. Instinct must hare guided them in (hat storm Providence must have shield ed them from the bullets, but the storm continued to rage and the vengeful foe to pursue, till the report of the tirennns reached 1 1n cars of the sentinel ut the fort. No one hud yet learned what was happening, when three figures staggered up to the gale, 11 nil on into the fort, aud up to the door of the Colonel's hendiiunr ters. Two of the figures held up a third between them. As he peered in the Ser geant saluted and said: "Col. Dawson, I report myself, and I bring you n Christmas present." And ns the Colonel uttered a shout nf surprise ami rushed forward with out stretched iirniN, the brave little woman fell into them, and the two men sank 1 down in their tracks, ami those who lifted them up wet their lingers with the blood of heroes. A handsome merry fared woman, who is five years older a Scrgcunt of infantry who limps n bit a lone grave in which sleeps the soldier-operator nothing more to be een. The Colonel's wife may tell yon the story the Serjeant couldn't be coaxed to, but he can't conceal the limp, and is pmnd of the extra stri)M- he has worn on hia aleeres ever sine tbat Christ mas day. I will remember the poor if I bare to make a memorandum to tbat effect eTrry aiorniug. Mil II "BOTH MEN' M(iOI AT ATTENTION'." INDOOR CHRISTMAS GAMES. How the Young Folks May Find Plcaa ure If the loy lie Stormy. Fnrlor game like chess, draughts, dom inoes, etc., are too heavy for Christum. The boys aud blrla want more rollicking, hlp-hip-htirrnb games. A committee ap pointed to provide desirable amusement for a well-known charity in New York selected the following program. Ttu hour were spent in selecting appropriate indoor games unci pastimes, nud evea then no more than were actually needed were decided upon, ony the .New York .Mail and Fxpres. If the children run get out of door their amusement is easy, for baseball, leap frog, hide 11 nil seek, and other gaiiies snlliee, but indoor suiii" thliig akin to these games I wanted. lu this class is 11 game known 11 "The Country Circus." It consists in making riders, tumblers, clowns, strong men, etc., of all the children nud with this Impro vised company giving u performance. Another good game for the house is called ".lackof-All-Trades." in which those engaged must perform some work in 1 he particular trade to which they ure. assigned by I lie foreman. In this giune 011 Thanksgiving the boys and girls of nil institution in Jersey cut and sewed a lot of carpet rags, made 11 lute of brushes, and splil and bundled a-.-vcral cords of wood. "The Boy Hunters." in which the chil dren learn the name, habits, and peculiar ities of the entire animal kingdom, is an other good game, and "llobinsou Cntsou" one of the same kind and value. All these games are active ones, require constant movement, and nre meant only for the daylight. For the evening, games less boisterous must bu chosen. In this cla are 'Anagrams, "Authors, uistorj of Our Times," and shadow pantomimes. The last named, however, are the most IHipulur and enjoyable aud hnve so In creased in favor t lint books written espe cially to show how to prepare 11 ml per form them cun be had at any well-stocked book store. A I' luancl.il Transaction. 'Say, mister." said a boy who had Just overtaken u market wagon after pursu ing it for four or live blocks, "do you ..,1 . . V V V.,'. ;At: .'J J.' y S.'S 1.. . '"I'lMiVi V V MK-'inJ v'.v ' t W wiiie :y 6.re We are .Ve &.re tlie We Are Ihe tL S&. i7it -wriA c arc live 1 N o we Are wSsVW 1 Tl kbit, liic Vl ,invi We Are Ike We Are wunter know who hit you in the ueck with that hard snowball '!" "Von bet I do." replied the muu. slack ening spci d. "Will ye (.Millie a quarter ef I ketch him ,-tud bring him here?" "Yep." "( iiiimic ."D cents?" "Yes." said the driver, lifting hi whip from the socket: "but I don't give you any nioro'ti that." "Well, git the money ready." "You haven't got the boy that threw the snowball yet." "Yes. I have. That buy is inc. Dud's sick, and nie mother can't get work. The twins is too little ter earn anything. 1111' if I don't hustle there won't be nny Christ mas tree 'it our house. I'll take 11 liekin' aiiv day fur .TO cents." "Sonny," said the market man. in a voice that aa remarkably husky, "here' yer ." cent. I'm in a hurry now you needn't bother abont deliverin' the good. We'll call it square." Washington Star. Now come the (lad Srw Tear: Though fate may do her worst. She rati not Mot that legecd clear: "All bill doe oa the Urt:" AUaala Cufistltutioa. I'oiiii, old yenr, 'tis time to go. Age, perhaps, lias made you slow. Hut your lime nf rule Una lluwu And I come to claim uiy owu. Yon are popular no more. All your irliiuiplis here nre gaiie, With what strength Is left to yuu. Had yuu better hasten on. Learning from experience. I have promls-d much, like you. When a nut her year bus lluwu 1'ciiple will eolideiiiu we, leu. Hut what matter that to us? Years, like men, must i-uuiv uud go. W'p are fust with promlsca. With fullllliueut we ure alow. A Ituou Track l-ieurt Cured.. The following story is told by one who for ycurs wu un Inveterate better oil horses: "It wn Christmas eve. lly 4-year-old stood by my knee in his 'nighty' just before being tucked in his crib, and in his infantile manner wn praying to Santa Clans to bring him the treasure up on which he had fixed his heart. When he hud finished I asked the master of the house what should old Santa Clan bring papa? He bowed his little head on my for Ten M (V xu V til A;.fm. k.tle. I lB VIM 1,1 I llM,i 16 11,1 1 --jrl- Ml tte world 1 pra.yin.ck y 11 1 r ' 1 iv. v (sesJina, Swelling. te'Hiaa, nid tjug 13 wtv&t Kc bells re 2$'$' We &re (ite Vci(ej ef saVg tvd S&gJij; We wgue of propuei And. pnei lib ef Ike .tibiUnt 5leeber.(. Whe dreA.mxd ef a Ur iiv lite burble ej(t fcWd by the QAleA ef tRe my5(i(xl nwiv 1 M Vkenf the (hr.jt wxg bocrv. bryer ef the WAnderuvtJ "Iacji, 4l " .... A v?.j ' C ' n urtrr m 111 cvr Ami one '"thj w jjaiica.ii gjnc pi.vcraj , We V- trom rteAv'eiv were blown, Ij.. .r.'D c t a is Kt-iocn inrsH H nngcj hbtix V'W-Jw v ,x te&rdrobs of flrief id of borrow: tkc e(kee ef yfterd.ae'j c .re pc jupiiAiu vane or tprrvorrow- U-, PeA.(e e CirtK let my good will n'ic 00 eyr lib. -bre.k ,Sileiv(e ok Mlxf, mri.r WhSR the hryt i5 bor." 0 Unee again and innocently pleitded: 'Aud. dear Santa Clans, please bring pupa 11 race horse that can win sometimes.' Thai wna his mother's work. 1 uppose. but i: went. I bought it tree thut night, loaded it down with toys the boy hud asked rot und thcu trimmed it with the tickets tlui; litii'n't won in tlie races. The uniiin festooning represented hundred of ban! dollars that had been scattered in tin wake of a nici-trai-k 'skate.' I have no! played a horse since thut time, and I have made up my mind thut I never will uguih. It's a delusion and 11 snare." t1fi!innyH W'u-, Curly headed Johnny hud u tear drop In his eye, Curly-lieaded Johnny couldu't speak without a nl lili. Aud the Christum preparations thut were 'round him everywhere Hud not the l-ast en'ect upon his iiieluii- eholy ulr. "Oh. what' tlie l'e of hiiuglug up uiy stork ing." be would siiy: . "There's imthiiig !o Unik forwaiil lu for uie uu I'brisiiuas 'lay; He'll w-ratch us .in 11 1 prognioi ulieu he hitches up his ten ill. For Sunty neeiU u th't-pluce, and they heat our tint by uteiiiii." Wanhlugtou Slur A Christinas Cburi-h Idea. If the platform of u church or Sunday school room lie dc p enough to admit ol it an artistic Christmu arch can easily be made by an amateur carpenter, writes Florence Wilson, in the 1 .a dies' Home Journal The upper purt should have wires stretched across, to which may be fusteucd small hemlock boughs, thus formicg a solid uiuss of green. 'J'he framework should, of course, be wouud with evergreen, the whole pluced iilsiut two feet trom the well, so that behind it may be beng the Christina liells if red and yellow immortelles at different length by ruK-s of evergreeu. These bell may be made to hang at different angle by using tine picture wire. Iet each bell be worded, so that they may Htm (o riug out their own soug of "tJlory to Clod in the highest." For a Sunday school festival, a post office where each child upon iuquiriiig might find an envelop addressed aud sealed, containing a pretty Christmas card. i a unique feature. Then there is the huge snowbull made of cotton, be sprinkled with diamoud dust sod filled with gifts for the infant clas. which tuny be rolled through the window with an appropriate letter from Santa Claua. THE CHRISTMAS TREE STATE, Oreal Demand I Annually Mad oa the Foreate of Maine, Not all who desire a Chrlstmn tree for the holiday merrymaking can sully forth, armed with a hatchet, and hew front tbolr own acres. Therefore at each Christina season great demand is mndo on the for ests of Maino for young spruce. No tree but an evergreen will do, and no evergreen but tho spruce present the delicate, feather Hat,, clean Hlilbed brunches of dark perennial shade, which throw out by contrast tho brightness of the suspended present nud favor. Uu Sunday, the fifth of December, 1801, ten cnr-lond of Christ ma tut s for New -York were detained in the I'ortlutid yard because they were loaded so that it waa Impossible to work the brukea. This ob jection wn overruled, and the sweet smelling freight wus allowed to proceed to it destination. How tho vara were loaded can easily be described, but the fragrance of twenty-live thousand fresh ly cut evergreen tree must be left to the render' Imagination. The ten cur, all "Hals," or platform cars, were euch thirty-four feet long, loaded eight feet high, aud all cuuie from the small station of Wiscnsset, which lie ut the hcud of one of the numerous buy on the coast of Maine. At regular intervals 11 bout euch ear, four on each side mid two ut euch end, were stout spruce stakes, originally Christum tree which might have done duty at the Castle Ie Illunderbore. These rose to the top of the loud, which wn lim ited lo u height that would clear ull over head bridge on the rond. In till space the tree were packed lengthwise, butts to the front and rear tops to the center, so compactly I lint the loaded car was one solid block of grcrn. lCucli cur held about twenty-live hundred trees, large and small, tied In bundles of four. From six hundred and fifty to seven hundred bundles were packed In a car, so that the ten car-load lot contained twenty-live thousand trees ut least. The marketing of Christmas tree Is a Maine iecialty. Kvery year speculators purchase the right to cut tree from the land owners, paying half a cent, one cent, nuil I wo cents apiece for tree from eight to twelve years old 011 the stump. Then the natives nre hired to cut an-l bring them to the shipping point, where they cost the speculator from ten lo twelve cent each, loaded on the c nr. He pays also for their shipment to New York sixty-st vi n dollars p r car, or 1 bout two and one-half cents per tree. The trees retail in New Y'orlt for from one to five dollars each, uccordiii-: to their size. The same quality of tree can m purchased mi the street, in tin- --ily of I'ortluiid. ut from twenty-five 10 fifty cent each, while in other parts of the State boys who wish for Christum tree sally forth and cut them for themselves. Youths' Companion. Yul tl e O nto tn h. It is customary lo give a quarter pres ent and expect u !?" one in return. With the usual pcrversenestt of niiMire, Christmas conns in the middle of a hard winter. The modern highwayman doesn't say "money or your life!" he wishes yon "a merry Christmas." The small boy who trie to make too much noise Is apt to blame Simla Chill for not giving him uu extru head for hi drum. Some people wish you a merry Christ mu instead of giving you a present, lie cunse It' easier to pay the compliment of the season tliau it is to settle with Santa Clans. Y'our wife expect you to look pleased when she give you a If III smoking jacket and tell you she ha hud it charged. Truth. Her Heart's Desire. There come a time once in every year, when children may without impropriety give their loving friends a hint In season. Cncle William was talking with Lncy, his best little niece, about Christinas. Ho wished to know her mind upon u certain highly interesting object, but preferred to get ut it indirectly. "Now. Lucy," said he, in a casual man. tier, "if 1 were going to buy a doll for a. little girl, what kind of a one do yui think she would like?" "(I, liucle William," answered I.uoy, with undisguised interest, "there i noth ing like twins:" The Bourdinir-tlouse Turkey. "Is the fuse laid?" inquired the land lady of the head waiter. "It is. niadanie." "Then tire it." "I have, uwidnuie." "lint the turkey is still whole." "Yes. iiiadiime, the powder hud no effect ou it." "Then semi for some dynamite, and tell the boarders the turkey is so tender it takes time to carve it. Ills lie -Hon. It was dm wing near to u rery interest ing smsou of the year. Willy was getting ready for bed. His mother looked liappjv "My dear." she said. "I 11m glad to see that you do not hurry through ynnr prayers us you used to do." "No. uju'iiiu." said Willy: "Christ mas is week utter next, uno 1 have a good many things to ask for." He Wan Surprised. Mrs. Caxxutn I've got a box of cigaaa for my husband's Christinas present, which will surprise him. Mr. Maddux Women don't know how to buy cigars for men. Mr. Uazzum I know tbat, so I got Brother .luck to get them for aie. Judge. Nothing Slow About Johnnie. iuoimy Lhd yer hare a rood uua Chrlatmaa, Johanie? Jubanie Doa't yer see dat I did? -Ufa.