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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1908)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXTAX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 27, 1908. M 5- M 4 A IWfWM mm i.mw n m S COBB KI.I-," said the House In fective of the 9t. Reckless, "it's purty near time to ring out the old, and ring in the new." "it Is." said tho Hotel Cleric, "with a patent w ringer. The old year is almost sun. I.arry. December's days are iium bcrrd. Of tour3e if you want to be finicky about it they've been numliercd all along. th- numbers ranging from first to 31 in--li;si"C. but it sounds more poetical to put it that way when speaking to a close friend. "And I always feel more poetical some liow at this season of the year than at others. "With Christmas over, all but paying for the presents you pave, and the old year on its last lap. or its last l cs. depending on whether you lfke to think of it sitting down or standing lip; 1 begin to feel a bit reminiscent and re trospective and everything like that. pick up my favorite magazine ami find on the back of it a picture which shows a highly new and original treatment of an old theme, depicting as it does, an old tottery gentleman with long whiskers ami bare legs stepping off the left-hand side of the cover, while a little chap about two days old with nothing in the wav of personal baggage except a sash around Ir.s waist Willi some figures on it Is driving down the middl of the page in whatever style of vehicle happens to b newest. I remember when he came in m old-fashioned ligh wi.eel sulky and then on a bicvrle and last year he was driving an automobile. I look for him ' this year in an aeroplane, but except for ' that the fixtures '11 be as always. And . in the window of the stationery store I see the new art calendar with the design of a lady angel, that everybody buys : hut nobody uses, preferring the non-art kind that the insurance agent or the. coal dealer sends with his compliments in a pasteboard tube, rearing few clothes if any t lie lady angel I mean, not the coal dealer. "With anthracite selling at Js.75 . a ton if weighed on his scales or 311. ii If weighed on somebody else's, he ought to have all the clothes he needs tills Winter, and his wife too. But most of the ait calendars that I've seen thus far this season, depict the lady angel In an under-dressed condition, kneeling as if in prayer. There's no explanation for this as far as I can learn, but often the calendar also shows a snow storm raging in the back ground, so I assume that probably she's praying for a sleigh ride. But be that as It may. 1 observe these things and by them and other things such as a note coming due in bank, I am brought to realize that "IW with its hopes and fears, its disappointments and it. fulfillments is almost gone while at the threshold stands young, buoyant foolish "lOoS."' bringing us new hopes, new fears and the Klst Congress." "Well, lookin' back on 'er she wuzn't such a bum year as years go." said tb Voiise Detective philosophically. Oil. not at all." said the Hotel Clerk. "Now that it's practically used up. ail but a thin, narrow strip along the back seam, I can see where it whs a per fectly good year In many respects. If w A MAGIC CHRISTMAS COIN AND WtlAT iT DID fOIi THE LITTLE MOTHER Or THE MINISTERS CHILDREN wuise lcxincton. I T'XMv ti e ".;'.:drn down to aee thf toy." t.-.riay. father." 'Thai's a good giri. lid they apni to enjoy themselves?" "Vr; every one of them, and espe cially K:ty. She i so easily pleased." The minister's Kiizabelh sighed in 'iir.te a ginvn-up manner, and her father looked up quivkly from his wrlilnff. 'S"h3t I- it. daughter?" he inquired. 'Nothing-." answered the little mother of the minister's motherless flovk. Xotl.injr at M. tether, oniy It seems so hard to he poor at Christmas time. I mean." 'Toor!" echoed the (rood mm. re proachfully, '('mint your blessings, Kllzabeth, and don't forget the rivn-y Klfts we reieived last Christmas, tes tifying to a wealth ot tovlnc friends. No one N poor who has a friend." Klizaueth'x though: nw ba-'kward a year, to a jstift of a load of potatoes, ore of wood, a (treat j;ir of mtnreinai and a whole, cheese; and tnse sit; le mcmbored with gratitude. ii m t site ti!l cherWhed a resentment in her heart towards numerous well-meaMi-.-tg mem bers of the parish who bad tlc:ucr--l the family with elaborate articles of clo'.h irjr. such a embroidered ki'tionos bathrobes and bedroom slippers, mu. h too fancy ror everyday us; an.l villi delicate silk and civet couch pi'lov i. much too ornate for any use nt ail. These, when they had needed jackts, jrtovcR and shoes so sadly. "It's money I mean, father." she finally amended. Rut, daughter, I gave you a 'nuch money as usual for Christmas." "Yes. father." "rid you find it insufficient?" "Oh. I'il make it do, somehow, fath er. Ton't you worry. It's only that Tommy has grown so bisr and wants sif-h expensivo things: and the twln nies will not even look at any but rrat bis doils. wih real hair and eye lashes." The minister, looked tired and wor ried. Ho had been driving about the countryside in the cold, visiting the shk and afflicted. Kllzabeth r.otlcod that was couchinp less, however, than before she got his prcs-ription filled with part of that ( "hristmau-i money. How tiiat five dollars had dwindled in tiree days' time! First, th'ir were warm aloves for father, rhen tiie couch tonic, then ruhbers for Kdith and Judith, and. lastly, the brok en window at the sctioolliouse. the story of which Tommy had come to her with instead of worrying father. Only one dollar left now. but she and Mis. Mullen would try to make It all up by saving in the housekeeping allow ance. Blixabet.i sat pondering these things the following morning, while she put the fin ishing touches to soma simple little gifts, when Mr. Mullen ushered in a caller, and then disappeared with a disapproving clump, clump of heavy shoe. It was the housekeeper's one regret that she was not allowed to deal summarily with ail the visitors who daily applied to the parson age side door, but in the bsenc. of the minister himself, wax required to turn them oi-er to Elizabeth, wtioee Judgment, she was to come in that door right now and ask for a reference I'd cheerfully write one out, informing all whom It might concern that while Nineteen-Eight had broken some of our most cherished glassware, and had occasionally scorched the steak, on the whole she had given reasonable satisfaction, and we were parting from her with more or less re gret. A good many things that we thought were going to happen in 1908 didn't happen, and quite a number of things that we didn't expect at all were constantly occurring from day to day. such as Presidential messages and ali mony suits in the Gould family. But that sort of thing has been more . or less common with most of her recent predecessors. So I guess nobody can ki.U. "It was a good year for divorce sta tistics. nlghl-rlding. liars (see Koose velt's public utteiances. campaign con tributions and the Outlook' Magazine, and a poor year for Democrats, musical com edies. Kaiser Wllhelm and people for meily In the habit of carrying on a cor respondence with Mr. Archbold. of N'o. ;S Broadway, New York. As regards tho Taft family thing broke even on the whole. William H. bringing home the goofls in a neat bundle, but Charles P, being left with a painful cavity in the bank roll and the nerve exposed, desplt which the Ohio Senatorshlp continues to remain some distance remote and re fuses to come whinnying to the pasture bars, although frequently called to in a kind and winning tone of voice. "Karly In the Spring several thousand persons started out with a certain sys tem for beating Wall street, and the frosts of Autumn found some of th;m connected with the city dock department In the scow-trimming branch at 91.-5 per day. while otners were occupying points of vantage on the benches of our public squares and parks, and engaged in the culture of fringe on the pants. An unprecedentedly large number of fly ing machines were built and at least two of them flew; also an unprecedent edly large number. Many improvements were noted In automobiles, but none in the chauffeurs. A new cocktail called the "Fire and Flames Cocktail" was in vented, but conservative dressers re mained faithful to the reliable Martini with an olive in It. In accordance with the custom of the times the orange crop was totally de stroyed by frost early in the Spring, followed three weeks later by the tolal destruction of the peach crop, thereby assuring a full average yield of the produce of the first named, including orange blossoms, orange phosphate and those sassy little orange-wood stabbers that the manicure girls run down undr your finger nail an inch or two, to see if the quick Is still thYe. -while parties attending roof-gardens reported that they never saw finer peaches, including both the preserved kind and those fresh peeled. Alfalfa did well in New Tork. where Hughes won. but poorly In Indi ana, where Kern lost. "Finance rallied and commercial con- if somewhat less mature, was wholly un prejudii'ed. 'Fa;her has just gone to the church to a committee meeting. Will you come in and wait?" Klizabeth spoke kindly, for the poor man aeemeU discouraged -and looked pale. He sank gratefully into the big chair pushed forward. "Your father visited me at the hospital last week," lie ex plained, "and liifi talk did me so much good that I decided to et well. He asked me to call upon him when I was dis charged, and as 1 wished to see him again 1 came." "I am glad you came." said the I!ttl girl. 'Fatlier will le pleased to see you." And as her visitor sat with one thin hand shading his tired-looking eyea. Kliza leth chatted In a childlike way to him of her brothers and sisters and. of their happy home life, stirring old memories in li is heart, and making him repent bitterly tlie misimrierstand'ng that had driven'him from his own home. "U must be pretty fine for Tommy to have a sinter like youl" he declared, when siie had finished tiie story of the broken window. "He is a lucky boyl" And Klizabeth laughed back: "Rut think how much luckier for Tommy if he had a fairy godmother wtio could change these red mittens Into a Voauilf'il, sliiniir pair of skates or a finc"PotbalI. "Von can.'t think how he loves a muddy old. football! And the fairy could make thus clipping-book lor father into a heavy silk muffler to keep his throat warm: and the twinnies' small dolls into big. beautiful ones with real hair and eyelashes." "And what would you have her do for you?" lie asked, watching tlie busy Angers with great interest. "Oh. I'm not particular; unless she should bring me new gloves. I never have enough s'v"- But I always get more presents than I dream of getting. Every body is good to us, on account of lovln father so much, you know." the little ckl explained, quite unselfishly. A moment later the telephone rang, and after answering It, Kliza'oeth said, disap pointedly: "Oh. I'm so sorry! Father has been called away, and will not be home for luncheon." "Never mind me." the man answered. "I must be going now. I'lease. tell your father that I came, as he asked me to do, and that I am extremely glad that I did' so." But as he began buttoning up his threadbare coat with Angers that trembled. Bl:zabth asked with a sudden Inspiration: "Do you like warm ginger bread?" "I tiEd to. little girl, t used to love my mother's warm gingerbread." the man nodded, smilingly. "Then you'll like Mrs. Mullen's." Eliza beth assured him. "Piease sit down again, for I am going to get some for you!" and she disappeared in the direc tion of a most enticing odor, soon to re turn with a plate of warm gingerbread and at glags of milk. He ate and drank hungrily, but when he started to go once more, she stopped him a second time. Bringing a heavy great coat from tbe ball closet, she begged of him to accept it. as the weath er had grown so cold and a slight snow was, falling. He took it gratefully, but when he tried to thank Elizabeth his voice failed him entirely. After supper that evening, when the children had all been tucked into bed, Elisabeth sat down beside her father to O tell him about their visitor, but first she said, playfully: "Tou look quite happy, father. What is It?" "It is something that will please you. too. little Metty. Will you please bring me' the overcoat that hangs in the hall closet? "Not the overcoat with a fur collar, father?" "Yes., dear: the same. There is a $10 gold piece in the inside pocket. I Just happened to recall it today, when I was wondering how I could get some more Christmas money for you." Klizabeth grew suddenly sober. "Why. father." she exclAimed. "I gave that over coat away this morning!" and she told him all about it. "It had been hanging up in the church vestry for about a year." she explained, "and wa.s crowded out of the home mis sionaries boxes twice, and did no good In all those months, except for the one time you wore it when you had to ride into the country straight from church and had no time to come home first." "Yes, I know. It was a wedding I went to that stormy afternoon." and I put the fee in the overcoat pocket and forgot all about it until today." Klizabeth felt a sudden desire to laugh and cry together. "And to think I gave it away!" she exclaimed tragically, but her father consoled her: "Perhaps he needed it more than we did. daughter." and Elizabeth brightened. "Oh. yes. father: I'm quite certain he needed it for food: He looked, as I told Mrs. Mullen, quite as if the wind might blow him away. Mrs. Mullen said she hoped it would and all the rest of the beggars that hung about your doors. But he didn't bog for a thing he didn't even hint he was a perfect gentleman!" the little girl declared, and in the next breath exclaimed: "Why, he'll bring It back, of course!" Elizabeth was forced to give over this opinion, however, as Christmas drew nearer and nearer, nor could she help re counting each day the many things the $10 ffold piece would have got for their ditioris showed an upward tendency. The Standard Oil reported no serious busi ness reverses and the J. Tlerpont Mor gans kept both of tho hired girls right on through the Summer, when others were cutting down their household ex penses. The Interstate Commerce Com mission remained awake almost all of one afternoon in the latter part of June and then adjourned subject to the chair man's call, which is expected in 101.1. "In a literary way things were fairly active, but nothing exciting. Mr. Rocke feller wrote his business reminlsvenses and Mr. Morse told his, tinder oath, both gentlemen reserving the option of holding tack a few things from time to time. Mr. Morse got 15 years. President Roosevelt was induced to close a con tract at SI a word for all words, while the published essays of John Quincy Adams were marked down on the fec-ond-hand book stands to 10 cents per large calf-bound duodecimo volume, only slightly used, thus showing one of the ail vantages enjoyed in a literary sense by a live President over a dead one." "T'was a good year for sportln' events, too," put In the House Detective. "It was that." agreed the Hotel Clerk. "In the domain of sport things were ex ceedingly active. Take football, for ex ample. Harvard beat Yale no, not tie Yale preparatory lads, but the regular Yales and the Army beat the Navy, thereby emphasizing tho need for the stronger Navy we've been hearing so much ta!k about, and Yonkers High School put it all over Yonkers Grammar Grade and a strong all-American team was picked by the experts of the East ern newspapers, including one substitute, from Michigan and giving a University of Chicago lad honorable mention. The rest of the selections were from the Ksstern colleges, the same as hereto fore. In other branches of sport tilings moved at a lively rate, lt's see: notch threw Hackenschmidt and Bryan threw Haskell and Roosevelt got a hlp lock on Foraker. but failed to touch his shoulders to the mat; Flannagan put the 16-pound hammer I don't know how far, but Taft got it back in ample tims to dent Uncle joe Cannon a couple of deep dents with It; James J. Corbett came out In a new play: Merkle failed, to touch second (didn't fall in the New York version): Mike Dunlin went into vaudeville; Nat Goodwin married again; several new theatrical angels took a long chance: and little Johnny Hayes did well abroad, but in responding to an encore on the home grounds, fell down hard and severely sprained his Mara thon trophy. That'll do for the sports. Outside of our own country tho world moved along about as usual. The war in the Balkans was a trifle slow owing to backward weather conditions, but developed finely toward the latter part .. - .?.....,,. rhpri heinir a total or trie .-onio.-.. i casualty list of one Kurd badly crippled 1 tree Her gifts this year seemed partl.-u- ' ' . V....1 mi. larly valueless, anu as m--. able to save anything from tlie house keeping fund she feared the children would be disappointed. I.ate in the afternoon on Christmas eve, when the pretty tree had received its last hit of tinsel trimming, the candles had been all placed and the popcorn and cranberry chains twined in and out among tiie green brandies, there came a peal at the doorbell. Mrs. Mullen opened it and called to Klizabeth excitedly. There stood an expressman with a big box addressed to herself, and when she and Mrs. Mullen had pried off tlie cov ers, what was her juy to timl all tiie lovely things she had longed to give her loved ones the silk muffler, the two big. beautifully dressed dolls. Willi rejl hair and eyelashes: a football and a pair of skates, a pretty chamois ball for baby, and a pair of gloves for herself. And wit hln an envelope bearing her name were a ten-dollar gold piece and tha fol lowing letter: Dear Kittle Girl: When my brother left your home the other day, he had, all Oiseau Is Sold for $20 Great $30,000 Race Horse Hrlngs Less 'Hutu Spavined Mule. Chicago Inter-Ocean. Oieau has been sold for The great racehorse for which "Diamond Jim" Brady once paid H.0(iO was knocked down for this paltry sum at an auction in Kentucky a few days ago. Time wa.s when Oiseau was one of the great names of America. As a tvo- ear old he all but swept the boards with his victories. In his three-year-old form he was a candidate for the championship ot the turf. There were giants in those days, and Oiseau ranked as a worthy rival of Sysonby, Artful. Irish Iid, Wutcrboy, The Picket and McChesney. A proud and beautiful creature tie was in the glorious days of his prime, his neck arching witli power, his eyes bright with riotous vitality, his silken chestnut skin shimmering In the sun. his logs of fawnlike slciulcrness and grace seeming to spurn the earth as be moved. What a picture he used to make as he caracoled and curveted on his way to the post, ills royal blood lines showing in every curve and line of his perfect body! What fortunes were risked with the gam blers of the betting sheds whenever lie faced the starter's flag! What silence, as of death, used to hold the crowded grandstands, when out of a smother of dust at tho head of the stretch. Oiseau shot into view for a neck-and-neck duel bomo with some fleet rival! What cries would arise of "Oh. you Oiseau!" and "Come on. Oiseau!" cries of hero worshipers as the gallant chest nut crept up. inch by inch, from the smoking flank of his foremost competi tor to .saddle girth and from saddle girth to throatlatch and. coming through on tbe rail, fought out the battle with bull dog courage, nose and noso. nod and nod. And what terrific cheers always thunder ed to the sky when Oiseau swept under the wire a winner, with the kingliest thoroughbreds of the turf trailing in dust and defeat behind him! But the days of hUs glory soon passed. Ia the victories of other famous hor.cs in succeeding- years Oiseau was forgotten. Few knew what had become of him until his sale reveaJed that the utiromantic years intervening since his old triumphs had been passed in munching blue grass on a Kentucky farm. And when this veteran of turf battles was led into the auction ring there was but one bid a sum any self-respecting livestock dealer would spurn if offered for a spavined mule. The world is full of men who have struggled and won in flnajice. in trade. In the professions, men who have mounted to sunlit heights of power or ami scvcru I clio srs badly 1 rihtrnrd. President Castro f our sister republic to the southward was threatened with bornba rdmeni twelve or thirteen time?, lie. forgets whieli. and so do T. llnytl rnjoyed tho .regular Kail and Winter revolt! t ion, exeha npinjj;- a 1 i cor iee -entered ruler for one, with a complexion like a yellow clarinet that would match the new pulden oak dining-room furni ture in tho President's pa hire better. 'Jne Czar of Russia was not pestered! much by life insurance agents and th KiHK of Spain had his photograph taken several t4n.ps, showing? that ho is still wearing- his lower jaw quite somo distance from the rest of his face. Tur key got a new constitution, but after Intense suffering w:is reported con valescent at last accounts. In India upwards of 2,000,000 of infuriated Par ages and Hindus and other sects fcot all ready to revolt, but something came up. a white policeman I think ic "A- a s. and they h u r r i ed 1 y d i s pe rs e d to their respective homes and hid under the bed. KuIaiM arranged, tu enlarpo her navy and Germany took steps to reduee her Kaiser. The French r' inn hied at peaeo with everybody ex cept each other and their yiiy capital was tilled all Summer with New York society people, who wouldn't have been there if it hadn't been for South Da kota amending the divorce laws. Sioux Kails' loss was Varis' yain. Sweden exported the customary shipments of parlor matches, servant jjlrts, tish and flat janitors, and Switzerland contin ued inland throughout the entire 12 mon t hs. "Yes. sir; taking her all around, I-arry, she was a g'uod. suund. safe anl reliable year and I don't mind speak ing a kind word for her even at this late day,' "D'ye look for much excl lenient In Xineteen-nine?" asked the House De tective. "Well. Teddy's g-ning to Africa ami that oukIU to help some," said tho Hotel rierk. "f wonder will he miss T.oeb much?" said tin; House Detective. "I shouldn't think so." said the Hotel Merk. "Any time lie should pine for I -oeb he can tft practica liy the n mo results hy shooting one of those secre aiy birds." Illind. Houston Tost. She cm fry a. stark uf t.aitrr rakes And mix a bau-h of bread. And run upstair a d 17.11 times To Ktt tlie kids nut of li'd. And vlie ran toast a I'.af e-f rfad, And cook mt'PS "T 1 And do ail of Uioe. tilings at on" And do them all with cafo. And y,?t men no down town of night And take in w ude i c. And sit down In the hald-head row And Boeder t tho U i ! J Of enmc hotOKeijue wonur. And givrt him repealed 01! In, !BtM-aiie lio JtiK'les in ihe air A biiiuh of ruuU-r halls. at once, grown very homesick. Ha had no place to go. and mi, almost uncon sciously, walked toward th depot, and arriving there, happened to put his hand in that Inner jiocket and drew forth a ten-dollar gold piece. Acting upon im pulse, lie stepped up to a wimlnv and bought a ticket for home. There was just enough. And so lie came back to us-mother and father and I. And. oh, little girl, how glad I am that you re minded him of inc. his sister, Nellie, and that you giivc him some gingerbread, wlii.li made, liirn think of mother, and a coal with a fur collar, like his father used to wear. As for the ten dollars. hi just, borrowed that, of course, and 1 now returning it to you. And mother and 1 and he have visited a great many beautiful shops, and have chosen theso tilings fur tli- children for Kdllii and Judith mid Tommy ami Ha by with our dearest love. We wish you a merry Christmas, and thank you again and Hi;ain for sending our truant home. Tho Fairy Oodniut her." Nor was that tlie last of that wonderful tcn-d"I!ar gold piece. ltut that is all that lias to do with Christmas. fame or fortune, l-'or these busy men .f affairs the fa In of a horse is. jierbaps. without interest. Still the fact remains the odd little fact of tlie Kentucky auc tion, pathetic, tragic and yet almost laugha iile - Oiseau sold for $-0. Kxiiibit of Skull r Mo.art. Kins. is t'ity Journal. "If we were .'ill coustii ut"d like If.nn let, and could handle a rkull as philo sophically as If." writes "A nii!ii"n talist" In a Hamburg paper, "we ci.iil.l vlMt the Mozart museum at ."l:i"!vg, enjoy the sights it ofTcrs and le.c.e Iher., without tintling any fault. I'nforlunate ly, however, wo are not s i cold, and therefor., the protest which 1 rnlv. Among the Mnzi:rt souvenirs which nri pointed out to the visitor. In the sail'J line with the old piano, letlcrs. manu script music, portraits, etc.. is tlie skull of tiie great master. II maliei.; li'tta wliet'i r the skull Is really that of th composer or one usi d for show pur poses. The fact remains that in tin Mozart town, in Salzburg, there secmr, to lie no om; who can make the el;. fathers believe that the e hihil :on dem onstrates a lack or ri vcrene.; which shocks iiiany people." Tlie Fatal Wooing. P'iiln0lp!iia J'ul He l.'-'lK"r. T love." remarked a troubadour. "A iiml'l to wheel I -inn I'l-.ni ilnun f.f day til nlcln Is o'er. But she's Ihc roughest thin-'. "When I bcne-ih h-r lattie- hand ltr out s-e-t niiiistr,l.-" ,Sh.i ce lv peep, th rbo.vnward. and l'l-ojccleih bricks at me: "And ye-icre'en th while I sunt Tle iic.t of all icv sto k. Sh bexkonfi 1 npproaeh-i1 -nd Kami Mic squ-i-hcd me with a rok! " 'TU awful, eh? f a sont-tunr.- thUKht Far from my love to stray. But, nh: sueh plan? svi all me nauffht, I cannot go away! "In fact, I'm off. I mult aver. To won her even new, Thou-lt deadly apprehensions stir My heart and bleach my brow. "For ah! I fear me murh that h On horrid mi-rhlef bent Will do me some fell injury. Aye. fell! and permanent! "Yet. yet " Off went that lovelorn wight To seek his sweetheart srlm. And his presentiments wure right Ihe lady marrlsd him!
