Wwa niJi oi7mtliroush a door that led to hOT v) r$2hf II V AfyrfJit Mrs. Sprague did not follow her daugh- jjf 'JSr HtMi w'"1 ttu f"1""' attenipta at ccnso- V VvIuKnv.- ViVS5? 'ationi neither did he guess what Lilla I' l f vtcu ' -L.iv x N aJoJ l&kiS n was going to do, and that was to write a THE GOOD NEW TIMES. talk of the and cares ROUGH the "old folks" good old times, When land was plenty were so lew; Tet the "young folks" listen with doubtful smiles. Convinced they were not as good as the new. grandpapa, I as dear Those were gay sleigh rides, know; While lassie ne'er danced lithe grandma r; But some things could be said 'bout a mod ern beau, And a cozy jaunt In a palace car. Those were wonderful loaves dear "grand ma'r" made, And she broldered your soiks with a won drous darn; Xet she wondered sometimes, I'm sure, If It paid, (Would have left had she dared for a prom enade And enjoyed to have spun- a little street yarn). No doubt her papa, great-granpa, you know, Really frowned when she purchased her wedding dress, And sighed as he wished for the "good old times," When bonnets were cheaper and dresses took less. While his great-grandpa, I've heard It said, Wouldn't spare the wool for his daughter to weave; But sighed for the fashions of Paradise, And longed for the fig leaves of Mother Eve. Soon forgotten Is pain, when pleasures are o'er, "Distance enchants us," the poet was right; Who wanders his memory back to deplore, The collar too high or the boots all too tight? The maiden who lingers o'er past hours of bliss, Forgets as she day-dreams of heroes and rings. Bow her hnlr wouldn't crimp and her gloves wouldn't nt; For "deeply depraved are Inanimate things." There nre bountiful times In these good new days; There nre lives ns bennttfol, pure nnrt true, As any who moved to the simpler ways; Atxl It my be a trto liotlvr, too; Dear Sir In case you may wish to make any explanation of j our very strange conduct on two occasions this week, I wish you would spare yourself the trouble of doing any such thing, ether personally or in writing. Your ring shail be returned ny mall, registered. ' "LILLa Sl'llAGUE." That little projectile which Lilla fired at her fiance very nearly ended the life of Randolph Watts; at least, so Watts said. He could not think, or he migh have seen an easy way out of the horri ble maze Into which he had got himself. His transgression stared him in the face. He had run away from Lilla twice and had even congratulated himself on his escape from her and chuckled over !t se cretly. How was he to convince her that his evasion was not "an evidence of dis loyalty to her? It was only three days before Christ mas and Watts had promised himself that, whatever future Christmas might have In store for him, that Christmas should be the happiest he had known so far at least. That night he lay awake until he was exhausted. Next morning he got up and went to his business mechanically. The first ray of comfort came with his cousin, Mrs. Sucher the same whom Lilla had spoken of as a "frump." "Why, Randolph," said Mrs. Sucher, as ehe entered the office, "what is the matter with you? Have you been ill?" "She saw me," was all Randolph could say. "You were with Randolph Watts when he ran away from Lilla yesterday. How was it?" "You prow!" rt to tell her? to kp'ep it for three days? Very well. You see, he wants to give her a bracelet he had made for her, with a very pretty motto t been cut for us on the stick of time. The delight arises from the anticipation of the new and better experiences of the year to come. What interest any rational person could have in having his fortune told is a mystery. The zest and charm of life consist largely in the fact that each day is like a new page in the story. If you wish to enjoy your book you do not. whon it is half read, turn to the closing chapter to discover how it turns out. You do not thank anyone for telling you the plot. It is so with life. There is in finite satisfaction in each day's contribu tion to the record. You do not want to anticipate it. It would be a curse if any one could tell you just what the year would bring. It is just as reasonable to suppose that the year will be happy as sad. Who can tell? Who can control that? Are we not in the hands of God? That is the reason for a happy New Year's day. ARCTIC CHRISTMAS. on, it's no use now, cousin mattie on it in enamel. Then he wants to give her a beautiful little watch that belonged to his poor mother, and he has had a lit tle miniature of his mother made to fit In behind the watch. First he took the watch to Moore's. That was the day he ran up against Lilla, when he had the whole package in his hand, and was afraid she would ask him, and ran. Yes terday, just as he was taking me to hold How a Party of Men Once Made Some Little Eskimos Happy. Onoe on a' time a company of men were far North in the arctic regions at Christ-' mas time, and they could not help think ing of their families at home, and longing to be with them. But they knew it would not do to be homesick, for it would unfit them for their work, so they chose the best possible cure for it; they made other people happy. The little Eskimo children around them had never even heard of a Christmas tree, and the men of the ship's company went to work to make one. Make one? "Why, trees grow!" .Certainly, but they do not grow in the arctic lands, for these explor HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. CHRISTMAS AND THE CHILDREN. talkiii' they talk t: II B little folks nre like onvthlnir Bout Snnty Clans n-comlu', an' what he's goln' to bring; An' the mother never scolds 'cm or tells "em 'bout Uio noise; They're Just the P'-eetest little girls-the best of little 1 Recause they know Unit Suuty Clans knows everything thry do, An' while he's loullug v.p his sleigh he's watchin' of 'em, too! An' them that minds their mothers, they gets the most of toys They're just the (sweetest little girls the best of little boys! They've Just been wrltln' letters to Santy Clans rneh day An' tellln' him Ji'st what they want au' showln' him the way To where the house Is, so he'll know Just where to leave the toys, Fer Just the sweetest little girls the best of little boys! They're glttln' m'ghty anxious fer the days an' nights to go, An' all of 'em are happy an' they mute their mothers so! She never has to scold 'em or tell 'em 'bout the noise, 'Cause they're Just the sweetest little girls the best of little boys. Atlanta Constitution. THE DECORATIVE HOLLY. Wreaths of Its Glosax Leaves Woven Ronnd the Earth nt Christmas. ITCH of tho Christmas sen timent is due to the holly, which, with its bright berries and glossy leaves, i3 one of the most decora tive greens used at the Christmas season, and Is adapted especially woll to wreath form, the color lasting' lontrer unci the Kt-uernl almpe ltlna iiioi-v tli.- m 1 fiv?