T waa a little Christmas tree, with can
ines mi agiow,
THAT LITTLE 0HRI8TMA8 TREE.
T
JLAnd golden bail and sliver stars, a bright
m,. ...".ua nining row. . ,
Tht children dauced around It, and clapped
, M their hands with eleei . t .....
And not a child was happier thau the little
mrisima tree.
Dut next week, stripped of all Its gifts and
casi into me yarn,
It murmured with a little slghl "Now, sure
ly this Is hardl- ,
To glvo delight for but that night
And then to be forgot,
Would seem to be for any tree
A most unhappy lot t"
But Ned and Ted snd little Fred soon spied
It wnero u lay. .... ,,
"Hurrah!" they cried, "A must!
We'll sail and sail away,
And far across the Arctic seas
Our gallant ship shall go
To find the seals and polar bears
And Jolly Esquimaux."
A plank their shin, a sheet their sail, the
happy tree their mast, .
These bold explorers northward turned, ana
sailed away so fast
That soon o'er unknown lands thert warea
The banner oc me tree.
Tho staff that proudly bore it
Was the little Christmas tree,
What afterward befell It would take me
long 10 ten; ,
It once became a fairy wood
and dryads awcu; ,
And once a prauclng, coal-black steed.
With a noble knight astride:
And once a dark and gloomy care
Where bears and Hons hide.
i . . 7vjvTm i.ir n nn I
AUTU'O ntfUT il-Uiuo.
A mast!
where ekes
Out
He
when, one day, there wandered by
raCKCU HtllTl'iuil. .
'1 . ik miin Phrtsttnas tree and
B.l n me i"'" .... -
dragged It nome wim ju
A merry blase ne ainuiru.
With Its welcome warmiu
And the cold bare room was fragrant
With the odor of the pine. vlphni..
Helen Standlsh Perkins, In St. Nicholas.
)CsOCXXXXXXXCCsXVXaNXC(0
A CHRISTMAS LEGACY.
BY MRS JULIA TBUITT .ISHOP.
tocoocxocxooxooxoc
- - HE neighborhood would have been
la very pleasant one, everybody
U said. If it had not been for the
Bensons. Long residence in the neighbor
hood had not made the people fonder of
them. Jeremiah Benson was a wrinkled,
sour-looking old man, as far back as the
oldest Inhabitant could remember, and
his sister, Miss Minervy, wns even worse
The very children were afraid of them,
' nnd made no inroads on their orchard 01
melon patch. At church the people gath
ered out in front in sociable groups after
the service was over, but Jeremiah Ben
son and Miss Minervy passed out silent
amid thv crowd, and had no cordial
greeting from any one. They simply did
not "mix" with their neighbors and af
ter one falls into that habit, it is uot
easy to break It.
The little minister, who preached !n
the church at the cross-roads, looked on
himself as a brave man when he ap
proached Jeremiah in town and asked
him for a little help towards gcttiug the
orphaned Murray children to their uncle
In Springfield. Jeremiah repulsed him
sharply, and told hjin that if Tim Murray
bad taken care of what he made, instead
of spending it in bar rooms, his children
would not be dependent on chnrity.
"But no," he said bitterly. "He had to
stnv 'roun' the corner croc'rles in town
while his young 'uns growed up to insult
honest folks goin along the road.
So Jeremiah turned his horses' heads
towards home, for he had been absent
several days. Miss Minervy was in the
kitchen when he arrived.
"Well, it's time you was gittln back,
was her dry greeting. "You needn't
wonder if you find everything at sixes
an sevens.
"Why what's wrong?" asked Jere
miah.
"Well, In the first place, there's them
movers that ye let camp down by the
spring the woman s dead. She was bur
led this nioruin'. The man says she was
sick when they came. This ought to be
n wamin' to ye, never to let campers
settle oil this place again."
"She wns left a widow, an' her brother
was takln' her back where he lived, so
he could take keer of her," was Jere
miah's explanation.
"Take keer of her ! He ain't got sense
enough to take keer o' himself!" retort
ed Miss Minervy with scorn. "I wlsht
he'd hitch up an go along, wherever he's
a goin'."
Jeremiah looked thoughtfully out of the
window, towards the leafless oak trees at
the foot of the hill. The canvns-covercd
wagon was still down by the spring; he
could just see the ton of It. Miss Miner
Ty expected that he would immediately
go down the bill and request the camper
to move on, but he did not do so till late
that evening.
Jeremiah stayed a long time. Dusk
came, and dark. At last she heard Jere
miah's step a shuffling step, as pf one
feeling his way. Presently the door
opened and Jeremiah stood there with a
big bundle in his arms,
"Minervy," be said, and stopped.
"Well!" replied bis amazed sister.
"What In creation have you got there,
Jeremiah'
"Minervy," said Jeremiah again, floun
derlug helplessly.
But the bundle answered the question
for Itself, for It all at pare began to wrig
gle, and at one end of It appeared two
ragged little shoes; and at the other end
JEIIKMIAII STATED A 1.0X0 WJIII.K.
came up a tangled, golden head and a
dimpled, 2-year-old face.
"Jeremiah! Whose child Is that? And
what are you doing with it?"
"It's the dead woman's baby," said
Jeremiah softly, and he came nearer the
fire nnd sat down, with the baby on his
Wier.
"Jeremiah, you go right straight an'
take that child back to that man," com
manded Mis Minervy,
"Ho's gone, Minervy," said Jeremiah
feebly. "He's been on tho road mcrc'n
two hours."
"An' where have you been with that
baby all this time?"
"I've been In the barn, Minervy," con
fessed the culprit, In deep humiliation.
"I I kep' a thlnklu' I'd come In pretty
soon."
Miss Minervy wns filled with righteous
wrath. But tho baby suddenly kicked
merrily at her with both feet, wriggled
down from Jeremiah's arms, nnd with a
laugh threw her arms around tho neck
of Brutus.
"DIs Is my doggie!" she, snld.
"S'poiiln' we feed 'er, Minervy," sug
gested Jeremiah, with caution.
Miss Minervy must hnve been very an
gry, for she merely stood and glared at
Jeremiah. But he noticed, after nwhlle,
that Miss Minervy had gone to the pan
try, and he softly rubbed his hnnds.
How the baby laughed, and kicked, nnd
ate, nnd fed an occasional handful to
Brutus, who did not care for bread and
"An wa ought to fire her better
chances at learnln' than what w n
had," Miss Minervy went on. "iou'to
got to take holt now, Jcremlnh, an' show
somo Int'rest In the school, for we'll
want the best one thcro Is by the time
she's ready to stnrt."
"My, Mlnervyl" exclaimed Jeremiah,
In! helpless amazement.
"An' It's not only for her," said Mis
Minervy, kindling with enthusiasm; but
wo'll want a well-trained class of young
men for her to select a husband from."
"Great Scott, Mlnervyl" was Jere
miah's feeble ejaculation.
Jeremiah found her the next morning,
standing In the door, In the clear winter
sunshine, nnd wntchlng tho baby and
Brutus careering about the yard, the
baby shrieking with laughter, and Brutus
disgracing himself by frisking like a pup
py "We've had our breakfast," said Miss
Minervy oh, that exultant "wo"!
"An I'm going to town as soon as I'm
done," snld Jeremiah.
"Not uot after that cnmpcrl" cried
Miss .Minervy, faltcrlngly.
WANTS JUST A
FEW" THINQa
K doesn't want so very much
At Chrlstmss time this year!
in. i rtT little I ilma
To boyish hearts so near.
He'll be content with Just a few
Of all the hosts oT toys
That Christmas morning ought to bring
To all good little boys.
He only wants a rocking horse,
A train of cars, and engines, too,
That round the playroom roll,
A fireman' ht, a mull nd bat,
And pollie patroh
He speaks about a Noah's ark,
With animal" a score. ,..,
And koprs that Hsnta'll bring him that,
Though he bring nothing more.
Of course he'd like some building blocks,
A hammer nnd some tacks,
A watch that ticks like papa's does,
A spade and a pickaxe.
I know he'd like bicycle
With real rubber tlresi
A great big kite Ihst soars up high
He ardently desires.
He slso wants a "Mother (loose
With pretty pictures In,
A big brass cannon on two wheels,
Home soldier made of tin.
He doesn't want so very much.
5!5
PARIS INTRODUCES THE ELEO
TRIO ENGINES.
jrc jiuMuuau iii ii iiinrf
" t i r j- i in .1111 ii ii l ii w I I m ' 1 1 1 at . t-ti i. ai m sr
T js&?m?3 . Htvil&mB-zt&SiS&ZL IIHIIIIIU III 111 I MWXIIRi l-fc5SSSiaSSSRSSa . trie
B Wr HIT TllTITIH SWWT hi nil 1111 I M Ml nil III III 1 EfiSC 50CSSSSttSM
I'rovo Orent Time Fitver nnd Prompt
KxtliiU'iUher of l'lmiics-Nnlse nuil
Hustle of Horse mid Htcuiii Aupuruttis
Katlnct-Hcscrllitlnu of Muchlnea.
In PiirU olcctrlcUy lm kiiIhwI nil
other victory over liorso ami mU'iiih
jiuwur. Tho ,llro (H'imrtnu'Ut la now
ubollMhlni; horMos from all thu lltu un
jrluo hotuua of tho city and I hi'IIIiib
lis old-fiishlontil att'ani llru viiiftiion to
country towna.
It Is u HtraiiKO ttlKlit when tho llro
nlarm soiuuls to st'o tho poiulvrotiH
doom of tho uiikIiio Iioiihch lly oimn and
front It iMiiiTKo tho inoilcrn electric llio
ciiKlnu ninnuwl by only two wiiioiirH.
TIiito la nono of tho old atainpliiK und
(liiMlilui: of llery hUhmIh. Itnuatlont to
'rush dovvu tho crowdisl nrcmiuii to tho
Hcriu's or coulliiKratlon. IK'iv iiKnlii, of
'coiiritc, I tho Hiicctaclo of thu Iohh or
occupation to u lot of bravo ft'lhnvH.
Thu MiabU'-koopors and the kimim havo
been driven out. Instead there In a
bIiikIo eiiKlneer ror each vehicle, whoso
sole occupation 1 to keep IiIh auto-en-
I Klncs In trim during tho loiij; lelstiro
liouiH betwi'cn II res and to uiaulptilato
; them when the tire alarm huiiiiiIk.
Tho engine and the hook nnd ladder
hurry to the (Ires In much quicker tlmu
thu n thu fiiMlcHt horsen could havedouo.
All the old ditsh or wind, almost uncoil-
! trollablo liorses, driven by u man who
seem on the point or being drugged
from his sent; tho confusing Hounding
i H...i i..tiiu i .1
Ul !tll tltli. irviin iiiiii piitjiiiiii, lit lliu
siippeurs. eursliiK ofdrlvera nnd street
passengers, taken unaware nil this Ik
a thing of the past. Instead tho trim
electric lire engine wonds Its way with
'comparatively little noise and consplc-
sons may bo lylnir t.nconiclon.
coino by amoko, mul t Bard jj
accldontH to tho Uretnen
Tho bl ladder Ilea WK, muM
nlmoHt horizontal condition on n J
truck ami la rnlswl to ln mil m,!
tllctilar holKht by electricity n,n
'bllllv of ihiu i.i .... . 11,0
ii . .. " "''i""uiH is rcml
nlilit ,,H,twl.lli. . .. 'villi
liapa M "Kiuiisinii posslblo
Tho muulclpnl ntilhorltloa nru iJ
pleaM'd over tho hum Vlltlllll .....I
believed that tho Inltlittl vo will b08
.I.-.! iu mi mo iiiiko ciiich or Ui
tlueiit.
YOUNQ HERO'S MISFOflTUrJI
U llenrliiu mid wer , I
! lltlp.lne.. PMt
A ainootb-faced young man, tr
na an nrrow, and dressed In n,0 ut,f
of a prlvnlu In tho United Htntes at
Hlepiwd lip to tho tlt'Hk nt tlia I
Donechntid tho other day nnd rcglit
im vjiiHiicn iiiipeier, l'orlliiiu. Mnl
in... ...... ,ufl
iu yuii wish mo Ainerlcnit or
ropenn phinV" luitilrcl the clerk,
Ills ctiHlomary proresHlonul n'U
Kieetlni;.
Tho soldier shook hi bend, ploke,
a bit of paper anil wrote i n,
ami iltiuib." A brisk eorrcspoud
began between the hotel innn nnd
vnlo Kappeler, nnd this is t10 wn
Hottllvr told his Htory, snya tho
Orlennti TlineK-Democrnt
Knpimler wns In I'limto,,',, fail
rojclmcnt, the Twentieth Knnkas,
was n member or Couipnny A. He
to thu lMilllpplneN nnd saw active
Vice until otic dny, nrier a rorccd m
and much exposure In the rain, s
thing went wrong with i)J0 y0imR
vnte'a head. Everything turtle ,
beforn III oyen nnd his musket droi
from hi Imiid. Ho whirled nboutj
ten in tne grouna unconscious,
'IM... t.-lll,.!......
. mi ii.j.uMn m-iv iieppering al
at tno ivnnsa Doya nt the time l
peler fell, and It wns Hiippowl by
comrade that he had been woundc
AUTOMOBILE KIHK U.NINU KQUU'MKNT.
milk In the least, but ate It with a cheer
ful readiness that stamped him a gentle
man at heart! Before you could thluk,
the baby, nnd Jeremiah, and Brutus, and
the floor, were all strewn with bread and
milk, and the strangest thing nbout it
was that Miss Minervy did not say a
word. And then, nil at once, the baby
laid her golden head against Jeremiah's
rough sleeve, and with a sleepy yawn,
went off to dreamland.
"Ain't It funny? She ain't afraid of
us, Mlnervyl That's what took my eyes
the minute T seen her for she leant out
o' the wagon au' laughed right In my
face!"
Miss Minervy turned hastily away; nnd
when he noticed her again she was mak
ing up a, bed on the lounge. She even
found the bundle of clothes that Jere
miah had dropped at the door. Then,
with a painful flush on her face, she
bent over Jeremiah and dressed the baby
for the night and laid her In the warm
little bed.
Jeremiah was restless, and was always
peeping Into that other room to sec that
all was right, or getting up In n violent
hurry under the Impression that he heard
the camper's wagon coming back after
the baby. At last some slight noise In
the other room wakened him from his
first doze, and he dressed himself quick
ly and took Miss Minervy by surprise.
"Anything wrong, Minervy t" ho asked
as Bho started back guiltily from the side
of the baby's bed.
"I was afraid I hadn't cover.ed her
enough," she snapped.
Jeremiah went meekly away, but not
to sleep; and In less than an hour he
caught Miss Minervy again, nnd this
time she did not start from the little
bed.
"I was afraid I'd covered her too
much," she said sUnply. "Can't you
sleep, Jeremiah?"
'Not a wink," he replied, drawing the
coals together and starting a blaze.
"Neither can I. I've been- thlnklu',
Jeremiah. I'll go to work inakln' her
something to-morrow. I've got a lot o'
things i can fix over for her.
"That'll be greut," murmured Jere
miah.
"No," replied the unblushing Jeremiah.
'T don t think be went that way."
"Jcremlnh," she said, with a strange
note of appeal In her voice; "to-morrow's
Christmas."
The little minister and his wife, look
ing out of tho window that day, were
amazed to see Jeremiah drive up to the
gate and come up the walk with the
springy step of a young man.
"I been a thlnklu' about that Murray
family," said Jeremiah with embarrass
ment. "A crowd o' children you said,
didn't you? an' somo of 'cm babies,
maybe! An' you want to send 'em to
their klnfolks at Springfield? Well, I've
brung along a check a little check "
Ills voice bad trailed off and lost Itself,
but the minister had him by both hands,
and was saying something that made bis
own eyes moist something about the
fatherless and the widow.
"Why, Mr. Benson." cried his wife,
"what good fortune has happened to
you?"
"Yes wan't It good?" he exclaimed ra
diantly. "See that baby bed out In my
wagon? An look at that doll's foot stick
In' out o' that bundle. They's they's
goin' to be a stickin' on our chimblcy
board to-night! We've Jest come Into, a
legacy, Minervy au' me. Them campers
left us a baby!"
He turned away with a sudden rush of
feeling, but at the door he looked back
and proclaimed proudly:
"An' It ain't afraid of neither one of
us!"
Jerry's Soliloquy.
Maw sez Sandy Clans won't come
1)18 rear, buz ue s on ae bum:
nez lie iuhi uiv juu ru so
He won't have no stuff t blow
in on mo rer presents but
Don't seem's ol' Handy'll cut
In wld any ploy like dat
Guess maw don't know where she's at.
-Will Frost.
May Christmas always puzzles me.
Belle IIow?
May I don't know whether I should
be thankful for the things I didn't ex
pect or disappointed about the things I
expected and didn't get.
Just a few little things;
A poodle dog, a tubby cat,
A little bird that sings,
A pony nnd n nouy cart
A few such things as these
A shiny sword and leather-belt,
A trumpet and a drum.
Some candy nnd some gum,
Only a few things, but these few
Arc everything he sees.
I'M I
i
A Pickaninny Plaint.
Us chlllun needs tno' civil rights.
He white folks gotter make some laws,
'Case some ob us, on Christmas nights
(Ills clean fohgot by Santa Claus.
Washington Star.
Hl Hound of Pleasure.
"Dickie, did you get anything on Christ
mas besides skatcti?"
"Yes'm; got th' croup." Chicago Itcc
ord. 'NEATH THE MISTLETOE.
Bho lingers 'ueath the mistletoe.
With blushes all her features glow;
She's Just been kissed with vim, and so
She lingers 'neath the mistletoe.
Haro Chrlstmas-tlnic. as von wu inn
Comes only once a year, and so
Hue lingers 'neuth the mistletoe.
II. II. Sauuicnlg,
ulty through the crowded thorotii;li
i fares. All that warn of It approach
Is the coiiNtnnt ringing of a loud elec
bell, which docs not vary even
when the iinHsniro Is obstructed. The
'police, however, ure Instructed to arrest
1 the driver of any vehicle that does uot
at once respond to the electric jvnraliitf
1 "Much Time In Hnvcd.
There Ih much time saved nt the en
glue house by thu dispatch with which
the new machines can bu manned and
started, und, of course, there Is a great
suvlni; of time en route and on the spot
of the Ure, as electricity proven a
stronger pumping power than Hlcnni.
The new machines of the Paris llro
department were the center of nttrnc
Hon at the International congress which
wns held ut Vlncennea. Three types of
the electric lire automobile were exhib
ited. There wns an electric hose en
glue, an electric tool wagon nnd a hook
and ladder.
On the hose engine there Ih a large
water reservoir with n capacity of 150
gallons. The entire weight Is Icsx than
U.OOO pounds. The electric motor which
propels the vehicle Is transformed na
booh 'as the placu or lire Is reuched Into
a pump. There Is no need or wnltliiK
until the llru pint; ou the nearest corner
Is unscrewed ami thu hose adjusted to
It. There la enough wutcr In the rcHcr
voir to begin work, and often n bluze
Is extinguished before tho reservoir Is
replenished.
The rapidity of the new fire lighter Is
IncreiiHed by the manner lu which the
rubber hosu Is wound around n metal
reel. The hose around tho apparatus
Is always llllcd with water and the
pressing of a button unwinds It auto
matically, so that tho firemen's task or
handling It Is greatly facilitated. In
fact, tho only thing to be done on tho
npot Ih to open tho stop cock of the
mouthpiece of tho hose nnd direct It ou
tho llamcs.
Prompt Work nt I'lrca.
While the engine Iiiih begun Its work
the auto-hook and Judder, manned by
six Blalwart fellows, Is busy providing
for a fresh supply of wutcr. Tho lire
men have tho big bidders, Having ap
paratus and the uumcrouH extinguish
ing paraphernalia ready for any emer
gency. Tho llro hose Ih Htippllcd with
threo different mouthpieces, by which
the pressure or tho water can bo regu
lated; one or them pours out tho wutcr
at tho rato or seventy-live gallons per
uiinutc.
An excellent arrangement with tho
now nutomobllo llro wagons Is tho elec
tric lighting, which Is ndjusted bv wire
alongside tho hose. This Is of great Im
portance, ns orten It Is necossnry to
throw light In dark corners where per-
killed. But when the enemy mi
en oIT nnd Kappeler wn picked up I
carried back It was found he tial
been lilt at all. There was not a nfl
on 111 in. but ho did not recover
HCinuHUes. mo was put Into a col
the Second Reserve Hospital nt Man
and In that cot he lay for n whole i
"I wim unconscious for four wcel
tho deaf and dumb innn wrote.
when I ennio to I round a I ted CI
nurse bending over me nnd giving
whisky and medicine and putting!
on my head. I saw by the motlofi
her lips that she was speaking to
but I could uot hear a word she
I soon discovered I wns dear and
gradually I lost tho power or spej
for, us I could not hear what I was
Ing, I could not form tho words.
Inst I entirely lost the power of spf
und I hnve been deaf nnd dumb
since."
Tlioy Piled It On.
"They do things their own wny tifl
Now K.iglnnd," snld tho trnnip onl
park bench ns ho gazed nt a biff
pooping through the shoe. "Kor
BUincp, up In Now Hampshire I
crossing n Held when a bull took n
me. As ho wns nbout to pick me ui
lib) horns I dodged and ho went fully
against n treo and broke his ncck."
"Well, what wns dono?" wns asl
"Why, they arrested me for trcspl
On top of that they charged me 1
Inciting a bull to mischief. Then 1 1
held for tho worth of tho bull, audi
foro they got through with mo I wnj
Jail ror cloven months. I'd haVoj
nnothcr month If thcro hadn't bee
slip. When tho bull broke his neck I
fanner's wlfo fainted nwny, and tj
meant to tack on thirty days inoril
pay the farmer for her lost tlmo wl
unconscious." Washington Post,
Pimiuuutlo Tillies.
Pneumatic tubes for carrying i
sngCH aro an old story In the lard
Kuropenu cities. But tho largest!
iitu tlii'i-i' those In London, nro 1
three Inches In diameter. It Is onlJ
tho United Stntes that tho wholo Ifl
of letter mnll Is handled between fill
nolntfl. In Now York a tube rcnclfl
to Brooklyn Is thrco nnd a half ml
Inner nnd olirht Inches in (llnnietcr.i
lowing tho pnssagO of a pouch contifl
Ing GOO letters Iu nuout soven minus
i
A nmllintl will do without nn orW
,!. i.iib lonir necdeit, in oruer w i
n wedding present or send flowers
funeral.
t ,h linmn thcro Is S0H10 OHO '
walks off with things that belons
it. " I
tU6 OUIUID.