.
W in n ik ie i are cold with wintry stars,
and hills
Ars white with yester-even's snow, and
lie
In ghostly state beneath the ghostly
sky;
When many a gusty blast the darkness
Sits
W ith ever lonely, homeless sound, and
chills
Tbs window panes with frost; when
* crackling fly ^
The sparks sbout the hearth, and glow
and die,
While In the pause his note the cricket
trills ;
Ob, then how dear is home! and what a
O f ruddy warmth and peace beguiles
the mindf
And what a charm'in listening while
the wind
Plows fleece outside, through winter’s
starry tents.
And dies away around the window
pane.
And ever rises loud, and dies again!
— Ernest Warburton Shurtleff.
O K L - C L A Y T O N was tall and
gaunt, with clear, candid, blue
eyes, and his white hands, small
and nervpus-looking, were as well kept
as those o f a woman.
Me was thirty, and a splash o f gray
on either temple, a strand or tw o ef
white in his mustache, made him look
older.
H e was broad-chested and muscular—
by all rules— he should have t»een a sol
dier— he looked an “ open air” man, hut
for live years he had been writing short
stories, novelettes and serials for the
weekly press.
It was good, nervous work. His name
was becoming known, for be bad the
Imppy knack o f blending pathos with hu
mor. H e bad traveled widely, and an
Australian bush idyl at the beginning of
the week would be followed again by a
story o f rustic life in the dear West
Oinntry that he loved so well.
He lived quite alone, worked— and
smoked— from morning to night, loved
his profession, and had practically drop
ped all his friends— male and female—
and when a fit o f the not infrequent
blues got him hy the throat, threw his
pen into the grate and ordered np his
landlady’s children, and pandet^ouium
reigned for an hour.
Sometimes he gave them pennies, but
not always— small coin of the realm is
not always available to authors— but the
romps were huge, and he enjoyed them.
O f eourae there was a woman at the
Isittom o f the tangle o f the man’s life,
«u d women complicate things sometimes
— be would have said “ always.’’
On one particular evening he was alone
and writing, whdn Jim Courtenay was
-shown In— and Jim was au old and triad
friend— about the only friend the louely.
self-absorbed man had, and so the in
comer sat down and lighted bis pipe, and
slid not bother the author for quit* a
smarter o f an hour, and then Noel rose
and stretched himself.
“ W hat la it this time. Noel 7”
“ Oh, the usual thiug— love; end can
didly I am getting so sick of writing
love stories.”
“ Ah! yon feel like that?”
“ Man alive, this is Christmas Kre, and
somehow— somehow— my thoughts went
hack with a jump, and 1 remembered one
Christmas Eve when----- ”
"Your pipe’s out. Noel!” f
“ Aye, so it Is. W ell, there was one
Christmas Eve when----- ”
“ My dear boy, are you worrying about
ber still7”
“ Yea,” and then a long panse— —
It is the privilege o f chnms to sit si
lent for a spell.
“ And all this happened four or five
years ago. I uever heard the rights or
wrongs of the story.”
Noel crossed the room, and digging
both hands into his pockets, looked at
his chum.
“ There la nothing to know. A fter cte
four happy years o f married life, trouble
came between ns. lies came between us;
and— end-—here I am and it’s Christmas
K re. O f course our baby was only a
mite— a wee. blue-eyed, golden-haired
mite; couldn’ t walk, crawled, you know;
hut we were awful chums, and when she
went aud took onr mite— well,” and the
man’s langb hurt his own ears. “ Well,
then I took to writing love stories— love,
old ebsp, with a happy ending— bishops,
bridesmaids, bouquets and blessings,
aud” — hit temporary excitement had left
him— he added dryly;
“ And it pays! Now go. old chap. 1
it.net get my stuff done for the early
post.” and Chum went out while Noel
turned again to his interrupted work.
Between each line on every
page
attaint turns o f expression, quaint
thoughts haunted him, n dead past spoke
to him.
The glrl-wlfe had been very sweat
very lovable, very beautiful— and had
marred two Uvea.
There should be a special place o f tor
ment for the person who deliberately
comes between two people who love each
other and smilingly warps two Uvea.
Pearl Clayton was as easily led as
a child, a soft, emotional, weak little
woman, and when Noel returned from a
few days’ holiday he found the house
closed and Pearl and Baby had depart-
ad.
Noel drifted for a little b it the shock
unmanned him terribly, bat his pen was
hi* sole source o f income, and it had to
be plied if body and soul were to be kept
together, and in a very few weeks he
bad. to some extent regained his mental
balance, and Me work Improved..
The eve o f Christmas and the day
Itself appeals to most hearts, and on thie
particular eve Noel kept thinking back
and thinking back while he wrote.
How well he remembered the extra-
aired stocking he Induced the nurse to
k n it and how bulky It looked and fait on
Christmas morning.
knd then Mine
school, college, and then married life.
When the scribbling fit was on him
Pearl used to draw her low wicker chair
close to his writing table, knitting, or
daintily fingering white material, soft
aud downy and fluffy for the prospective
nearer, aud the few remarks she made
seemed to chime In and identify them
selves with what be was writihg; but,
of course, all this happeued five years
ago.
One odd little trick Pearl bad, and
Noel remembered it this evening— and
missed It.
Wbon
P«n «> ■ working extra
busily she used to U / the tlpe o f her
fingers upou big right band— just where
hand meets wrist. She did not incom
mode him in the least. H e declared her
touch inspired him; they were such pink-
tipt«d fingers, aud so small, aud he bad
ofteu written with the tiny touch on his
wrist almost unconscionsly— only peep-
iug up from time to time at a sweet
oval face, into deep violet eyes love lit.
But, o f course, this was five years
•*o.
So he wrote on, feeling a little bit
•erry that Cbum had not stayed, for a f
ter all be only bad another half hour’s
work t>efore him, and then they could sit
and chat, and perhaps drown the sound
of the bells that he knew would ring out
in a few hours.
H e wee Just in the frame o f mind to
auramqn his landlady's children, but ex
cept for himself, the bouse was empty.
There was a Christmas Bve party going
on, and Mrs. Marsh and her progeny
were attending it.
He had been writing for half an hoar
since Cham had left him, and felt the
old familiar touch on hia wrist. It waa
Imagination o f course, he did not even
turn his head, and then he was looking
into bine eyes, in the round golden-cnrled
framed face of a boy o f four, who laugh
ed up at him and presented a rosebud to
be kissed.
“ Goodness, child— where on earth do
yon come ffom? aud who— who brought
yon? What la your name?”
“ Eric,” and the child began to make
preparations for etinihing a lofty knee.
Iikeflneff, however, watch night la taken |
anything but aerlously, and the new
year la welcomed with such signs o f
rejoicing as to ue who did not under
stand the customs would seem to Indi
cate that all men were heartily tired o f
existence and glad to see their years go
by as speedily ns possible.
0U> CHRISTMAS SAYINGS.
An old German saying la th at-be
tween 11 aud 12 o’clock on Christmas
eve w ater can be turned Into wine.
A Montenegrin saying about Christ
mas eve la “To-night earth Is blended
w ith Paradise.”
Th e lamp, or candle, must not be al
lowed to burn Itself out on Christmas
ere or there w ill be a death In the
fam ily within the year.
A M agyar superstition Is that any
one who eats nuts without honey on
Christmas will lose his teeth.
Auotber is that a pillow turned at
midnight w ill bring dreams o f a fu
ture lover.
It la unlucky to tn p on Christmas
day.
Th e
ancient
Scandinavians and
Anglo-Saxons called Christmas “ Moth
er’s Night,” the name being banded
down to the Chrstianlxed people from
an old pugan festival form erly cele
brated about tbls season o f the year.
Th e Sicilian children place penny
royal In the beds Christmas eve be
cause they believe It always flowers
at the exact hour o f Christ's birth.
A live coal should never be carried
out o f the house on Christmas eve.
A ll children horn at midnight on
December 31 w ill become great and
famous.
FOR
COUGHS
KING OF CURES
FOR
COLDS
THE WONDER WORKER
THROAT |
PR. KING’S | t u w e t
HEWDtSOOVERY
FOR COUGHS AND C O L p T f
PREVENTS PNEUMONIA
I had the most debilitating cough a m ortal w aa ever afflicted w ith« and m y friends expected that
when I le ft m y bed it w ould so re ly be fo r m y grave. Onr doctor pronounced m y case incurable,
bnt thanks be to God, four bottles of D r. K in g 's N ew Discovery cored me so com pletely that I am
a ll Bound and w e ll.— M R S . E V A U N C A P H E R , Grovertown, Ind.
PriM 50c u i $1.00 A B S O L U T E L Y G U A R A N T E E D ! Trial BdtltFm
H
SOLD A N D O U A R A N TE E D BY
C. F. M O O R E
Blew .Y e s r'a E v e In It a ly .
Don’t you wish you were an Italian
on New Y ear’s? Prom ptly at the stroke
TH E N E W LEA P.
DIARRHOEA
T here is no need o f anyone suffering long w ith this disease, for to
effect a quick cure it is only necessary to take a fe w doses o f
Chamberlain’s Colic, Cholera
and Diarrhoea Remedy
In feet, in m ost cases one dose is sufficient It never foils and can be
relied upon in the m ost severe and dangerous cases* It is equally
valuable for children and is the m eans o f saving the lives o f m any
children each year. In the w orld’s history no medicine has ever m et
w ith greater success. Price 25 cents« Large size 50 cents*
“ W ho brought yon here. Baby Eric?
How did you come?”
Noel f«lt tike an Irish member o f Par
liament, for “ no answer was given.” bat
n wee form, fall o f bags and kisses, got
fast bold upon him. and said gravely,
and yet with a sweet air o f command:
“ Just come’d— and now If you’re not
too busy, mister Esther----- ”
“ Yes. my son.’’
“ P ’ raps— I’ d better go to bed.”
“ But, my child— my little son— who
brought you here? where is your moth
er?” aud the tall man. suddenly releasing
bis first-born, paced up add down. O f
course. Chum had left the door open,
nnd someone had - told the child to walk
straight iu— and the child had— straight
iu.
The author— his tiny son was oa the
floor now. saying thing* to the cat, and it
deserved every word, being a cat that
licks stamps off letters, and loves bacon
and boiled eggs— thrust hi* hands deep
Into his pockets aud looked down, sail
eyed, at little 8unny-faee,
“ Yes, perhaps you bad better come to
bed.”
y
•
•
, •
•
•
•
•
I f Chum would only come. If some
thing would only happen to break the
silence, a silence only cleft by the sigh
o f a child.
The church was only at the end o f the
street.
, H e could henr the bell-ringers shuf
fling along the frosty pavement, in a few
minutes— and be bent to bis work.
H a lf asleep, half awake, be was con-,
acious o f the old, almost forgotten touch
upon bis wrist— a dream doubtless— but
he could not shake It off, aud then he
looked down.
Kneeling as o f yore beside him, blue
eye* tear-dimmed, waa Pearl.
“ I have returned, Noel.”
It wni a
quavering little voice, but it thrilled him.
H ow like she waa to their child.
•And then the bella clashed forth their
message. “ Peace on Barth, Good W ill
Toward* Men,” and -to two hearts they
carried a sweeter, deeper message still.
No word was spoken. A small figure,
in a smoking jacket that reached to his
heels, stood at tht dividing door, sn
eager face turned to either.
And husband and w ife kissed silently.
W a tc h in g
the
O ld
Year
o f 12 on New Y ear's eve there ere
rustling and bustling and merry laugh
ter as each maiden kisses all the young
men she can catch. I t Is the oDly mo
ment In the year when custom permits
ber such a liberty, and she Is not slow
to take advantage o f it. Then, the new
year ’ avlng made Its bow, the party
breaks up. the young folk take a walk,
and the first person o f the opposite
which each roisterer meets Is consid
ered destined to be that m errym akers
future prirtner in life.
A
Y o u th fu l
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As
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Schem er.
I n a o p era h le
lists
01
L ittle Emerson— You don’t believe Lu
any such ridiculous myth as Santa
Claus?
Tough Jimmy— N a w ! I ’m next to
dat game.
A ll dc same. Si’s a . good
gra ft to let on you Itelieve in him an’
git all dat'a cornin’ to you.
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O b jec tio n .
“ I would like to give m yself to you
as a Christmas present,” said young
Poore to Miss Rocks.
“ Pnpe does not allow me to receive
expensive presents from young men,"
replied the maiden.— Town Topics.
I * S
C rnel Man.
Mrs. N'ewpop— Charley, wbat are you
going to give baby fo r Christmas?
Mr. N’ ewpop (w ith visions o f past
n igh ts)— A sleeping potion i f he keeps
on like he has lately.
g u f a
W h e re E xtension W aa Cravng.
“ You wish your stocking was bigger,
don't you, dear?" asked mamma o f De-
vie.
“ No’m ; my stummlck.” —Judge.-
8 - 5I
ill*
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T H E C H R IS T M A S S P IR IT .
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O at.
W atching the old year out has been
a common custom In many lands. In
most countries It assumes with the se
rious minded the phase o f devotion. In
many countries where Roman Catho
licism Is the prevalent form o f faith
the year la begun w ith midnight masse
Among the Greek Catholics the same
usage prevails.
I t declined In the
Church o f England, but was revived
by several o f the dissenting bodies, the
watch night o f the Methodists being
merely a modification o f the once gen
eral practice. Am ong the oonvtvlally
§
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