Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-31
lig. BLGEiI'S CHRiSTMAs DINNER.

of the oath OF December. a WIiSIIlH1, raw,
bleak, shiycring night, the air being filled
with thin, sharp faxes OF snow, which whiIled
up in feathery looking sprays Of drift around
the corners and smote one yiciOusly IN the
face on cncountcring the blast A night
when men instinctivcly cooked their heads to
windward as they passed cross streets where
the wild wind was holding its malicious trOic.
Mr.. Blueit had been all through the petlngs
Of the pitless storm that day, had faithfully
attended to his business, eaten a huge dinner,
and now on the edge of bedtime sat, with
evening paper III one hand and glass Of hot
punch at his elbow, toasted his slppcrcd feet
before a glowing fire, reposing them Of course
upon a supplementary chair lie had that
daY cleared out Il large order, which had paid
very we'll he had lately moved into his hand
some brown stone front, in Whiteoak Ave
nue. his wife was amiable; his furnace ope-
rated we'll his cook was skilifu and amena-
bic to reason-could mortal man ask more
To be sure Mrs. Blueit was not the W sest wo-
man in the world, but she knew enough to
appreciate the advantages Of her present
comfortable position. She had not always
been wealthy, consequently she despised poor
people with an JUNCTION refreshing to behold.
On the present occasion the lady had retired
early, being overcome of the drowsy god,
leaving her lord in undisturbed possession Of
the coy lounglng room, with It's cheerful
fire and lights. Mr.. Biueit sat there under
the impression that he was reading, but his
studies alternaUcd with nods until at last his
burly head fairly dropped into his capacOUs
breast, and Mr. Blueit slept.
Then a crash as if all the hardware in the
house by common consent were holding high
carnival below stairs, sort of exaggerated
Donnybrook it seemed. Mr.. Blueit started
= -, :
The kitchen was ablaze with lights, and the
range gIowcd with intense hospitality, as from
its cleaning orifces assembled sayory odors of
dantiest viand5-ot baking and roasting, tiz-
zIing and frying, turning splits, and the ten
derest nursing of the trough and sty had not
been withheld from that sacrlfce-whilc eager
cooks jostled about the clumsy solutions, while
delicate Arels compounded fairy-lilc coufec-
lions, and iOiiiest Pucks rclishin@Iy busted
the crisping fowls, while the brown bread sent
forth its sweet and nourishing fragrance, and
nfantile pigs were crying their eyes out to be
eaten with their own grayics, while high upon
the rack of the sidebOard, within the dining
room, yet in full view Of all the complicated
operations, sat the ruler Of the storm. BurIy
of figure huge of limb, rubicund of nose
shaggy of beard, and joyial Of wink and Iecr,
with long icices, despite the tropical heat OF
the kitchen, depending from cap and beard
sat Saint Nicholas, issuing his orders and mar
shaling his forces as if lac had been command
err of all the cooks from Paris to the Feejct
Islands, and Minister PienipOtCntiary OF the
lardeIs from here to Abvssinia. Aud while
the astonished Blu5t stood surveying the re-
markable scene displayed to his bewildercd
vision, this fat IoliIty laughed, and shouted,
and nodded, and Wnked, and nm Iiy, with a
blow OF his stout hand on biueIts shoulder,
! I,,,1 +l,.,,,., L..
seated him more suddenly t!i'h coofteoGely III
one OF his own ic3tHet-cuoh'oIiCu tI"il9.
" Glad to see you, bIuelt, at last erred the
Saint; we've been busy here forso time,
and began to fear YOU weren't coming down
at all. Cold for the seaaon-dont you think
So Blueit?"
Mr. Bluclt muttered something about the
peculiar GOODNESS OF taking possession OF
mans basement story to raise the dash III, ana
limited something about turning the whole
pack out OF doors
Turn us out OF doors mat Sood
joke Why, we've Only mace a beginning
here. This IS going to be a Chrlstmas-eye to
he remembered IN the Annals OF btue!t 20.
When the poor and deSoiate OF GentreyIiIe
shall rise up ana call you piesse", bIuelI-
shr. Bluelt was convinced thoI '1G gentle
man IN iurs, with "hom c was ho'olnS TINS
extraordinary cohVerS"uoi'' was extremely
VI ""N
We deai on manu- % 40 70" See' "o'uL
this time of veal" remarked the saint
''What with taking boxes to the soldiers, With
seeing that all the Christmas books and Sto
ries are properly written, wiCh Hing stock
ngs, and furnishing trees and seeing that
mothers and sisters, aud aunts and cousins,
do their duty by the little folks, and having
general oversight that poor children are not
forgotten, I've all can attend to- But this
big supper OF Bluclt X CO.
"Whatw
"Why, yes, YOU see Biueit 4 Go. are 60
ing to entertain all their employees Christ
mas day; and | conclude that, with such Il
splendid range as this, We might do part Of
the work here Don't be concerned about
the cook in the morning, I've a battalion of
brownies waiting to clean up and leave
everything in the best of order. An excel !
Iently-apnointeds kitchen, Blueit; very few
ron,rrs work rs wcll-ncarly as good as my
own in HerIa-though we rather excel YOU on
tho bot-yyatnr arranwcments Blazius -
tall, thin. wirv creature in a cooks cap
and o,rnn WHOM, RIucit hal watched with
much iassss.St Tor some time, as he whirled
+I,, 80 f,.Is- ont Of the rance and into plat
49,, r;+I ; ,oIari+v rhat de6ed calculation.
,,,,. ,,,,,r,o,l,r5 tho io,ial Saint
els your work finished, Blazius?"
at i. there ONLY remains what the brow
MES can easily finish"
,,rbnn take care of Mr. Blueit while he
ooes to rive out his invitation; and don't let
one be forgotten, Mr.. Blueit: you will ac-
company BlaziuS. I'd be glad to be OF the
party, but have a large quantity OF German
TOYS 70 1ool, over and must be excused"
So there was no choice but for Mr.. Blueit
10 clash the brown, leatherv hand of his COB
u; Il ~ f,lIo,,. him ont into the oIlstV