The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-12-31

raw, bleak, shivering night, the air being
filled with thin, sharp flakes Of now, which
whirled up in feathery looking sprays of drift
around the corners and smOte one viciously
i'll the face on encountering the blast. A night
when men instinctively cooked their heads to
windward as they passed cross steeets where
the wild was holding its maliciouslfrolic.
Mr.. Blueit had been all through the peltings
of the pitiless storm that day, had faithfully
attended to his business, eaten a huge dinner,
and now on the edge of bedtime sat, with
evening paper in one hand and a glass of hot
punch at his elbow, toasted his slippered feet
before a glowing fire, reposing them, of course,
upon a supplementary chair. He had that
day cleared out a large order, which had
paid very well he had lately moved into his
handsome brown stone front, in White Oak
Avenue; his wife was amiable; his furnace
operated well his cook was skillful and
amenable to reason-could mortal man ask
more? To be sure Mrs, Blueit was not the
wisest woman in the world, but she knew
enough to appreciate the advantages of her
present comfortable position. She had not
always been wealthy, consequently she des-
pissed poor people with IN JUNCTION refreshing
to behold. On the present occasion the lady
had retired early, being overcome of the drow-
sy god, leaving her lord in undisturbed pos
session OF the cozy Longing room, with its
cheerful fire and lights. Mr.. Blueit sat there
under the impression that he was reading, but
his studies alternated with mods, until at last
his barly head fairly dropped into his capa-
cious 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, q sort Of exaggerated
Donnybrook, it seemed. Mr.. Blueit started
to his feet, and rushed out of the room down
stairs.
The kitchen was ablaze with lights, and
the range glowed with intense hospitality, as
from its cleaning o%ritices assembled savory
odors Of d~aintiest viands-of baking and
roasting, fizzling and frying, turning spits, and
the tenderest nurseling Of the trough and sly
had not been withheld from that sacrifice
while eager cooks iostled about the clumsy
sculions, while delicate Ariels compounded
fairy. like confections, and %jolllest Pucks rel
ishingly basted the crisping fowls, while the
brown bread sent forth it's sweet and nourish-
ing fragrance, and i~nfantile pigs were crying
their eyes out to be eaten with their own gra-
vies, while high upon the rack Of the side
board, within the dining-room, yet in full
view Of all the complicated operations, sal
the ruler of the storm. Burly of figure, huge
of limb, rubicund of nose, shaggy of beard,
and iovial of wink and leer, wit hlong %icicles
despite the tropical heat of the kitchen, de-
pending from cap and beard, sat st, Nicholas
issuing his orders and marshalling his forces
as if he had been commander Of all the cooks
from Paris to the Feejee Islands, and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the larders from hereetc
Abyssinia. And while the astonished Blueit
stood surveying the remarkable scene dis
played to his bewildered vision, this fat iollity
laughed, and shouted, and winked, and final
", with a blow Of his stout hand on Blueit's
shoulder, seated him more suddenly than cour
~teously in one of his w leather cushioned
chairs.
'1Glad to see you, Blueit, at last !" cried th,
Saint we've been busy here for some time
and began to fear you weren't coming dowI
at all. Cold for the season-don't you thinl
so, Blueit p
Mr., Blueit muttered something about tn
peculiar GOODNESS of taking possession of
mans basement story to raise the dash in
and limited something about turning the Who'll
pack out of doors.
Turn us out of doors! That's a goo
Iioke! Why, we've only made a beginning
here. This is going to be a Christmas-eve t
be remembered in the annals of Blueit & CO
When the poor and desolate of CentreviIl
shall rise up and call you blessed, BIueit."
Mr.. Blueit was convinced that tn
gentleman il furs, with whom he was hold
ing this extraordinary conversation, was ex
tremely drunk.
1--we a deal on hand to do, you see, abcu
this time of year," remarked the Saint
''What with taking boxes to the soldiers, wit
seeing that all the Christmas books and ste
ries are properly written, with filling stock
Iings, and furnishing trees, and seeing tina
sisters and mothers, and aunts and cousins
do their duty by the little folks, and Lavin.
a general oversight that poor children are nc
this big supper of Blueit q Co."
WHAT
why. yes, you see that Blueit & Co. al
going to entertain all their employees Chris
mas day and l conclude that, with such
splendid range as this, we might do part
the work here.
Don't be concerned about the cook in ii
morning. I've a battalion of brownies wal
ing to clean up and leave everything in tt
best Of order. An neutrality-suspicious. kitcl
Ell, BIuelL; very rev ranges work as we'll
nearly as good as any own in Hecla-thoue
we rather excel you on the hot-water arrang
ments. Blazius."
4 tall, thin, wiry creature, in a cooks ca
, and apron, whom Blueit had watched wit
much INTEREST," for ome time, as he whirled Il
roast fowls out of the range and into platte
with a CELEBRITY that defed calculation, no
approached the jovial Saint.
is your work finished Blazius p
ut is; there only remains what the blow
mics can easily finish"
"1hen take care of Mr.. Blueit while he go,
to give out his invitations and don't let o.
be forgotten, Mr.. Blueit; you will accompar