Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-01-07
Stlttt Storp.
From Balou's Dollar Magazine.l
KEEPING CHRISTMAS !
BY MISS +. HAMILTON.

,What-stay at home and do nothing
! should feel mean"
Pm ashamed togo to Georges and Wal
ters so much, said Lizziy, eve never ASK
them here. "
We'll, let's ask them now, then, and
reN have Christmas dinner"
We'll, was the slow grudging answer.
II suppose we can, though | hate to; i'll
great deal of trouble
"Yes, and great deal of fun, too, said
Sam. Never mind the trouble, | CUES,
well go into it. Wen see what we can do
as well as the rest of them"
! llzzy said no more, but she was much les,
clated by the prospect before her than hcl
! Christmas, Sam inquired, "Wcll Lizzy
what shall ret you for orto-morow's dinner
What II you have p
! lets see, F" she answered, 81 shall want
considerable, for there's five of George,
folks. if they all come, and six Of Walter s.
we must have turkey, Of course, and pail
OF chickens, a sirloin Of beef and you may
! get me half gallon of oysters Let's sec
again-wc shall want all kinds of Vegetables
aud we are about out. You'd better ret q
new lot, and some celery and cauliAowors;
some cranberries, too, | must have some
Sqlashes for pies, and tell the butcher t,
fetch some mince meat That makes me
think ! must have a new box Of raisins."
DO stop there, Lizzy-I can romembel
half you We told me now. Anybody wout
! think, to hear you, that there WASH any
thing TO cat in the house, and that we ney
er had anything to cat for ourselves" !"
'Besure and send me home the things in
season, the wife continued there great
dead to be done. o, wait minute Igucss
must have some money. | shall have to
buy new table cloth-my long one has Civ
en- out; and | must get dozen of tumblers,
too. ! should like Il new castor if YOU can
Get 1t for me, she added, as he was giving
the money.
wen ,ee said Sam and he buttoncd
up his coat, saying to himself II don't
know about Christmas Keeping But he
was light-hearted fellow, and added.
"Never mind; it don't come but once a
year, as they say.
When he came home to dinner, he did
not find his wife in the sitting room; and II
hubhub, indeed, there was among the chill
dren, and scarcely a piece Of furniture but
what was turned into plaything. To-
morrow was Christmas, and they had COM
menccd their mas-kceping. Itwas no
place for Sam for he did not like to scoId
the children, nor did he like their noise and
confusion. SO he popped his head into the
kitchen; there was his wife. half covered
with great brown apron, her sleeves up to
her elbows, her hand deep in the dough ;
aud such an array fpaus, plates trays, and
all manner Of cooking materials ! Such a
hot range, too, and such Kissing aud stew
ing Ills wife looked up--ccrtainly not in
50 winning way as she had sometimesdonc
and greeting him with AN 80, dear, dom
come here Sam
! - "NG, | won't Lizzy; don't be afraid :
| But where shall go p
Why, where you always 60
wv ny. | always 20 where you are. But
| you don't want me to, now, and ! don't
know rs | want TO, either.
| Go away, at any rate, you tease, or YOU
| shan have any dinner tomorrow |"
| Il begin to be afraid shan't get any to-
day, said Sam; 'but never mind, it,
Chri.tmas-or going to be-" and he shut
| the door.
Christmas morning came, clear and bright,
and promising as many another Christ
mas has been; and weren't they up betmes
at Sam jenkins I? But II poor beginning
there, Notwithstanding. Bridget had gone
to keep Christmas eve, and wasn't home by
| daylight, as she had promised to he. Sam
had to take herplace in fre-building, aud
Smdry other like occupations and what
was worse, had to hear his wife's scoldine
! about Bridget, while the breakfast was be-
ing made ready. He heartily wished Bird
get acouid come and take it herself-she was
| so much more used to it.
Breakfast half over, Bridget appeared.
! sleepy and stupifed enough but her mis-
| trcss soon walked her up Then begun such
sweeping, and busting, and cleaning. from
one end of the house to the other.
II didn't know people cleaned house
Christmas, before" said Sam. Il think
I'll be off, wonder if anybody's stirring {?
outside, | mean, of course,
wv att Sam called ont LizZv. ''you
didn' get me half the things | want /
must have some almonds, and other nuts
gel, a variety, Some Malaga grapes too :;
and, II You can find sweet ones, some oran
CESS | forgot to order cake for tea sup
pose, they II stay to tea, and spend the even
ing,
Il hope so--the evening is always the
dS best part OF Christmas, y Hopeful sam
lhe morning certainly wasn't the best part,
hat about the cake, Llz2y?'
'Can YOU buy me some at the Conlec-
toner 5! ! want variety.
wi by, | can, but m afraid that | shan t
SUIT. never like to meddle with women's
matters
Wait minute. called ont the wife
again. I'm coming down. want to whis-
per to YOU
She went down and whispered that she
llau so many things 10 think of the day be-