River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-12-21
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
ANNIE RonEnrsoN NoxoN.

| ing Jacks, indeed. Spending hard got
ten gains in all manner OF frumpery
and nonsense"
Mr.. Bulger delivered this highly dys-
peptic speech to Daniel Bulger, Esq,
retired coal merchant and speculatCr,
looking with ineonceivable disgust AT
the motley throng orcwding the gayly
lighted thoroughfares, all with radi-
ant faces and intent on mysterious
purchases.
No, not all.
There were thinly clad. shiYering
forms and pale faces on which gaunt
want had placed his skinny finger, and
great, eager, yearning eyes, gazing
| hungrily-not upon luXuries-but ne
cessities, and dessolate hearts choking
down the thought that God had for
cotton them, and that the dear Saviour
bad been born only for the rich-not
| for them that need his care most.
Go fast as he might, somebody jog
| gled Mr.. Bulger's elbow and all kinds
| of sights and sounds met him on his
homeward way.
"Here's big, kind gentleman, Net
tie; p'rhaps it would do to tell him ;
and I'm so cold, and SO tired of wait
ing for somebody to notice us, and a
pair of briny black eyes looked search
ingly up into the big gentlemen's stony
face, on which the frosty glare of the
| shop lights streamed.
! "Please. SIR said little lad S
wayering voice sounding almost miles
away in the foggy air, "Nettie and me
came out to get something to eat for
mother, and we don't care one bit for
horses and wagons and dolls do we,
Nettie and cakes and tarts and all
those funny fixins, not bit.
"IIoity toity What is it to me, young
sir, whether you care for such things
! or no what's your mother to me, /
should like to know! It's the same old
CANNON and rubbish always somebody
mother on her de ath bed, and moth
ing to eat in the house. Now you be
off before give you in charge, you
young ragmullin, a-stopping up the
highway, beginning as bold as you
! please. off / say. Your mother
more like is as drunk as mOps and
brooms IN the gaurd-house, where she
! richly deserves to be, and you two
! young Migrants along with her.
Here Mr.. Bulger put up an extra
button to his great coat, as if it had
! been the top bar to a shutter, SO that
no glimpse of his heart or pOcketboOk
could be seen behind that wall of nap
and fur.
Hand in hand the two uncared-for
little vagrants.a as they had been called,
shrank from the course, rough man
whom they had pehaps mistaken for
Santa Claus himself in his fury coat,
I al LOT nj n,,Ic
| pursued his way, Il wonder the
authorities allow such notorious and
public begging they are all impostors,
every one of 'em I'd like to see'em
| drowned like kittens, six lin batch,
neck and heels. that would.
Then Mr.. Bulger fell to musing with
his double chin buried in the folds of
his comforter, shaking his bloWsy gray
beard vigorously IS the thin, damp
! snowilakeS came whirling down from
the lowering sky, and stuck between
him and his neckerchief, which he
considered in his bluff, very nasty
thing indeed.
81 don't suppose that little wretch
told one atom Of truth they are
trained to tell the most awful false
! hoods, which they do as easily as q re-
spectacle person could say grace be-
fore meat, and yet. if he should have
been really and truly hungry, or his
| sister or even his drunken mother
why it would be very dreadful to
| think Of. / remember ! was very hun
| CRY once in my life, only once-but
don't think there can be any state
much worse than TO lie dreaming of
roast beef and all sorts of comfortable
things, waking to just nothing at all.
At this truly awful thought, Mr.. Bull
ger trotted off as fast as his pudgy
legs could carry him, back TO the gay
ly lighted street, with its glorious
shop windows illuminated and embel-
lished to the last degree of splerdOr,
and full to overlooking with all man
ner of what this curious gentleman
considered trumpery. Goodness me;
| do believe frightened them when |
said ID give EN- in charge. And Mr..
| Bulger spun around like blessed old
teetOtum in gray trowsers, throwing
his keen eyes here and there, up and
down, searching in the busy crowd of
people, nearly all laden with huge
| whiteysbrOWn parcels, for two thin
little creatures, whose pinched and
meagre faces haunted Mr. Daniel Bull
ger, going as he went, turning as he
turned, always peering at him from
the himsy Wisps of fog and making
| him more uncomfortable by long
sight than he had been for years and
| years.
There they were, with blue noses fiat
tened against a con fectioneT s window
specializing on the richness of the tarts
and guessing at the citron balls in a
huge birthday cake.
"Aha SO yoh are there, are you!
! you young yagabonds and what a
chase you've led me, you greedy little
villains. Amt you ashamed of your
selves q and Mr.. Bulger clutched the
frightened boy by the collar of his
miserable jacket, and actually shook
him with gentleness.
"0h, indeed, indeed, sir, we wasn't
tryin' to steal anything, Nettie and met
/ and we didn't think it any harm to
| look III at the folks buying cakes and
| things, did we, Nettie ~
Nettie blinked her solemn eyes, and
shook her head mOurnfully. Poor
Nettie, she fancied that eyes were
| given to see with and q mouth to eat
Wltn5 though IudG Cic6iIttI Occupation
/ had run down woefully of late.
SO. you didn't hey! Well now, do
you suppose for one moment that a re-
! Specialize coal merchant Is to be taken
| in by two tramps no higher than good
sized ducklings! My what a genera.
ton this is, to be sure
''Let's get in out of the wind, young
sters it fairly makes my eyes water,
and queer Efr. Bu1ger wiped his eyes
on the fringe Of his comforter, and
! blowing his nose with a most awe-in-
spring report in a huge red-and-yel-
low bandana, went into the shop arm
in arm with the two greedy villains,
looking like some grand. chancellor. It