The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

; but cheap doll and q picture. book, she dit
not whimper about it, but bore it like littl
trump.
Still know they feel the disappointment
bitterly enough az heart" said my wife, sad
lily; land hope we shall, be able next Christ
mas to make amends TO them"
Suppose l cat one of the dwarf frs out OF
the mountain, and hang it over with sugar
plums and cheap candiesw suggested. II
would be better than nothing"
" don't think it would, after the beautiful
and expensive trees 10 which the darling!
have been accustomed"
"Thcn let US think and say nothing more
about IT," said |, with some lmpatience.
81 wouldn't mind their disappointment SC
much" continued my wife, one of whose
weaknesses was TO always have her say out
upon no matter how disagreeable subject
"if it was not constantly aggravated BY the
Cameron children, next door, who are forever
Growing over our chicks by describing the
magnificent tree their parents are going to
provide for them"
II have notion to move to the other end
of the iowa." exclaimed, biting my lip; for
Mr.. Cameron was one OF my employers, and
one who most persistently reminded me OF my
dependent position, having known me in
other days when was as well off rs himself.
THAT would cost more than well-Ioaded
Chrstmas-tree, / am afraid" said my wife.
Just then Master Tommy came stunping
| in from school, with his satchel on his arm,
and brighter look on his face than | had
seen it WEIR for some time.
"Hoorayw he cried we're going 10 have a
Christmas.tree after all!
"Yes, indeed ~ exclaimed Bella, who just
then made her appearance at his heels, tow.
IN Jenny, whose eyes were also dancing In
her head; "a better and more wonderful tree
than is in all Californy."
"And where is il to come from ~ said |, in
much surprise.
"Ah Kin is gong to give it to u.s."
But my wife and myself burst out laughing
at this
All Kin was supplemented Chinese laun
dryman, who had formerly been employed by
me in my little shaft on Feather river, when
was delving for gold on my own account. He
had been taken down with dreadful fever,
from which only the most unintermiting
care on our part, together with fortunate
dOctoring, had restored him to life and use
|fulnsss-though to the later only with i'm
paired and broken faculties. He had never
been strong.minded at his brightest, and his
coDv aescence left him so devastated of his
store of Oriental cunning as TO verge upon
imbecili.y, while his physical energies had
only rccuperated sufficiently to enable him to-
earn a precarioas subsistence al a neighbor.
ing laundry that was carried on by one Of his
countrymen. He had at first joined show
mans enterprise in the capacity of "the great
original Chinese Juggler,' a vocation In
which he according to his own accounD had
once been proficient in the Fowery King.
DOM but his impaired faculties had deprived
him of his former skill-if, indeed, he had
oyo al No 4 L., 4.
tied down as q spIritless and umambitiousI
man. washerwomdn. But he had never for.
gotten our humane treatment during his i'll.
ness, though we had come to look upon the
stupid expression Of his gratitude as contain.
ing about as much intelligence as would have
been betrayed by well dispositioned New
foundland dog.
at will certainly be fne tree you will OBJ
tain from All Kim" said |. Better put such
notions away at once, my dears" rtgH
But, papa" said Tommy, earnestly, "hel
swears he will come here on Christmas morn
ing, and make lovely Christmas.tree grow
tight out of the ground"
ayes" put In Bella, land he promised that
it shall be ever 80 much better than the Cam
cron girls are 10 have"
"All covered with silver ad' dold," Chimed
in Jenny, clapplng her hands.
anu "a iCdl uSty biOnCd llRut OuL vi IIeI
ground before your very eyes, reiterated
Tommy.
Nonsense! said |, little Grossly III
shall give the stupid fellow lesson for put
ting such silly notions into your heads"
but have somewhere read OF Oriental
jugglels producing full-grown, matured tree
Of dwarf size Ia a few minutes" said my wife,
whose prediction in favor of All Kin was
greater than my own, chiefly because she at
tended her Bible-class In the Baptist school,
and led her to believe that he was IN fair
way TO beng converted to Christianity"
so have ~ Ireplied "but they must have
been tar more expert than our poor addle
patcd simpleton All Kin. However," |,
was interrupted by the entrance into our
little garden-under whose ample shade trees
he foregoing controversy had taken place
Jf the very subject of our remarks himself II
lie was without doubt, the most insa ne,
ultra added, super.stupid specimen of even a
John Chinaman ever saw. lie might have
been almost any age from twenty-five TO sixty,
10 utterly expressioniess was his fat, vapid,
heepish physiognomy, the skin (Which look
ID like nothing so much as imperfect mahog-
my veneering that had been exposed to the !
Weather Tor an indefinite period, but whose I
title Sits OF eyes were not without sort of ,
anime aiiectionatcness when they CHANGED 10 !
me or mine. His Development of !
orehead and chin-or rather the lack of It'll
vas after the manner of the prlncely Aztec
descendants that were once exhibited through 9
he country; his yellow, protuberant tusk.
Ike teeth were constantly exposed; and one i
that even the weight OF his atten.
iated pigtail did not prcponderate over his &
cerebral incapacity sufficiently TO PROSTATE
hin altogether on his back. E,
The children were not long in making this
cheerful specimen of Celestial civilization
with the nature OF the convcrsa.
ion thai lac had Interrupted, and the doubts
We had expressed In respect to the promised
He con,ented himself with :
making low salaam, with which he always ;
said:
Mai'ce till kist4assoc comcc, and see
what DO. know what it means, for the
good lady make me LOWE the Mclican mans d
JOSS. | never forget kindness, not me- Twas !
big, llch magicman In China | make t
grow right here in this garden a splendid c
L. IL