Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-27
The Peterkins' Christmas Tree.
BY LUCRETlA ,. HALE:

Pretty early in the autumn the Peter
kins began to prepare for their Christ
mas tree. Everything was done in
great privacy, as it was to be q surprise
to the neighbors, as we'll as to the rest
of the family. Mr.. Peterkin had been
up to Mr.. Bromwich's wood-lot, and,
with his consent, selected q the tree.
Agamemnon went to look at it occasion
ally after dark, and Solomon John
made frequent visits to it, mornings,
just after sunrise. Mr.. Peterkin drove
Elizabeth, Eliza and her mother that
way, and pointed furtively to it with
his whip, but none of them ever spoke
of it aloud to each other. It was sus-
pected that the little boys had been to
see it Wednesday and Saturday after
Moons. But they came home with their
pockets full of chestnuts, and said moth
ing about It.
At length Mr.. Peterkin had it cut
down, ana brought secretly into Lar
kins's barn. A week or two before
Christmas, g measurement was made
of it, with Elizabeth Elizs's yard-meas-
ure. To Mr.. Peterkin's great dismay,
to stand in the back parlor. This fact
was brought out at a secret council of
Mr.. and Mrs. Peterkin, Elizabeth Eliza,
and Agamemnon.
Again emnon suggested that it might
be set up slanting, but Mrs. Peterkin
was very sure it would make her dizzy,
and the candles would drip.
But brilliant idea came to Mr.. Pc
terkin. He proposed that the ceiling
of the parlor should be raised to make
room for the top of the tree.
Elizabeth Eliza thought the space
would need to be quite large. It must
not be like small box, or you could
not see the tree.
eyes," said Mr.. Peterkin, II should
have the ceiling lifted all across the
room; the effect would be finer"
Elizabeth Eliza objected to having
the whole ceiling raised, because her
room was over the back parlor, and
she would have no floor while the alter
alton was going on, which would be
very awkward. Besides, her room was
not very high now, and if the floor were
raised, perhaps she could not walk in
it upright.
Mr.. Peterkin explained that he didn't
propose altering the whole ceiling, but
to lift up a ridge across the room at the
back part where the tree was to stand.
This would make hump, to be sure,
in Elizabeth Eliza's room; but it would
go across the whole room.
Elizabeth Eliza said she would not
mind that. It would be like the cuddy
thing that comes up On the deck of a
ship, that you sit against, only here
you would not have the seasickness.
She thought she would like it for rar-
ity. She might use it for divan.
Mrs. Peterkin thought it would come
in the worn place of the carpet, and
might be convenience in making the
carpet over.
Agamemnon was afraid there would
be trouble in keeping the matter secret,
for it would be q long pice of work for
a carpenter; but Mr.. Peterkin proposed
having the carpenter for a day Or two,
for number of other jobs.
One of them was to make all the
chairs in the house of the same height
for Mrs. Peterkin had nearly broken
Lei 6pluc, Ny olCciuS oO"A -. =" oAA"'
that she had supposed was her OWL
rocking chair, sand it had proved to be
two inches lower. The little boys were
now large enough to sit In any chair
so medium was fixed upon to satisfy
all the family, and the chairs were
made uniformly Of the same height.
On consulting the carpenter, howev'
er, he insisted that the tree could be
cut off at the lower end to suit the
parlor, and demurTed at so great q
change as altering the ceiling. But
Mr.. Peterkin had set his mind upor
the improvement, and Elizabe tn Eliza
had cut her carpet los preparation
So the foldiag-doors into the back
narlor were closed, and for fortnight
before Christmas there was great litter