The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-12-08
OUR STORY TELLER.
All KIN'S CHRISTMAS TREE.


first place, it is as strictly true
as it is strange; in the next, it en-
ables me to justify gratitude in quar-
ter where justification isseldom accorded
and again because it places our patiently
suffering, much abused John Chinaman
in a better light, and shows him to be
as fully susceptible to humane and gen.
erous treatment as his more fortunate
fellows of less slanted optics and less
pronounced expression of nose and
cheek-bone.
As the winter holidays of 1856 APP
preached, they found me in a very I'M
enviable state of mind.
was living, with my family, in the
little mining town Of Red Gulch, not a
hundred miles from Marysville, Califor.
MIA. A continued run of ill fortune
had reduced me from the proud position
of mining SPECTATOR on my own ac-
count to the SUPPLEMENTARY of a small
average paying quartz mill. 1t was
barely sufficient 10 subsist on in the
provoking hard times that prevailed,
Long continued i'll success had broken
my spirit and undermined my individual
energy, and it was only by observing
the strictest economy in everything
that my good wife and I managed to
make both ends meet in the conduct of
our household, and at the same time
send our three children to respectable
school, and preserve an outward SEM
blance to the thrift and decency that
had distinguished us in our prosperous
davs
And one of our sources of annoyance
just at the time of which | was speak
ing was that our little ones would
have to be put off with their Christmas
tree, to which they had been accus-
toned once a year from the time they
were born. But they took it better than
could have been expected when their
mother prepared them for their disap-
pointment beforehand.
Tommy, the eldest, who was a veri-
table little philosopher in his way, stoutly
asserted that he had outgrown such
childish luxuries, and would manage to
make merry enough if we would treat
him to new pair of boots of which he
was sadly in need, poor fellow.
Bella also pretended to think nothing
of the disappointment; but if little
Jenny, whose brief recollection could
not include more than two Christmas
trees at the furthest, looked q little
down-cast when told that Santa Claus
would this year have nothing for her but
a cheap doll and picture book, she did
not whimper about it, but bore it like a
trump.
"Still, know that they feel the dis
appointment bitterly at heart" said
my wife sadly; and l hope we shall be
able next Christmas to make amends to
them"
"Suppose I cut one of the dwarf frs
out on the mountain, and hang it over
with sugar plums and cheap candies ?o
/ suggested. cit would be better than
nothing"
L don't think it would after the beau
tiful and expensive trees to which the
darlings have been accustomed"
Then let us think and say no more
about it," said ! with some impatience.
i wouldn't mind their disappoint-
ment so much, " continued my wife, eff
it was not constantly aggravated by the
Cameron children, next door, who are
forever Growing over our chicks by de-
scribing the magnificent tree their
parents are going to provide for them.
: have notion to move to the other
end of town." / exclaimed, biting nv
lip, for MIR. Cameron was one of nv en-
ployers, and the one who most persis
tently reminded me of my dependent DO
sition, having known me in other DAYS
when was as well off as himself.
"That would cost more than a we'll
loaded Christmas tree, l am afraid
said my wife.
Just then Master Tommy came stump
ing in from school, with his satchel On
his arm, and brighter look on his face
than | had seen it wear for some time.
HoorayP he cried, "we're going to
have Christmas tree after all r
Yes indeedp exclaimed Bella. who
just then made her appearance at his
heels, towing in Jenny, whose ewes were
also dancing in her head; I" a better and
more wonderful tree than is in all Cali
fornia"
And where is it to come from ?'' said
/ in much surprise.
All Kin is going to give it to us.''
But my wife and myself burst out
laughing at this.
All Kin was simple minded, Chinese
laundryman, who had formerly been en-
ployed by me in my little shaft on Feather
River, when l was delving for gold on NV
own account. He had been taken with
dreadful fever, from which only the
most unremitting care on our part. to-
gether with fortunate doctoring, had re-
stored him to life and usefulness = thougb
to the latter only with impaired and
broken faculties. He had never been
strongminded at his brightest, and his
convalesence left him so devastated of
his small store of Orientalcunning as to
verge upon imbecility, while his ophys-
zeal energies had only recuperated suf-
ficiently to enable him to earn pre-
carious subsistence at a neighboring
laundry that was carried on by one Of
his countrymen. He had at first Joined
showman's enterprise in the capacity
of" the great original Chinese juggfer," a
vocation in which he (according to his
own account had been proficient in the
fowery kingdom; but his impaired fac
ulties had deprived him of his former
skill-if, indeed, he ever possessed any
and he had at length settled down
as spiritless and unambitious man
washerwoman. But he had never for
gotten our humane treatment during his
illness, though we had come to look upon
the stupid expression of his gratitude
rs containing as much intelligence as