Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-12-20

have.p la 16
Jacks eyes twinkled. o.sz IT'S q
Oh, but you don't understand
MOTHER" said he; 81 may be Santa
Claus viii come this year, ou z
His mother shook her head. aN
"You know i caught ono quail to.
day?p whispered Jack. seq Il.
q Well "1said his mother. 7e u E9
swell, I'm going to save 'em al
the week, and Saturday take 'ern to
the meat. man in the village, II guess
HEN buy 'em. J. heard that quails
were fetching two cents apiece. And
I'm going to get enough money to
buy the girls something nice, and you
must make 'em hang up. their stock
ings, mother, and then wen put the
things in after they get asleeptasg -se
His mother smiled cheerfullv.
6 Well, said she edo the best you
can."draa D!uow a f'eih9 s4s
Their fathen owas away that eve.
ming. He was generally away eve
nings, because most of the neighbors
had cozier 6resides than his, besides
apples, and sometimes cider; and so
he passed many pleasant hour in
gossip and farm.talk, while his own
little family shiyered gloomily at
home. 4 II .9E;3 Etag 9Io.a 0
m BY Saturday morning Jack had ten
quails. The four traps had not been
as fruitful as they ought to have been,
perhaps, but this was doing very well,
and he trudged joyfully to town with
his game hanging on stick over his
shoulder The meat.man did indeed
give two cents apiece for quails, and
he invited Jack to bring as many
more. as he could get. aat
The next Saturday was only two
days before Christmas, and how beau.
tiful were all the stores on the village
street! Even the groceries had
Christmas toys and Christmas trees.
A good many boys and girls stood
around the store windows pointing
out the things they most admired, and
wondering what Santa Claus would
bring them. Jack had fifteen quails,
which brought him thirty cents; so
he was now the owner OF half q dollar,
which was more money than he had
ever possessed in all his life before
But when two dolls were bought, and
they weren't very fine dolls either,
there were only twenty cents lett.
Jack did mean to buy something for
his mother TOO, but he had TO give
that up, and after looking over the
bright colored toy books in the show.
case, he selected two little primers,
one with pink cover and one with a
blue one, and with big ache in his
throat, parted with his last ten cetss
for candy. How very, very little he
was buying after all, and not one
thing for his dear mother who had
sat up till two o'clock the night be-
fore, mending his ragged clothes for
him.
Jacks heart was very heavy as he
little noasckage 6at aX Il s sank s h o sah
when his fathers tall form doomed up
suddenly before him right in front OF
the door. atf
s'What are you doing here ? 7" he
asked, sternly. yao4
"Been buying few things" sad
Jack.
g Let me see 'em said his father.
Jack trembhngly opened his pack
age.
Where'i you get the money!"
"With quails," said Jack, meekly.
His father fumbled over the things
With his big, mittened hand, and said
quite gently "For the girls,I 8 pose"
Yes, SIR" answered Jack, begin
ming to feel relieved.
Well, run along home"
Jack was only too happy to do so.
There wasn't much sympathy between
him and his father, nor, indeed, be-
tween his father and any of the fam
ily-that is, there didn't seem to be ;
but | guess the stream was frozen
over, and only needed few CLEANS
OF sunshine to make it bubble on,
laughing and gurgling as in the best
of hearts. a95 D4
Jack related his adventures to his
mother in whispers, and hid the
Christmas articles in the wash.boiler
until such time as they should be
wanted for certain small stockings.
He told his mother how sorry he was
not to have "a present for her, and
that little speech went long way
toward making her happy. That
night she sat up-I wouldn't dare tell
you how late-making cookies-some-
thing that hadn't been in the house
before that winter. She cut them out
in all manner of shapes that feminine
ingenuity and a case-knife could COM
pass, not forgetting bird for Janey,
with remarkably plump bill. and a
little girl for Mary, with the toes
turned out. She also made some
balls of brown sugar (the Boyds never
thought of such a luxury as white sug-
arr, to make believe candy, for she
didn't know Jack had bought any
candy.
Now I am going to tell what Mr..
Boyd did after he met Jack by the
toy store. He had gone to the viii
lage to have a Z" good time. " That
didn't mean, as it does with some
men, to get tipsy; but it meant be
was going to Munger's grocery, where
he could meet people, and talk and
Joke, and keep warm. fo
Mr.. Boyd had been chopping wood
for farmer, aud had received his
pay; but instead of going dutifnlly
home and consulting with his wife
about what he should buy, he was 60
ing to "look around p" and see what
Munger had. He was touched at the
sight of Jacks poor little package o
gifts, but I doubt if it would have
made much impression on his mind j
somebody hadn't walked in to Nun.
gers and asked in a brisk, loud voice
Got any Brazil nuts, Munger
The man with the-brlsk voice
bought / don't know how many quarts
of Brazil nuts, and walnuts, and ill
berts, and almonds, with all the loung
ers looking on, very much interested
in the spectacle. Then he bough
raisins, and candy, and oranges, Mr.
Mnnsar .vrew;nep. more smiling ever