The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-12-25
TOM MOBILES CHRISTMAS.


From Sunday Afternoon for January.l
What do you suppose Tom Noble had
in his stocking on Christmas morning?
"a new jack-knife?"
No
"okates?'
No.
"Pocket book? Pencil case? Game
of Authors? Dominoes? Jack Stra VS.?
Smashed-up locomotive? Bag Of candy?"
No.
''Some kind of a book them"
No; no book of any kind.
"Cold potato?"
No.
Pair of clappers then? o, drum?"
Oh dear no; | should hope not, Be
sdes,I don't see how you could get drum
into a stocking. | have sometimes
thought that [ might and could, and
would put my stocking and my boot,
too, into drum, but | never heard of
anybody's putting drum into stock
ing.
9'Well-then-perhaps it was a-a-a
jumping jack!'
n n 0, it wasn't exactly that, but
you've come pretty near it this time; it
was something that could jump.
"Oh, acrobats; dancing darkey!''
No, But | don't believe you ii ever
guess. I'll give you a hint or two, and
then perhaps you will think.
The thing that was in Toms stocking
that morning was put in by Tom him
self 1t isn't very common, l know,
l., haI
Tom had not always done it in exactly
this ways but there was a good reason
why nobody but him should do it this
time, and l presume if you had been in
his place you would have done just as
he did.
The thing that was in TOMS stocking
was worth a great deal.
"Worth dolar?"
More than that.
Ten dollars?'
More than that.
Hundred dollars?"
Oh yes, much more than that, if you
had been in Toms place you would not
ha We sold it, [ m sure, for many hun
dreds OF dollars.
"Wasnt he a lucky boy, though?
Yes, he was; not however in just the
wav you think But you haven't guess
ed yet what it was that Tom had in his
stocking. Give it up? Well, then, I'll
tell you.
1t was his foot. He put it in when
he jumped out Of bed. Now you know
why it was like a jumping jack, and
why Tom put it into his stocking himself,
and why he wouldn't have sold 1t for a
good deal Of money.
But you thpught"ft was present. Yes,
but Tom didn't expect any present IN his
stocking that morning. l suppose ne
would have been as glad of one as you or |,
but there was no one to make HIM a
present on this Christmas day He
thought it all over before he went to sleep
on Christmas eve The year before there
were presents enough. They were living
then in the old home in the city-father
and mother and little Sue and baby Dick !;
and they had a Christmas tree in the par
lor; and on it was a new dressing gown for
father, and a new chain and locket with
fathers picture in it for mother, and a
dolls house for little Sue, and jack in
the box for Dick, and many other things
too numerous to mention; not the least
among them which was a splendid new
sled, latest tooth-pick fashion, painted
blue, with its name ''streak" in gilt letters
on the top; a genuine blue streak it proved
too Tom said, "Give it good day aud
good track"
Tom remembered that day very we'll.
He thought it all overflow bright his
fathers eyes were, and what an eager
look there was on his face as he
watched the children at their play, and
how hard he seemed to try to make the day
merry one for all, and still how it some
times seemed as though he would cry, even
while he was laughing. Tom did not
know then what this all meant, nor why
his mother was so sad; but when, two
months after, his father died, he under
stood that they were full of sorrow because
they knew that it would be the last
Christmas they would ever spend on
earth together.
Tom loved his father dearly; and
when one day they called him in and he
sat down by the bedside and took the thin
cold hand in his and heard the slowly
whispered words: I'm going away, my
boy Be good to your mother. Take
care of little Sue and Dick. | leave
them with you! Always tel! the truth
Don't do mean thing. Father trusts
you. Jesus will help you"-when Tom
heard these words, slowly and painfully
spoken, and went out of the room know
ing that he never again should see hi;
father alive, and it seemed to him that
his heart would break. He thought he
should never be happy again like Other
boys. But young hearts are not otter
crushed by sorrow, and Tom soon saw
that there was need that he should bt
drawer and more cheerful than he had
ever been before.
In the spring their house in the city
was sold, and Toms mother, with tn,
children, moved into the farm house
where his father had lived when he wal
boy. 1t was an old fashioned house
with a sloping roof in the rear tina