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

swing hanging from the branches of one
of them. and there was a nice garfen
with currant bushes and asparagus beds
aud pie plant In great abundance, and
there was an orchard with twenty or
thirty old apple trees, and a pasture
with woods in the rear and brook run
+ ming through it with good many dace
and minnows in it, and now and then
! trout There could not have been
( better home for a twelve-year- old boy,
and Tom had enjoyed it, though he had
| been obliged to work pretty hard, for
/ his mother was not rich. The care OF
| the garden and of old Betsey the COW,
and of the pigs and the mems fell pretty
much on Tom, and in looking after these
l things his mornings and evenings and
holidays and vacations had been fully
occupied. | suppose he had sometimes
been idle when he ought to have been al
work, and sonnet mes careless and
roguish but | ain bound to say that
Tom bad tried hard TO act like man. All
the neighbors said, at any rate, that that
Widow Mobiles boy Tom was just the
manifest little chap that ever was.
Handles a hoe said Farmer Brown,
''as il he had been born with hoe in
his hand"
eye oughter see his inyun beds" said
Farmer Green. There amt weed in
EN- anywhere big enough for grasshop-
per to roost on. Pusley don't stand no
| show at all in his garden"
And tina. amt the best ont" said
Farmer White. Blamed if he amt the
most fatherliest little fellow TO them
younger children that | ever see. And
he's jest as tender and good to his mother
as boy could be. faint often YOU see
woman treated by anything OF man
kind as he treats her. Seems Jest like
as if he was a courtin' on her; he's~so
kind and thoughtful-like."
1t did the neighbors good to praise
Tom, | am sure. And if they did not
say these things to his face, he knew that
they thought well of him, and their good
opinion helped him nightly to be bet
ter boy.
1 have told you all these things about
Tom that you may understand a little
how he felt that Christmast Eve, as he
lay there thinking about the last Christ
mas day, and of all that had happened
since. He felt sure there would be no
presents; for his mother was going to
| Brookville, the week before, but she had
been taken suddenly i'll and had neither
been able to purchase nor prepare any
| thing for Christmas. Now she was bet
ter; grandmother had come to take care
Of her. and all was going on well But
| though Tom was very thankful for this,
he couldn't help thinking how different
things were the year before; and because
he was real boy and not one of Mr..
Hiram Hydraulics boys, guess Enough
don't know, because | was not there to
| seq that he cried about it little before
! ne Went TO sleep.
The next morning all this sorrow was
bravely put away. Tom was up betimes,
and it was plain to begin with that il the
day tailed to be a merry one it would not
he for the want Of Toms wishing it to be
merry early and often.
Merry Christmas, Sue! Merry Christ
mas, Dick" he shouted, and the little
folks sat up and rubbed their eyes.
"Wher's Navy Quismas?" said Baby
Dick, Il want to see her,
Dicks ideas of the children's holiday
were vague He had heard something
| about it, and his notion was that Christ
mas was ayoung lady; perhaps daugh-
ttr o. Santa Claus, of whom he had also
heard; nat her pockets were full of good
things for children, and that her first
name was Mary
where's Navy Quismas?" he deman-
ded.
80 you're a knowing youngster,"
laughed Tom, as he rolled up the blan-
ket and tossed him over his shoulder;
christmas isn't woman, Dick; it's
day 'Tisn't Mary Christmas, it's Merry
Christmas" Dick still looked dubious.
Mary that had something to do with it;
perhaps he's thinking about the story in
the Testament. But say, Tom, is this
Christmas day, truly
''Y cure right, it is, - said Tom, "the
rale ginooine Christmas day. But look
here, ducky, we're not going to have any
presents to day; because, you know. man
ma has been sick, and she hasn't been
able to get anything ready for CHRIST
mas, or even to think about it. Now
don't you say single word about pres
ents; that would make her feel badly,
YOU know. Let's see if we can't have Il
Jolly old Christmas all on our own hook.
That'il do her lots of good. Come on,
let's go down and wish her Merry Christ
mas! Softly we wont wake her if she is
asleep"
They knocked gently at mothers door.
a" Come in" said mother.
g Merry Christmas" chaunted the trio
in unison.
Mother was sitting up in bed with her
breakfast shawl round her shoulders
She was much better, but her face wore
troubled look, that quickly passed away
when the happy little group stood by the
side of her bed.
" Where's Navy Quismas 2" persisted
Dick. The rrepressible youDgster was
determined t. spoil Toms plans.
go, motheri" he laughed, this baby
thinks Christmas is girl, and her name
is Mary
"Well, children, DEAR Mrs. Noble
began, Il m sorry
Now, mother, dear" said Tom, gent
| ly putting his arm around her neck and
stopping her mouth with a kiss, don't
bit l was, little, but I've got all over
it. Are you, Sue p
NO." said Sue, gravely.
" Are you, Dick %
''No, I isn't sawy," crowed the little
cherub, tapping the wings of his night
gown; "but Is hungry, vough. | wants
my bextuf."
e Bless his heart" said grandma, "his
breakfast he shall have right away"
Now, just let me fix this thing, :"
cried Tom. s,After breakfast I'm going
up to the woods to cut nice little Christ
mas tree and get it ready for evening.
Christmas evening is just as good time
for Christmas tree as Christmas eve.
Then we'll all 90 out and have some jolly
fun sliding down the little hill behind
| L. La..ao A fto. d;nnor Ill r,or, a crnod