The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-01-03
BROOFKHAVEN. MISS eTHU URsD4AY. JANUARY 3, 1878.

TO nOlu Janey on MS lap, ana KEEP, the
stove well filed withwood, Janey wasn't
feeling well that day, and this unusual
attention to her made the family very
kindly disposed toward their father,
whom of lats they had come to regard
almost as an alien.
Jack. whose Shoes were not yet worn
ont, went to Sunday school, and after
| his return the wiuter day was soon
gone. Then be; began to fidset, aud
was very DESTROYS that his mother
should put the girls to bed; while,
strarige to say, his father was desirous
that tie whole family should go to bed,
excc,t himself. In course of time the
little girls were asleep in their trundIe
bel, with, their little red stockings
hang 8 behind thesdoor, so Jack slip
poa irahis pres cnts without his father
seeing him. and went 10 Ills cold bed
up stairs.
"Aiut you going to hang up your
stocking mother?'' asked Mr.. Boyd af-
ter Jack had gone.
Mrs Boyd looked startled
"Why, nc" she answered, hesitating-
ly, not knowing whether the question
was was asked in irony or in earnest.
"You better, said Mr.. Boyd, going
to the bag in the corner, ua,l beginning
to unite the, string.
He laid ont package after package on
the foor. His wife knelt down by them
in maze Of as.ouishment. Then, with
a great deal of enjoyment, Mr.. Boyd
nntied them one by one, showing candl,
nuts, oranges, shoes, aud all the rest,
except the calico dress, which he kept
out OF sight.
1 Aladdin felt very fine when he found
the cave full Of precious stones, but 1
don't believe he was much happier than
Mrs. Boyd. Her eyes were so full Of
tears that there seemed to be about
eight pair of shoes, ten bags, aud half
a dozen Mr.. Boyds; but she managed to
lay ha..ds on the real one, and him she
embraced fervently. Then she brought
ont the cookies aud sugar balls she had
made, and said to her husband, in d
very shame-!aced way:
See my poor presents; didn't know
the children would have anything nice,
and made these. guess l won't put
em in their stockings though, now"
BIT Mr.. Boyd insisted on their going
in with the ether things, and think
they were priced by the children a little
more dearly, if such thing could be
possible, than those which they called
their 'boughten" presents.
j Now, I can't begin to describe the
4:oyf -. ;hey has, nelt ilofnfng, a.ll
particularly the utter astonishment OF
Jack, who didn't expect thing, and
hadn't even hung up stocking. When
that devoted boy recognized one of his
own gray socks crammed full of knobs
and punches, with beautiful plush
cap on top, he was almost out of his
Wits. Likewise, Mrs. Boyd's surprise
was great at the discovery of her new
dress. The little girls were too happy
that day to do much else but count and
arrange and re, arrange their delightful
presents,
Mr.. Boyd killed a chicken, and Jack
contributed four quais which he had
caught since market day, and the festi'
val of Christmas was kept with much
hilarity by the Boyd fsmily.
The neighbors, one by one, were sur
prised that Mr.. Boyd hadn't dropped
in, as he usually did on Sundays and
holidays. But Mr. Boyd WAS engaged
elsewhere. Aud this was only the be-
ginning of good days for that family,
) for somehow, the .Christmas feeling
seemed to last through all the year with
Mr.. Boyd, and through many other
years; and the little ball set rolling by
Jack, with his qu ail-traps, grew to be
a mighty globe of happiness for the
whole family.