Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-12-30

to cut up their candle, which was, for
tunately, long one, and they fastened
the pieces to the boughs with hairpins.
The girls had, before the tree was
talked of, prepared gifts. for each other,
and their home friends had sent pres
ents for each to some one else of the
four.
1t was easy for them to find some
thing for Patty, SO there were goodly
number or articles for the tree. Claire
cut stars from gilt paper and fastened
them at the ends of the limbs, while
Joan jauntily tied up the cookies with
bits of gay ribbon.
IL am very sorry" Sue remarked,
''that there is a bite out of my cookie.
But Grif was looking at me, and had
to take one mouthful / think it rather
improves the shape, and l am going to
mark it for Claire, as she is an artist
and will appreciate thatP
At last everything was arranged, and
Joan went after Patty, while the others
lit the candles.
1T is too bad, girls" said Sue. mot to
have the mistress of the house. Here's
for her, too
She whisked chair into the floor, Into
it dumped couple of pillows, and with
the help of shawls and dresses, produ-
ced the grOtesque figure of woman in
most less time than it takes to tell.
Claire, who was capital hand at
likeness, seized a crayon and boldly
drew the face, without for an instant
considering the FELLOWSHIP. Lou put the
finishing touch by tucking liniment
bottle under the folded arms of the fig
ure.
Now she is saying. Young ladies,
sweets in your youth may be sOurs in
your age Isn't it capital?'
Little Patty came in, nearly frighten-
ed out of her small wits, but none the
less delighted for all that.
"Oh, it's splendidp she cried, softly.
ats better than Fourth of July and
Jack-downings."
The dark fir-tree did look very pretty
with its golden stars and half-a-dOzen
candle-endS, which glowed and shown as
Christmas-candles should; the four
cookies and the five bags of candy the
little bundles in gay papers and the
white Grape scarf draped gracefully over
a couple OF bOughs. And l dare say
that the girls never enjoyed any of the
fine trees which they had at home more
than this one which they had gotten up
by themselves; and l fear that it must
be confessed that there was added for
the time being very pleasant spice
from the very mischief of the affair.
But the trouble with this part was that
it made them somewhat ashamed after
ward, lis we shall see.
A pretty sight, too, were the four
yes, the five young girls, their faces
flushed with health and fun. They all
talked at once; they made numberless
harmless jokes, that can no more be told
than soda water can be carried about in
tumOler.
1t was well for them that Miss Quig-
ley's room was at the other end of the
house, and that Sally, the cook, was so
sound asleep: for, although somebody
at every third word cried ''hushp' they
could not help making great deal more
noise than they imagined.
"Do you suppose there is anybody
asleep Ill the houSe?" asked Lou.
81 scarcely think it possible" Claire
answered.
who ought to be asleep?'
"Yes," Joan said, dryly. Here are
FIVE"
Sue dressed for Santa Claus by put
ting on all the girls furs, fastening upon
her head muff with feather duSter
jauntily sticking out of the top, and
blacking an immense pair of mustaches
upon her plump face.
"4iy dear friends" she said, standing
by the tree, Il had not much trouble to
get here, for scented the house from
the North Pole, but l did find it difficult
to enter the house. Miss Quigley keeps
too huge fires for me to try the chimneys;
a Grifliness guarded the doors, and had
not that fine young man, Tommy Twink.
showed me the way by the window l
fear 1. should not have got in at all
which would have been very hard on
me, my dears, for the sight of your beau
ti-ful faces warns my blood like Was
sail bowl. My speech must De short,
my lovely darllngs, on account OF the
shortness of the candles, which is owing
to the warm summers making the white
bears so scarce. But, if the gifts are
not as fine as some I've brought you,
they mean quite as much, and L am sure
1 wish you merry Christmas and a
happy New Year, with less liniment
and more liberty"
This speech was received with great
applause, and the distribution of gifts
began. Sue dextrously pulled a label
from the cookie Claire had hung for her,
and culled it for Patty, who was so ex-
cited that she nearly strangled herself
by trying to eat it, and, at the same time,
laugh at Claire for sitting down upon
her bitten one.
"Whatl that lovely white Grape scarf
for me?" exclaimed Lou, as it was hand
ed to her. "Who could have given it tc
me? And it isn't go much worn, except
in the creases and the places where it's
been tied; and, if wear the sOiled side
out, it will do nicely for pearl color"
Patty scarcely understood the fun,
and looked little shocked until Claire |
rejOined:
"It is a surprise 1 planned for you,
dear. 1t is great sacrifice, for 1t was
so convenient to tie around the cats |
neck. 1t is finest Canton Grape, and l |
think the pinholes give it an air very |
dis-dis-mercyl somebody say distin-
guished in French"
But, aside from this good natured |
banter, there were whispered little kind
ly words of thanks for knick-knacks,
which showed the loving thoughts of
the givers. Patty had long ago forgot
tell all about her mistress and the prob
able consequences if she should be dis
covered in this unheard of transgres-
sion, and was in a state of bewildering |
bliss over the ribbons and pictures that
had been bestowed upon her.
"Am l to keep them for my truly
own?" she asked, "or is it only play |
give?"
"They are your truly own" Joan re-