The Red Cloud chief., 1880-01-15

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Christmas Eve before that Christina
Day.
morning, and I had Just called out
" Merry Christmas to Nat, hearing
him stir IN his own room, when Widow
Winterpippin's blue-eyed little maid
knocked at the door, with a MERRY
Christmas" . giggle, and a note from
her mistress. The note read:
"Winifred Winterpippin sends her
love to Susie and Nathaniel Bracket, and
begsthat they viii, As a great favor, give
her their company in her Dol this
evening at 7 O'Clock"
"And I've got a note for every body
IN the house, and there's 10 be a supper,
miss. So don't cook no dinner, miss
said the little maid, laughing outright.
(This little maid was almost always
laughing, in which respect she much
resembled her black-eyed mistress
{" Say Wen come, with pleasure, Nam
ME-" said /. "Yes, miss" and away
she flew.
And at Z precisely, the invited guests
were assembled in the widows pretty
parlor. Dear me! How pretty it was.
Christmas greens were festooned all
around the walls, and anchors, and
wreaths, and hearts, and crosses were
hung wherever they could be hung, and
above the mantel, "Merry Christmas
in large dark green letters, frightened
by crimson berries, greeted us a. we en-
tered the door. And there were stands
filled with love geraniums and begonias,
and lilies in each window, and a splen-
did fire in the crate and most charming
of all there was the widow herself in Il
p%earl-gray silk with scarlet ribbons at
her throat. and scarlet flowers i'll her
hair.
When NathaRiel-poor fellow, how
his empty sleeve annoyed him-and |
arrived, Mrs. McChilly and her grand
children were already there-the old
lady in the easiest ch..ir in the room,
nearest the fire, with a glass of lem
onade, of which she was very fond chow
did Widow Winterpippin manage To
find out every body's little weaknesses
in the way of eating and drinkingD, on
a small round table bv her side, and the
grandson and his wife looking over the
photograph album in a coy corner.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rose and the three Rose
buds, as we called the children, wee,
darling, authenticated girls, came in AT
the same time we did, and MIR. and Mrs.
Summer, he looking worn and haggard
and she with races of tears around
her beautiful eyes-and the baby made
their appearance Il few moments later.
"And now that we are almost all
here" said Widow Winterpippin-we
wondered who else was to come-"we1l
have a dance to begin with. You will
play, Mrs. Summer? Mamie a hold
the baby"
But Mrs. Summer blushed and said
she never played, now"
"But you cam" insisted the widow IN
her genial way. "You surely have not
forgotten. | used to hear you playing
SO much and 50 well when you first
moved here, and Mr.. Summer sang
then, too. Many a happy hour have
passed listening to you both" And Mr..
Summer, with a conscious contrite look
i'm his face, put his arm around his wife
and led her To the piano.
Then Nathaniel took the widow, and
Mr.. Summer Mrs. McChilly's grand
daughter by marriage, and Mrs. Me-
Chilly's grandson Mrs. Rose, and Mr..
Rose me, and we had an old-fashioned
quadrillc dance in the old-fashioned
way-and a jig to end with. And Mrs.
McCnilly declared it made her feel like
dancing herself, and she would have
danced, too, | believe, if it hadn't been
for her rheumatic foot. As it was, she
beat time TO the JIG tune with her cane
until her arm was SO tired she couldn't
beat any longer, and Mamie and the
baby took it and beat away, utterly re.
CARELESS of time, until all the ladies had
made their final curtseys TO their part.
ners.
After the dance we had a lovely bal
lad from Mr.. Summer, who had a fine
tenor voice, and a comic song from MIR
Rose, who had a voice suited for it. The
comic song had a silly, rollicking choru:
in which the company all joined with as
much earnestness as though their lives
depended upon their doing 50.
"Tra.Ia-Ia ira La la lu
Ira Ia Ia li-aud that will do"
And then supper. Such a supper
Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, minct
pie, crisp celery, homemade bread,
pickles, tongue, stewed oysters, candle:
and wax dolls (the dolls beside the chill
dren's plates). And when WI were all
through and back to the parlor again
sitting in a half-circle around the great
fire, IA cup of fragrant tea or coffee il
every hand, Widow Winterpipin, VIII
sat in the centerof the half-circle, said
"And now, if no one has any objection
/ would like to tell you a wonderful
dream l had last night"
"Any o~hjection!" "No, indeed!'
delighted to hear it," from all sides
And, while the Summer baby GROVE,
itself To sleep in its mothers arms, and tn,
Rosebuds, on the floor ut their father
feet-each with her new doll clasped {,
her breast-drooped their shining head
until they sank upon the pillows Nan
ME had ihoughtfully placed neal them
the chairs in the half-circle were drawn
closer and all eyes were fastened OF
the Widow Winterpippin's sunny face
81 went to bed last night" began tn
widow, in a low voice, every tired"
IL should think So" said ever,
woman listener.
land / began to dream directly
And every body in this house was il
that DREAM" the widow went on. "Yes
children and all. l thought it wa
Christmas night, just as it is now, an,
Mamie and / were waiting, just as W
did tonight, for the company to arrive
And they began to arrive as the cloc'
struck seven. First came Mr.. and Mrs
Rose and the Rosebuds, looking so smil
ing and happy that l said at once, 'Yo1
have good news to tell me-
!, "sMrs. McChilly-dear, kind Mrs
, Nee hilly-(Mrs. McChilly sat bolt up
right in her chair and closed her lip
firmly as her name vas mentioned
has paid the doctors BILL Mrs. Ros
began. And promised, she having 5
many business acquaintance, to loo
out for a situation for me- said MI
Rose. And she says to-day is tn
[ birthday of the Savior and He dearl
t loved little children, and she is going {
3 love us for His sake and be u frien
. always as long as We are good said tn
children, beginning to sing the Swee
By-and-By so loudly that we did nc
5 hear Mr.. Aubrey come in; but there h
+ waS biS face ~olou-ipO and his ara