The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-12-24
MAMMALS CHRISTMAS BOX.

Mrs. WatrOuS had taken great
fancy to old-fashiOEed furniture. She
already had good deal that had been
her great-grandmother s; and she had
sent her modern furniture to auction,
and had the old brought from the gar
ret and rubbed with linseed oil and
vinegar till it shone like glass, and then
had rummaged round in the garrets of
her cousins who did not care for such
things, and among the secondhand
furniture-shOps, and had sent far and
near into the country, wherever she
heard of an article of the sort, to learn
if she could add to her collection.
At last she had rested from her la
bors, her house equipped with brass
knocker, with brass sconces for candies,
with little mirrors in open-work brass
frames, with straight backed chairs and
acknowledged tables. and every
thing, in short, except great chest for
the hall, which she wanted exceeding
| ", but which she could nowhere find
She knew there had been such a chest
| in the family, all covered with carving
that told in wood the story of some
Middle-Age legend; but the track of it
! had been lost almost hundred years
ago. She would have given anything
Tor 1T, she used to say; they were so
! very nice to stand in the hall, and so
| ornamental.
She wanted a great chest nearly as
tall as Matty, with panels full of cary
| ing, and long shining hinges but it was
not to be found. And although Mr..
| Watrons would have had one made for
| her, that would not have been the
| genuine old article, and she would not
| listen to such thing.
But one morning-it was on the
morning before Christmas Mr.. Wat
rous took Matty on his kaee and tod
her he was going to have little secret
with her, il she thought she could keep
a secret; and of course Matty assured
him that she could, and begin to tell
him all about several that she knew in
order to prove how well she had kept
them. clapping her hand on her little
mouth in the middle of each, as she
found how nearly she had betrayed ev-
cry one of them.
=" Well" said her father, II think
my little girl can keep this one; and it
is only for very little while. 1t is
about mamma Christmas present"
son yes, indeedn' cried Matty.
Il have found the chest for her -
Papa! o papar' cried Matty, clasp
ing her hands. "Oh. how happy it
will make her!''
Papa laughed and continued: "Now,
you know that this afternoon the serv-
ants will be all gone for in Mr. Wat
rous' family the servants had the day
and night before Christmas for a holi-
day, so that the rest of the family might
have Christmas Day itself for theirs )
land there will be nobody but mamma
and you and the baby in the house.
1.-The cart will come with the chest
in it, and will wait just round the cor
ner; and as soon as Cousin Kate sees it
from her window she will send across
for mamma to run in and see her a mo-
ment, and taste her Christmas pudding,
and tell her if it needs anything ell, e be-
fore boiling. And what want you to
do is not to be afraid to stay one about
five minutes -
"Of course mott" said Matty.
"And to tell mamma that YOU will
mind the baby while she runs across
~
sob, yes, indeed"
"And then the men will bring in the
chest, and you may tell them where tC
put thunder the stays horns. you
know-and when mamma comes back
-
"Oh, won't she have happy Christ
mas Eve! She said it was ali she
wantedn
Papa laughed again. 1--WE shall al
have a happy Christmas Eve said he
"And rs for my little Matty, hope she
has stocking to hang up that will beal
a little stretching!'
And then Matty Rugged her father
and laid her head on his shoulder, t
love him a little while; and presently hC
went to the office, and she went TO lOOl
at the turkey, as to the mOnstrous siz'
and fairness of which there was just theI
quite an cutlery coming up from thu
kitchen.
SO the day wore away. A short win
ter's day, but it seemed longer anC
longer to Matty. At last it was gettin!
on towards three in the afternoon, AM
, there came ring at the door, ant
Cousin Kate had sent over for Mrs
} Watrous to come and taste her Christ
/ mas pudding,
, Dear me! said Mrs. Watrous, Z"
can't leave the baby"
) ''Oh yes, you can, mammam erie,
) Matty. Papa said mean--pll sta
7 with him, mamma, dear, and won o
l q bit afraid" . ...--...
So, leaving the baby with Matty
q, Mrs Watrous threw a shawl over he
I head and ran across to Cousin Kate
3 And five minutes afterward, the me
had left the great chest in the hall, III