Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-12-31
Uncle Charley's Christmas
Party.

And now am going to tell you of
his last Christmas party, and let You
into the secret that there is to be
another one just like it this coming
Christmas, if all goes right. Perhaps
you and may receive an invitation, and
that, you may we'll believe, would be
charming!
Twas visiting at the house OF friend,
who has five delightful children
Frank, Alice, Becksie, Coaxie, and the
baby, who, as yet, has no name at
all. One morning We were sitting at
the breakfast-table, eating, talking and
laughing, when Mary (the maid brought
in four little paper boxes, which had
just been left. 49,,
"Why, my name is on one OF them !"
said Frank.
and mine on another?' cried Alice;
"and this is for Becksie, and that one
for Coaxie."
Frank took his box and the others
took theirs, amid quite twitter OF Gu
riosity. OFF came the covers, and
little fiat cracker dropped out OF each
box at the same moment.
Glow funny !" exclaimed Frank-"a
cracker! Something's printed on it!
What is It? and he read:
con Christmas Eve
Come and see
Uncle Charley's
Christmas-tree."
"Hurrahl" hs joyfully shouted; 'it's
an invitation to party at Uncle Char
ley'sl and he has sent it on cracker J.
upon which everybody burst out laugh
ing-for it seemed so droll to bake in
vitations to party upon a lot OF
crackers.
Crisp, bright, Christmas Eve came at
last.
1t did seem as if Becksie and Coaxie
would jump out of their pretty white
dresses, so much joyful jumping did
they do, and the eyes of Alice and Frank
shone with delightful anticipations.
Frank went downstairs three steps at
time, and Alice danced through the hall
to the sleigh, as if she had wings on her
feet. All the children crowded merrily
in, pulling me after them, and telling
John, the coachman, to hurry to be at
Uncle Charley's at the beginning If the
fun.
ISuch q blaze of light as the hall door
OF the house flew open! Such q laugh
ing crowd of gayly dressed children as
rushed out of the parlor to see who had
come next Such lot of little mites
of children all clinging fast to Uncle
Charley as he tried to struggle up to
welcome us.
The parlor-doors were shut and lock
ed, for several of the boys had tried to
open them and could not succeed.
Then they peeped through the keyhole,
and announced to the rest that they saw
something shining splendidly. One of
the girls asked Frank what he did with
his cracker-invitation and he shouted
out, 'T ate it upl" and all the boys
hearing him cried, $50 did II their
hearty laughter came in like d jolly
chorus.
Just then the front door bell rang. All
the children rushed out, and started in
establishment, as two Chinese boys en-.
tered hand-in-hand, waddling up to
Uncle Charley, each making three low
bows in succession.
After Uncle Charley had shaken hands
with them, each said, in grave tone {:
Chow do ? You belly muschee veil?
We velly veil, alice samee.'
These boys were the sons OF rich
chinese mandarin. Uncle Charley had
lived many years in Canton, where he
was we'll known and respected. The
mandarin had begged Uncle Charley
to become guardian to his sons, whom
he had sent to our country to be edu-
Gated.
The children, quite forgetting their
politeness, kept looking at them in ST.
lent establishment.
And now the click OF a key in a
lock was heard, and the sliding-doors
were rolling slowly away and out OF
sight. The children hurried into the
Darkroom where the brilliant light of
hundred wax-candles amid the branches
OF a splendid fr-tree caused each Of
them to utter q great, breathless ooh !
Of delight and admiration. Festoons
of Chinese lanterns were hung from
side to side of the room, at the sight of
All Sin and Toto exclaimed, "Melican
feast like Chinee, alice samee. GoodW
upon which Frank whispered to one of
them, "Did you get your invitation on
q cracker?" and he answered, "Spose
this clacker Mclean clacker-no alec
samee Chinee clacker he makee fire
60 popP
ooh, yes" returned Frank, "Iknow.
We have your fire-crackers, too we fire
them off on the Fourth of July ;" upon
which All Sin bowed and said "Thank-
ee."
But the treel How heavily the
branches hung, laden with beautiful
presents for everybody What lovely
and good and useful things that kind
old bachelor had provided for his dear
little friendsl Dolls for the girls. with
dolls houses resting on the table near
for they were much too large for the
tree skates for the boys, with big
sieds under the table, boxes of tools,
boxes of building blocks, paint-boxes,
wagons, fre-engines, puzzles, and guam
titles of books. which, 1 think, were
the best presents of all. For each one
there was tiny lace bag of candy.
When all the presents had been dis.
tributed, and everybody had danced
around them, the good old bachelor
made little speech.
"Dear children, many a poor child
will have no Christmas present, and
very little to eat. There will be no
Merry Christmas for them. Tomorrow