The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-12-27
A CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

AnQ ne HSbts ~ ceS sou, hSc
SalIie."
Wants to see me |"
Miss SsIlie laughs-a merry laugh
it is. She is not very young, nor
very handsome, nor very rich, consc-
qaently mas but few gentlemen caller,
.n her modest home. Her dear pas
tor, who is not ashamed to have IT
known that be has an especial fancy
for Mise SalEie's ouug Hyson,
which, her brother. who Is resident
Of China, hss sent her, drops IN on
every Friday evening 10 tea. She
has cup, "pure French CHINA, >he
says, though it was really made III
America, TN the white surface 81
which is inscribed 10 .oi.i"n letters,
Many returns THIS WAS thri-t-
ulas gift to Mss Sallie many year.
before and i was never used except
ing by the pastor oa those FRIDAY
evenings Who ccn!i help smiling
when they saw tba; cup travelling
hack ard forth between the Fsas!"r'-
plate and Miss Sailic's waiter. When
hey read the appropriate inscription,
Many retUrns"Y Miss Saliie re-
spected her pastor too much TO smile
al any irreverent jokes TN the subject.
and always replied very graveiy to
the injudicious joker. He mighl
drink something worse than tea he
might drink gin and n.iik IS NJ
Whats his-Lsme did and I'm = =
bad thing for any one 20 drink, even
vhen mixed with milk - it ! /;
and Miss Saliie's argument ICING Ua-
answerablc, WA Of course, never Ar
sxered.
Every Friday evening Ms SalIie
heard with sweet compiacency ami
gentle surprise, the same remarks
which she had been favored Nth by
her pastor for the last five wears.
"Another cup, if YOU please, Miss
Sarah, Of the beverage which ches r,
but lot i..eh. .at,z. DeQuincey SAYS,
Tea = the hcvcT.gc VI he intellect
aa!.'"
Mrs Sale smiles right here she
slw.ys did; il vas q part of her pro
pramme so 10 do. she does not al,-
pear TO notice the implied compliment
IN tie pastors concluding remarks !:
SIDNEY Sni,S sad that be was
sisd he was not bora before tea"
"Tesi" repiies Mss Sailie in an in
curing tone, as If he remark was
entirely nem 10 i.eI.
This delicious beverage was I'M
known in Europe in the sixth century.
It was introduced into England in
1860. or perhaps in 1861. as Pepys
speaks of sending fox cup Of tea. q
Chinese beverage Of which he had
never drunk before. Wonderful to
think Of there ever having been a
time when there was no tea for people
20 drink Can you imagine such a
thing, Miss Sarah 7"
No, indeed" replied Miss Ssllie
xith the same enthusiasm with which
she has made the same reply Cor the
last Eve years.
"No tea. no teapots, no teacups."
"And no saucers," adds Miss Sal
lie, as she gszes fondly at her grand
mothers service of silver, and the
very small cups and saucers which had
come to Der through inheritance.
1t was the night before Christmas,
when Miss Sarah de Verd, known
throughout all the village as "Miss
Sallie," was sitting at, the tea.table
with her pastor, when the old servant
put her head 10 the room ard an
nounced
miss Sal!ie, there's man al the
door,"
Take another cup of tea" saws
Miss Sallie to the pastor, as she puts
forth her hand Ter the cup with the
inscription, MANY returns ASK
che man into the parlor, Hannah, and
I'll be there directly"
The man has already walked into
the parlor. Well does he remember
it. Just as is looks now. so looked il
twenty years before The long room
with the two windows at the front.
draped with snowy white curtains
the ample hearth, with the brass an
dirons, on which are piled the blazing
logs; the tall mantelpiece on the
front of which is carved Pan playing
on(his reeds for the shepherds to dance
on the wooded slopes of Arcadia aud
the blue India jars filled with green
holly and its cleaning red berries,
standing between the silver candle
sticks, the wax candles of which are
lighted, @
He glances around him; all is the
same. The sage colored carpet, with
its crimson roses; the tall mahogany
SEGA ia v with it. brass adornments !