The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-12-22

his especial business to hold Janey on his
lap and keep the stove well filled with wood.
Janey wasn't feeling well that day, and his
unusual attention to her made the family,
very kindly disposed toward their father,
whom of late they had come to regard almost
| as an alien.
Jack, whose shoes were not yet worn out,
went to Sunday school, and after his return
the winter day was soon gone. Then he be-
gan to fidget, and was very DESTROYS that his
mother should put the little girls to bed,
while strange to say his father was DESTROYS
that the whole family should go to bed, ex-
| cept himself. In course of time the little
girls were asleep in their little trundle bed,
with their little red stockings hanging be-
| hind the door. Mr. Boyd sat with his back
to the door, so Jack slipped in his presents
without his father seeing him, and went to
his cold bed up stairs.
"Ain't you going to hang up your stocking,
mother?" asked Mr.. Boyd, after Jack had
gone.
Mrs. Boyd looked startled.
why, no." she answered, hesitatingly, not
knowing whether the question was asked in
| irony or in earnest.
"You BETTER" said Mr. Boyd, going to the
bag in the corner, and beginning to unite the
strings.
He laid out package after package on the
floor His wife knelt down by them in
| maze ofastonishment. Then, with great deal
| of enjoyment Mr.. Boyd united them one
by one, showing candy, nuts, oranges, shoes
| and all the rest, except the calico dress, which
| he kept out of sight.
Aladdin felt very fine when he found the
cave full precious stones, but | don't believe
he was much happier than Mrs. Boyd. Her
| eyes were so full of tears that there seemed
| to be about eight pairs of shoes, ten bags, and
| half dozen Mr.. Boyds but she managed to
| lay hands on the real one, and him she embrac-
| ed fervently. Then she brought out the cook
| les and sugar balls she had made, and said
| to her husband in very shame-faced way
"See my poor present!I didn't know the
| children would have anything nice, and
| made these. | guess won't put 'em in their
stockings though, now.
But Mr.. Boyd insisted on their going in
| with the other things, and think they were
priced by the children little more dearly, if
such thing could be possible, then those
which they called their "boughten" pre-
sents.
Now, can't begin to describe the joyful
time they had the next morning, and particu-
larly, the utter establishment of Jack, who
| didn't expect thing, and hadn't even hung
up stocking. When that devoted boy re-
ciS vi iio oNh SiuJ ooIho
full of knobs and punches, with beautiful
plush cap on top, he was almost out of his
wits Likewise, Mrs. Boyd's surprise was
great at the discovery other new dress. The
little girls were too happy that day to do
much else but count and arrange and rear
range their delightful Christmas presents.
Mr.. Boyd killed a chicken, and Jack con-
tributed four quails, which he had caught
since market day, and the festival of Christ
mas was kept with much hilarity by the
Boyd family.
The neighbors, one by one, were surprised
that Mr.. Boyd hadn't dropped in, as he usu-
ally did on Sundays and holidays. But Mr..
Boyd was engaged elsewhere. And this was
only the beginning of good days for that
family, for, somehow, the Christmas feeling
seemed to last through all the year with Mr..
Boyd, and through many other years and
the little ball set rolling by Jack with his
quail-traps grew to be a mighty globe of hap
piness for the whole family.