Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-12-21

hailed this repetition? The boys rolled
off their chairs and roared till their very
sides ached tsars Streamed down Mrs.
Whites fair face; Grace gazed at the
presents with look half rueful and half
funny, while the Doctors vigorous shawl
hawi haw" conld have been heard half
mile had it not been happily the sea-
son Of shut doors and windows, while
Sylvia herself perceiving the six pocket
books which had preceded her basket
ful, appreciated the situation and laugh
| ed all the harqer because she was not
tired with previous ft OF mirth, and
Grandma sat shaking and chuckling in
Ter chair, out of breath to be sure, but
her cheeks rosy and her eyes shining
more than over. Suddenly q loud knock
at the front door interrupted their laugh
ter. Tom ran to admit the intruder; it
was the expressman with box from
New York directed in uncle Toms hand
to Mrs. J. G. Grant
Something better than pocket books
this time, motherP' said the Doctor, as
Tom ran for the screw driver; but alasl
the very first bSndle that rolled out and
fell heavily to the floor, proved when
picked up to be indeed another pocket
OOshs Gu sbQ CkdoPCO viii oAANCAB
and. -Grandma's initials or the clasp;
beautiful as the gift was 1t was thrust
aside with a certain impatiencs, for the
next package, labelled from Rosamond,
but opened only to display the very
counterpart of Amelia's gift; and a pa
per box with Kate's script outside held
the recurrent pocket book again in
black velvet and gilt corners. willis
little carved white-woOd box, the work
of Halls patient fingers, showed within
its lid a purse of silvered links that had
cost all his years savings.
This was the last touch. Hitherto
their curiosity as one thing was dis
played after another, had kept them in
sort of bubbling quiet, but this final de-
velopment was too much; they laughed
so loud and so long that old Hannah.
hurrying from the kitchen and opening
the door to see what was the matter,
looked thnnderstruck as she beheld the
whole family shaking. choking, rolling
about or holding on to each other in
roars of side-splitting laughter, while
fourteen purses and pocket books made
the breakfast table look like fancy fair.
Il thought heard cracking OF
thorns, as scripter says" she grOwled.
BE you a-going to set up fancy store,
Mis- White ?"
Bring in the breakfast. Hannah"
said the Doctor, recovering himself. Its
a melancholy truth that we can't eat
pocket books" ,rlslsi -t5e
For the satisfaction of the curious
must explain that the next May, when IL
certain old clock on the landing of the
garret stairs was taken down to be put
ia order and made into household god
after the modern rage for such things.
right under it lay Grandma's pocket
book intact. -
"WeIl. now ] remember" said the as
tunished old lady, who never did re-
Inrnb+r here she had hidden anything
till sonrUoiy else found it.
Il was Quin' up the chest to get out
those things of husbands for Sally Slack,
and thought ! wouldn't leave my
pocket book in my room, 'twould be
putting temptation in her way, which
isn't really right il person is ever so
honest: we're all frail as you may say
when our time comes, and l didn't have
my cloak ON 10 put it in the pocket, and
my under pocket WAS full, so | slipped
it under the clock case as / went up.
feeling certin sure should remember il
because i never put it there before"
But the family voted that no harm
had been done after all. for next Christ
HAS the Rutledge girls each had love-
ly silk party dress from the double fund;
Gracie's cloak was mated by the pretti-
est hat and muff Tom had his wild de-
sire for a bicycle fulfilled Harry owned a
real gold watch which was far better
than dog; and Jacks ten gold eagles
took him in the spring to Niagars and
down the ST. Lawrence. a journey never
to he forgotten. Kate and R'rsamOnd
had their sealskin caps and muffs. gloves
and velvet skirts to correspond with and
supplement their last years jackets; and
Hal not only had his precious socks. but
a bookcase for them. and the pocket
books were re-distributed among their
givers; SO that in the end good and not
evil came of Grandma's losing her
Christmas pocket book. s.-