The Penn's Grove record., 1882-12-23
PENIS GROVE SALEM COUNTY. N. J.. SATURDAY. DECEMBER 23 1882

slept late next morning, the unusua
warmth. of the blankets doubtless help
ing thereto. When he did open his
ey ss, he sat up In bed and rubbed them
again and again. What did 1t al
mean? A glorious fire was roaring
and blazing away in the grate,and the
smell of fried meat and hot coffee was
making the room fragrant. The table,
with a white cloth, wa already laid
for breakfast, and his father, now
completely sober, was cooking the
breakfast.
"Hurrah pop, it's all come true"
and out of bed Charley tumbled, con.
tinuipg with my ! amt II jist boss2''
Then, at the sight OF y table n the cor
ner, he gave q shrili whistle, and with
one bound was beside 1t. On 1t were
spread out q new suit of clothes, with
Casrley's name attached; two nice,
warm wooden shirts, and some socks
and a cap. The woolly scarf was there
and fApnels and socks for his father
On the fi0or alongside the table a
brand.new air of boots and a red fam
mel bag. You ought to have seer
Charley's eyes when he opened that
bag and pulled out a pair OF skates.
How they spsrkled a. he exclaimed
"I,m bowed il we amt a-Chriss-
mussin' just like other folks, and
| there wasn't no stockin' nor nothin'.
L say, pop. did yer see old SANITY
Claws? Pr
mo, I didn't see nothin' o. him,
but 1 see the incest lady / ever sot
eyes on"
"A lady ?" exclaimed Charley.
Eyes, and q real 'un, and there she
was a-makin' the fire with her own
hands as handy as anything, and she
sot the table, am somehow she only
seemed to touch q bit here an there,
and it was comfortabler to look at
right off. / was almost knocked back
erds when I come in this mornin'
and seed her a.fixin' things. and the
purity way she had o. talkin' not q
bit stuck up. There wasn't no RAM
min o. tracts down yer throat;
none O. that sort she wasn't and
when she held out her hand 30 friend
ly like, a sayin': I'm going now, Mr..
Thompson. A Merry Christmas to you
am Charley. Tell Charley Sanity Claws
was glad to hear that he'd got a good
conduct reward st school and hopei
he " ould be q good boy all the New
Year" Pom my honor, If 1 could speak
a word fur a lump in my throat an
I've been a-thinkln' on It all sence.'
"An' didn't yer know her at all,
popW
"Never sot eyes on her afore; but If
there was more SIGH ONE round,
there'd be better men, I'm believin'.
I hain't been the best o. fathers to ye,
Charley. It's the drink volts done it;
bat Pm goin' to do better; turn over
q new leaf. she called it."
SAM yer won't drink no more.
por?'
"rll try hard not to, Charley. but
il the old man slips up now an aain,
you'll not be hard on him, will ye ?"
There were tears In Mr.. Thompson's
eyes as he drew his little son towards
him, while Charley sobbed out
Don't, pop. yer amt SO bad, no
how"
Charley and his father were scarcely
through breakfast, before Johnny APP
peared with an invitation for them to
Eat their Christmas dinner at his
house. What q merry Christmas
dinner that was. How everybody
laughed, and talked, aud ate. such a
big turkey, a present from Mas Wei
come; and mince and pumpkin pies,
and apples and oranges. And Char
Iey's father came out quite wonder
fully with funny stories, and the baby
made friends with Charley right
away. The delight of Charley knew
M bounds when he received from the
Christmas tree q present OF . knife.
"A brand-new ~four-bIader, wot WA
eve used afore," as he expressed IL
From that day, a somewhat better
life began for Charley. His father
strove hard to give up drink some
times 1t got the better of him, and he
would almost think 1t was DO use try
ing but encouraged by his little son,
he struggled on, and at last won.
Now. Charley's home is q happy one.
There is q kind, loving woman whom
be calls mother, and q little baby sis
ter toddling around, and "Santy
Claws comes every year"