Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-12
GaIts anb Sketfkfs.
"B" AND An "R-"
A Christmas Story.
By MARGARET EYr1NeE.

OF the letlcf ID DeluS uNtohCn III vs..
letter "R.'' These two letters are, as you
know. almost enough alike to be taken
tor twins, the only difference between
Them being, that '.B" turns his toe In
while "R" turns his out.
But I'll tell you all about the jolly mis-
take which led to such happy results, and
which was caused. | firmly believe, pY
some one Of the merry clves-fast friends
of Santa Claus-who are always hying
about holidays, ready to do anything that
will add to the fun. This particular Ell,
haven't doubt, Strengthened out
toe Just before the expressman looked at
it, and crooked it again as soon az he
turned away, so of course he wasn't TO
blame for thinking it an r.
The log cabin was three miles from the
city OF Verynew. and two miles from any
other house. with the exception OF little
hut about half mile away, where lived
an old negro named Postum White, with
his daughter Araminta and her four wool
" headed children, and during the warm
weather, everything around it was as
cheerful and beautiful as could be. On
one side stood grove Of maple trees
the kind from which they get maple
sugar, which, between you and me, lsla
very good thing to get-and on the other
side grew all sorts of vegetables, while IN
the rear garden, currants and blackberrles
and gooseberries and raspberries loaded
the bushes, and in the front, roses and
hollyhocks and sunflowers and four
o'clocks and geraniums and many other
flowers entertained the bees and butter
flies and humming birds. and filled the
air with fragrance.
But in winter, there was nothing but
heaps of snow on every side, and the wind
roared through the naked branches of the
maple trees, like one and twenty hungry
giants roaring for their suppers. But
wind and snow and cold could not make
the hearts of those who lived in the log
cabin bit less light than they were when
the grass was green and full of daisies,
and the trees covered with leaves, for
they were one of the happiest families
that ever lived. Every one of them, from
the stout. strong. broad shouldered father,
down to the plump. blue-eyed baby, had
faces as bright as the sunshine. And such
folks to laugh as they were They
laughed from the time they got up in the
morning until they went to bed at night,
and, more than that, they often laughed
loud and heartily in their sleep.
In the out-of-door months, when the
birds sang gayly, and the cows lowed,
and the ROSTERS crowed, and the lambs
b-a-a-d, and the insects hummed and
the Bobsons laughed merrily in the grove
and garden, and anywhere and every
where they CHANGED to be, the singing and
the lowing and the growing and the baa-
ing and the humming and the laughing
got so mixed up that YOU could scarcely
tell which was which. But in the winter
time, when the most OF the birds had gone
south, and the cows and the sheep were
shut up in the barn. and the insects were
dead or wrapped in their cocoons, the
Bobsons had all the noise and fun to them
selves. They were poOr-that Is, they
had little money, and had to work hard
for that; but to my mind there is much
worse poverty than money poverty-and
their parlor. dining-room and kitchen
were all in one big room. And very
pleasant this big room looked at the
Christmas time about which | am writing.
A red and black rag-carpet chow the
children had joked and laughed when cut
ting the very old coats and trousers and
flannel shirts and peticoats and WORKOUT
dresses into strips. and rolling them into
balls under the red-lcaied maple trees, in
the lovely autumn afternoons-and how
proud they were when these balls came
back from the weaver's, long strips OF
bright carpeD covered the floor, and on
the walls. which were only smooth, white
washed logs, were pasted pictures taken
from illustrated papers and magazines
among them. one of Santa Claus in his
toy-laden sleigh. driving his reindeers
over the housetops-and above the high.
wooden mantel hung an old-fashioned
looking glass. its furnished gilt frame
wreathed with autumn leaves. feathery
grasses and red berries, and on the mantel
were some sparkling stones, and queer
shaped fungi found on the branches of an
old hemlock tree. and wooden clock
The white curtains that half hid the re-
cess that served for a parlor, were tied
back with scarlet ribbon. rs also were the
brown curtains that shaded the windows.
A large pine table stood in one corner,
and half dozen chairs. including a
rocker big enough tor two or three of the
small folks to rock in at once. and high
chair for the baby. with good sized cook
ing stove, completed the furniture of the
room. But as Mrs. Bobson often said
herself, mo queen living with her royal
iAlully III p,tltCe, touiu pt uappiet tuth
she and her little Ones" in their plainly
furnished log cabin.
OF these little ones there were six
John. twelve years old, Ella. ten. Robert.
eight. Mamie. five. Lulu. three. and the
baby not quite one. They were all
pretty, fair-haired. blue-eyed children,
and among them they owned at least
twenty dimples - though. to tell the
truth more than half of these dim
pies belonged to the baby-and they
were as good as they were pretty. The
boys. especially, were wonderfully good
boys, and always ready to help their
mamma and sisters, even in dish washing,
and bread baking and clothes wringing
and hanging out. in a log cabin where
there are eight people to be kept neat and
comfortable.
Well, Christmas was only week of,
when one night the Bobson family were
all gathered around the glowing stove,
roasting chestnuts. talking about hanging
up stockings, and wondering if Santa
Claus would pay them a visit.
II hish could have what 1 hish for, )"
said Mamie, who, ever since she first be-
gan to talk, had shown great liking for
the letter III" .'I'd hish for the lubliest
doll, and mountains of happles and