The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-21

which they all descended helter-skeltel
into the kitchen, singing ''Oh! won't il
: be joyfuln, as they went. And Arnak
the old colored cook, stopped rolling out
pie-paste when she saw them coming
and said: Dress my heat, watts tem
chilluns tumblin' down here dis way fur:
Wat yo' want now, homes?
That afternoon at go o clock pre-
cisely the Parker chilirc3, with Aunt
Helen at their head, trooped into Tree
Court. This court stood in the rear o.
some tall buildings, with stores under
them. and you got into it by going UP a
broad alley between two of these stores.
After the children came a stout colored
boy. carrying something covered with
snow-white cloth in his arms. 81
wonder which is the house," said Ted,
looking about the court, which was only
half block long and filled with very
old wooden houses. But he did not have
to wonder long, for from the window OF
the second story of the house just before
him small Bah poked her head. cit:
them; it's Them" she cried, excitedly,
to some one within, and in a momen,
more she appeared at the door.
81 knowed you'd do tt knowed
you'd do it," was her glad greeting. and
then she turned about and ran up the
shaky stairs followed by Aunt Helen
and her nieces and nephews and the
colored boy carrying the something GOV.
cred with a snow-white cloth. TIE
room into which she led them was very
poorly furnished. In one corner lay q
bed on the bare floor, in another stood
an old fashioned round table holding 8
few cracked plates and cups, a fire oil
cinders smothered in the rusty CRATE
and near 10 curtainless window pale,
thin woman, with her right foot resting
on stool in front of her, was half sit
ting, half-lying in an old rockingham
sewing on some coarse muslin bags.
Aunt Helen went to her at once, and
sitting down by her side began to tell
her in her own sweet, pleasant way the
why and wherefore of their visit. Bab's
mother listened attentively, sewing all
the while, though, for time is very pre-
cious to the poor, and as soon as the
story was finished she babe them wei.
come.
''It's but poor place to welcome YOU
to- she said, though it really do look
brighter since you come in. Such pref
ty, pretty children as you all are. It's
a pleasure surely to see you. wunst
had six OF my own, but four is in the
graveyard and s'pose it's best so.''
-Four are in Heaven" gently re.
proved Aunt Helen. ''And it is best so,
for Our Father doeth all things WELL .
"And here's Bab's mince pie" sale
Helen, who had been removing the
things from the round table while hel
aunt talked to Bab's mother, and the
colored boy, setting his burden down.
whipped away snow white cloth, anC
10 and behold! there was a pie as large
as the table itself. Indeed, it came very
near being little larger.
my! wot a pie!" exclaimed Bah.
And "Wot pie!" echoed Peter. But
the mother smilingly shook her heaG
and said; ats too much. 1t was very
kind of you to fetch it. but don't know
what we kin do with it all, kin ca,
but little of it, cause of its richness anG
my health bein' but poor. And I'm
afeard too much of it wouldn't agree
with the young ones. They're mostly
used to mush and sometimes pertaters.
I'm sorry you took the trouble to make
such large one, for we shall be
obleeged to give morn half of it to the
neighbors. Not but what they deserve
it, for they have been very good to US.
"Wait moment" said Ted, "before
you make up your mind to do that. y
and he lifted the upper, in fact, the
only, crust of the pie Off and laid it or
the white cloth which the colored boy
was still holding. And when the pie
was opened the birds didn't begin tc
sing, but Bah and Peter began to laugh
and the Parker children were not slow
to follow, and the sound of their happy
laughter was Just as sweet; nay,
sweeter to my mind, than the song Of
the four and twenty blackbirds thai
sang before the King.
There never could have been mince
pie filled with so many nice things be,
fore. First and foremost, right in the
middle Of the great, deep, brown
earthen dish, sat real-and-raisinS-an
citron- and apple currants- and lemon
peel and spice meat pie, the very smell,
of which was Joy. Then around that
were closely packed candies and nuts
for Bah and Peter, doll for Bah, a ball
for Peter, mittens and stockings fol
Bah and Peter shoes for Bah, hat fol-
Peter, books full of pictures for Bah and
Peter, maccaroons and kisses for Bah
and Peter, dresses and aprons for Bah
and Peter and brand-new pocket
! book with three brand new five dollar
gold pieces in it for the mother of Bah
and Peter.
And when the earthen dish was
empty, Aunt Helen, in simple words,
told Bah the beautiful story of the
Christmas Day. and the poor mother
listening and crying softly prayed in
her heart to be forgiven for having
almost forgotten it. And Bab's good
fortune didn't end here, for the great
grandfather, the two grandmothers, the
| grandfather, the seven other aunts, the
six uncles, the twelve grown-up cousins
and the parents of the eight Parker
children all became her friends, and
consequently the friends of her mother
and Peter also. And, of course, with
such friends as they, she was never
obliged to 90 about the street selling
"shOe-buttings, or anything else
again. But as soon as her mothers
lame foot had been almost cured by
the Parker's doctor and the family had
been moved to some pleasant rooms in
a pleasant street, the name of Barbara
Hunt was placed on the list of scholars
in the primary department Of one OF
the public schools, and the teacher OF
that department says she never had a
brighter or more lovable scholar. As
for Peter Dab being his teacher, there
isn't boy of his age anywhere that
can spell "cat or "dog" or Peter "
better than he can. And it is my opin-
ion, with which am sure you will all