The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-12-25
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AFTER
ALL.
BE MADGE ELLIOTT.

Evcrthing had gone wrong with poor
Widow Magill since the beginning of
winter She had sprained her right wrist
the very first day of December by trying
to lift q big washboi full of clothes off
the stove Then Flippy, her youngest
child, eat his hand badly while making
believe he war the butcher, and chopping
"A large potato into steaks with the newly
sharpened hash-choppcr and Sallic, the
her mother said, "a sight to behold y
and Mary Augusta, the eldest girl, going
out one Saturday night to do the family
marketing, dropped the pocketbook with
two dollars and a half in it and never
found it again and to cap the climax,
Sam, the eldest boy, fourteen years of
age, lost his situation. He didn't lose it
through amy fault of his own, for he was a
good boy, a very good boy; but the firm
he was with failed Bust" Sam said,
but think " failed" is the better word.
This happened on the 9th of December,
and how it was the 23d, and during the
intervening time Sam had carefully stud
led the advertisements i'll all the morning
al
stand at the corner being great friend
of his it didn't cost him anything to do
this), and applied {" in person or by writ
ing " everywhere when there appeared TO
be the slightest chance for him, but at
the end of the two weeks he seemed, to
his great discouragement, to be rs far
from getting work as ever "'Pcars TO
me there's an awful lot of boys" he said
to his mother; "'bout a hundred for
every place that's advertised. And there
amt many places either at this time of
the year. Folks has mostly got all the
help they want, and they'll keep 'em till
the holidays arc over, and then like as
not thero'll he lot more discharged, and
therc'l be tco. hundred boys for every
place So guess, mommy, Pll have to
answer my old chum Dick Markham's
letter, and tell him I'l come out to Wis
consin and try farming with him. He
said he'd give me month to make up
my mind in, and it won't be a month
since got his letter until the 27th."
"Oh dear oh dear p began Mrs. Ma
gill, ncrvously rocking herself to and fro,
q can't bear even to think of your goin'
way off there. Pve never been parted
from you night, let alone"
But, mommy," interrupted Sam,
"what is the use of my staying here to
be idle perhaps all winter? Dick says
can get twelve dollars a month and my
board out thcre-and that's more than |
could get here aEyhow-aHd you shall
have ten of 'em, cause Eve got plenty of
clothes, thanks to my late boss (wasn't it
lucky he was such small chap p, and |
shan't need more'n fifty cents a week my
self. And | can 60 for nuthln', cause
there's lot of fellows going out next
week and Mr. Brace says he'll take me
with 'em"
$50 you've been talking it over with
strangers unbeknown to your own
mother" sobbed the widow, and, seeing
her distress, Flippy threw himself on the
floor and began to kick and howl, and
Sallic screwed her knuckles into her Dyes
and snivclled, and Mary Augusta put her
head down on the ironing table and wcpt
silently.
"Therc, there" said Sam, kissing his
mother and sisters Z" don't make such
fuss about it. Anybody'd think there
never was boy started off to seek his
fortune before, and there's been millions
of 'cm. And you know, mommy, you've
ouly got twolollar bill and five dollars
more owing you in all the world, and it
won't take long to get rid of them"
But Pve got good credit, and all my
customers will give me their washing
again AS soon as my hand is WELL" said
the widow, 'and that will be very soon. J"
"Not To be used for at least four weeks,
the doctor said, mommy. | don't forget
So be dear, good, reasonable mommy,
and let me try my luck in new part OF
the country"
"Well, if nothing turns up before
Christmas so that | can keep you with
me-" said the widow at last, "you may
90. but it will be lonely house without
you"
"That's a sensible little mommy" ex-
claimed Sam, giving her another kiss
"And now l must see right away about
getting trunk to pack my things i'll, for
/ want TO start so AZ to begin the new
wear with Dick | wonder where | could
get one dirt-cheap Z"
"'Dirt cheap? '?'' repeated Mary Angus
ta, with twinkle in her eyes, "why,
from the ashman, to be sure. He often
has 'em to sell. He takes 'em away with
the ashes from the nobby houses when
they don't want 'em any more, and some
times they're almost as good as new. |
saw him have two the other morning, and
he sold Jimmy Scott one."
"Then he's the man for me" said Sam
"Tll interview him chats what the fell
lows who write the newspapers say when
they're going for a man to find out all his
business SOS they can print it) early to-
morrow morning, and if half dollar can
buy a trunk of him, consider that trunk
bought"
And the next morning, just after the
sun had risen, Sam was out Watching for
the ashman, and when he spied that indi-
vidual he also spisd, TO his great satisfac-
tion, medium-sized trunk on top OF the
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