The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-14

. tiny Dacka2e 0fbrOwn sugar, obserY-
ing. with a little wOmanlv gesture:
II knOwed very well that q boy
never think of that; SO | begged Mrs.
Dixie to Give me the COtfee-pOt. isn't IL
nice, Joe? and she was a going to throw
il away and | got the coffee OF q woman
IS [ minds her baby sometimes instead
of the penny, and a real nice grocery
man let me scrape out a sugar barrel.
Here, all out Of breath at such q long
speech for her, sis made the coffee n
sat it triumphautiy upon the Ire 70 Do"'
Joe eXClaImlng: .
"Tell, I'm blessed, we're a doing II
right up to the handle"
WbiIp sis lowered round the fire, for
fear Of an unruly coal upsettng the
cherished rofIee-pOt, Joe drew from
some hidden resource a lemon and two
humps of sugar. After slicing the lemon
he droppcd it along with the sugar into
a tomato can full Of water, and laying
stirred the beverage with his pCn.k knife
g~ravely licked the blade TO see II 1t was
all right. Then, as he turnedth the butter
tnh into a table. covering II with q piece
of sacking marked in large black letters,
This Side Up" he remarked:
There isn't another Teller as I'd in
wife to this air Christmas Eve shindy
but you, sis. There's lots on EN- as 'ud
be glad to come; it isn't every day as
they gifts such a treat"
ooh, Joe, it's jess lovely" answered
sis; with an admiring glance at the
| spread that nearly resulted in the col
lapse of the ~Coffee-pot which took a no.
ton Just then to execute a dip.
And Joe himself began to feel rather
| proud of his treat when everything was
set forth. There was an apple cut into
four quarters and arranged upon a broken
bit Of blue china plate, whilst an orange
sliced into as many pieces as possible
graced half of a wooden butter platter.
The chief features, however, were a very
| small plum cake and a ditto minCe pie.
The cake, placed upon the upturned bot.
tom OF a red collar-box, occupied the
middle of the table, a tiny American
flag struck in its center. The lemonade
fanked by two oyster shells. was fol-
want OF space consigned to the floor,
while the candle fickered itself into lit.
tie gullies down the sides of the ginger
beer bottle that did duty as a candle
stick, perhaps in its anxiety for the .feast
to begin.
Whether it should be a pie or a cake
had been the important question, and
they had at last split the difference by
investing five Of the ten cents in a.'cake
and the other five in q pie.
1t had been a large SUN for Joe to
spend in luxuTies, not many tens find
ing their way to his pocket; in fact, it
was his last cent, but he was perfectly
satisfied with the result and | do not
believe there were two happier children
in New York that night than they, when
the coffee had been drunk to the last
drop and pronounced elegant" ian old
oyster can serving for a Cup), and the
great event OF the evening the cake was
to be cut.
"Here, sis, you cut it, women always
does" and Joe showed the penknIfe
toward his companion and she, per
fectly aware of the importance Of The
occasion, knit her little brow and meas.
ured off the cake exactly with her finger
before placing the knife to it.
Hold on, sis, till / make a speech"
This as sis vas about to help to the ses-
sert.l Its always done when they
brings on the pie and cake" So saying
Joe refilled the oyster shells with lemon
ade and having placed the tattered re-
mains of his hat firmly on the back Of
his head, he struck an attitude that drew
from sis lips a longdrawn ohland began
with:
Ladies and gentlemen''-
"Why, Joe, there amt none-there's
only me and you" interrupted sis.
"It don't make no odds, they always
say it If there amt no rich round" and
Joe with, don't bother" continued
with:
"We've met together at this air treat;
now, sis (this is inside), you must say,
Hear, hear" which order sis, her blue
eyes full of establishment at this new ac-
complishment of her friend. meekly
obeyed; Joe continuing with; (which is
an out and outer, if / GO say it myself,
and-and-" here Joe stirred the lemon
ade, but not finding an idea there, burst
out with, "Oh I'll cut it short; here's a
jolly Christmas and a big hunk o pud-
den." Dropping into his seat upon the
floor he added patronizingly; Now,
sig, you must make a speech, too"
"Ohl | couldn't, Joe," exclaimed the
little girl.
Eyes you can, t0o-itis easy enough.
lilly did at Jim's party, and size amt
half as pretty as you be-" replied Joe,
encouragingly.
"Did she?" answered sis. "Then, per-
haps-W try if you promise not to
laugh"
"All right, 60 ahead. Here take a sip
of lemonade; it will sort of put the pluck
inter yer" and Joe pushed the tomato
can towards her.
Rising and shaking out her little worn
dress, sis placed her arms akimbo. She
remembered seeing O woman doing il
once, who was talking to a big crowd.
ladies and gentlemen" said sis, 81
am so very much glad that | was invited
to this beauter-ful treat, with snch love,
ly plum-cake, ! hopes Joe will have one
next Christmas Eve"
"Hearl hearl' called out Joe, thereby
causing sis, in her confusion, to add hur
riedly:
Many happy returns of the day
amen
"Hurrayp shouted Joe, "it's better