Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-09

IL lSl olAA AAAS
Unrolling the old apron that was
wrapped around it, she disclosed to
view a small battered %coffee-pot, about
Il of coffee and a tiny package
of brown sugar, observing, with a little
womanly gesture:
II know very we'll that a boy
wouldn't never think of that; so l
begged Mrs. Dixie to give me the coffee
pot. Isn't it nice, Joe? and she was
a-going to throw it away and | got the
coffee of a woman as l 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 a long
speech former, sis made the coffee and
sat it triumphantly upon the fire to
boil. Joe eXclaiming:
s'Well, I'm blessed! we're adding it
right up to the handle"
While sis lowered round the fire, for
fear of an unruly coal upsetting the
cherished coffee-pot, Joe drew from
some hidden resource q lemon and two
Jumps of sugar. After slicing the
lemon he dropped it along with the
sugar into a tomato can full OF water,
and having stirred the beverage with
his pen-knife gravely licked the blade
to see if it was all right. Then, as he
turned the butter-tub into a table,
covering it with a piece Of sacking
marked in large black letters: ''This
Side Up" he remarked:
'.There isn't another teller as I'd in
vite to this air Christmas Eve shindy
but you. sis. There's lots on 'em 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
notion just then to execute a dip.
And Joe himself began to feel rather
proud of his treatwhen everything was
set forth. There was an apple cut into
four quarters and arranged upon a
broken bit of a blue china plate, whilst
an orange sliced into as many pieces
as possible graced half a wooden but
ter platter. The chief features, how
ever, were a verysmall :plum cake and
d ditto mince pie. The cake, placed
upon the u%pturned bottom of a red col
lar-box, occupied the middle of the
table, a tiny American flag.stuck in its
center. The lemonade, thanked by
two oyster shells, was for want of space
consigned to the floor, while the candle
flickered itself into little gullies down
the sides of the ginger beer bottle that
did duty as a candlestick, perhaps in
its anxiety for the feast to begin.
Whether itshould 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 acake
and the other five in a pie.
1t had been a large sum for Joe to
spend in luxuries, 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
Gan old oyster car serving for a cup).
and the great event Of the evening tho
cake was to be cut.
"Here, sis, you cut it, women always
does," and Joe showed the pen-knife
toward his companion, and she, per.
fectly well aware of the importance Of
the occasion, knit her little brow and
measured off the cake exactly with hel
finger before placing the knife to it.
"Hold on, sis, till | make a speech
This as sis was about to help to the
dessert. cts always done when they
bEings on the pie and cake" So say
ing Joe refilled the oyster shells with
lemonade, and having placed the tat
tered remains of his hat firmly upor
the back of his head, he struck an att
tude that drew from sis lips a long
drawn oh! and began with:
sLadies and gentlemen''-
"Why, Joe, there amt none-there''
only me and you," interrupted sis.
'It don't make no odds, they Away!
say it if there amt no rich 'round,'
and Joe, with "don't bother" contin
ued with:
"We've met together at this al
treat; now, sis (this in an aside), yo1
must say, Hear, hear" which orde:
sis, her blue eyes full of astonishmen
~ ILLS ucW Ill lie
friend, meekly obeyed; Joe continuing
with: (Which is an out and outer, if :.
do say it myself, and-and-" Her
Joe stirred the lemonade, but not find
ing an idea there, but out with, "Oh
I'll cut it short; here's a jolly Christ
mas and-a big hunk Of pudden.'
Dropping into his seat upon the foo:
he added, patronizingly, CHOW, sis
you must make a speech, too"
ooh! l couldn't, Joe," exclaimed
the little girl.
eyes, you can, too-it's easy enough
lilly did at Jim's party, and she ain
half as pretty as you," replied Joe, en-
couragingly.
"Did she?" answered sis. s'Then
Perhaps-In try if you promise not tt
laugh"
"All right, go ahead. Here, take
sip of lemonade; it will sort of put til,
pluck inter yer" and Joe pushed tn,
tomato can towards her.
Rising and shaking out her littl,
worn dress, sis placed her arms akin
DO. She remembered seeing a woman
doing it once, who was talking to a bis
crowd.
"Ladies and oentlomen cold s;s