The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-12-25

| almanac. At all events, he was at that mo-
ment standing in front of the shoe shop with
pair OF skates in his hand He was fat,
rosy-faced, black-eyed youngster of fourteen,
with large mouth. Whenever his eyes be-
gan TO sparkle and dance it was a sign that
his mouth was about to open. They were
dancing now. as Grandfather Starin came
marching stifly and lei y up the street. Said
jim, VIII what for him was an uncommon
solemnity of voice:
Squire 2"
"Wel? What is it? Speak out"
- Did you know that tomorrow would be
Christmas if it got here"
What of til What do you mean?"
wen, you didn't look as if you did. told
Batty Perouse, this morning, that you'd never
have one.."
"You impudent young rascal I"
Jun Denlke lodged away out of the reach
OF the uplifted cane, and the SQUIRE stalked
on in silent but bitterly offended dignity. His
young tormentor turned in the opposite direc-
ton, remarking:
"Guess I've given him Christmas present.
It's nore'n he's given anybody else. Hope
it'll stick into him. He doesn't care cent if
they starve, and DR.. Perouse was just as good
man as he is"
few rods further on, Jims eyes began to
dance again.
'Good morning, DIR. Smiles. Wish you
Merry Christmas IT'S coming Tomorrow"
The bland face of the one physician the vii
lage contained since the bankruptcy and death
OF Batty's father, beamed very benevolently
as he responded:
~ wish you Merry Christmas James. The
same to your father and your mother, and tn e
whole family"
Zone thing I'm glad of, DOCTOR
"What il that, james ?"
~ met little Batty Perouse this morning.
He said his mother had almost worked out
your bill. He said she said she could earn
nnna 10 af thn,, 81, IL. :..1n
'Humph! Good-day James. do declare !
l must speak to my wife about this"
Exactly" muttered Jim Denike, as he
again walked on. maybe that's Christmas
present for him. spose I'm about the worst
boy in the whole village, but I'm going to DO
liberal with what I've got,'
He was pretty nearly at his own gate when a
serious but very pleasant voice called him by
name, and he said to himself:
'He's our minister. l won't be saucy to
him. He's real good fellow"
Then he answered, cheeriy:
GLOW dye do, Mr.. Knox?'
"Pretty well, James. hope you will have
Merry Christmas"
'Hope SO. II it comes"
'.lf 1t comes2 Won't it? Have you for
gotten what it meant?'
''No, l haven't forgotten. But then it
doesn't come to some folks. met little
Batty Perouse this morning, and he said his
them already. All they were going to have"
why, what did she mean ?''
"Batiy said that she said it was in the
cradle, where it should be, and there wouldn't
be any other kind for them"
Il understand. Good morning, James.
Biggest sermon I've had in long time. l
must think about that"
swell, remarked Jim, to himself, ''if he
understood it. he beats me. BatIy seemed to
have some kind Of notion though. Guess
I'd better try him again. It's about the baby,
somehow"
Then he said he would ask his mother, and
his chance for it came at the dinner table. 1t
surprised him little, she had so much to say,
but before she got through with him his father
had coughing spell. He was not suffering
from cold either. At the end of 1t he said,
in a husky voice:
'James, you go over the hill, after dinner,
aud cut sled-load of evergreens.
''Why, father, we've enough now, to set up
a Sunday-school celebration"
'.Do as tell you. Bring good load right
to the house. I'm going to see about some
things"
Then he got up and put on his hat and over
coat, and went off into the village.
Batty Perouse watched the baby faithfully
until 1t woke up and crowed. and he gave it
the bottle Of milk before it had time to cry.
"You needn't let it choke you," he said.
"Mother said it would choke her if she drank
any of it. What drank for breakfast didn't
choke me. Guess she wasn't very hungry"
Children who grow old too soon only grow
old in spots, and all the rest of them stays
young. Batty was old about some things, and
not about some others. When his mother
came home, in the middle of the, afternoon,
and said he might go out for playspell, he
and Puns went right along, just as if they had
a sled or something to play with. He there
fore did not hear his mother tell the baby, 80
cheerfully:
I'm glad there is one good man left in
Perryville. What blunder made about DR..
Smiles and his WIFE"
Matters in the village had been going right
along, but Batty knew no more about these
than about his mothers conversation with
the baby. He had not heard Mr.. Knox re-
peating, here and there, his saying about
Christmas and the cradle. He did not know
that when Grandfather Starin met Dr. Smiles
he had been assured by the doctor that no
charge had been made by linn against Mrs.
Perouse.
Nobody must think 80 meanly of me as
that, said the doctor, warmly. ga man who
oppressed woman in her circumstances,
would have to skip Christmas"
Grandfather Starin seemed to himself to be
hearing all the while. The frosty burrows in
his face began to twist into an expression OF
defiance. When a man is in the habit Of hay-
ing his own way lie will have it, even il it costs
him a little.
"Ill see - he said, quite loudly.
After that he asked the minister how many
children he had, and he put the same question
concerning some of his poorer neighbors
Then he marched resolutely to the toy store,
and into several other places where ''holiday
goods" were sold.
Gwen see about it." he growled, through
his long, white beard. "I'll have Christmas
in spite Of 'em all, if money will buy one."
Some of the purchases he made were or
dered to be sent at once to this place or that
place, but there were several lots that were to
go to his own house.
'Tll take 'em around myself" he said, SIN
the morning. I'm going to have Christmas.
am |"
All that should have done him some good.
and he said so, but his face seemed to grow
ha.. LII IL