The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-01-29
"a Beautiful Father. ("

''Tel your mother you We been very, good
boys to day." said schoolteacher to two
little new scholars.
"Oh, replied Tommy, 1--WE haven't any
mother"
WHO takes care of your she asked
Father does. We've got a beautiful
father; you ought to see him!"
'Who takes care Of you when he is at
workfn
He takes all the care before he gees off in
the morning end after he comes back at
night. He's house painter, but there isn't
any WORK this winter, so he's doin' laborin
till spring comes. He leaves us a warm
breakfast when he goes off, and we have
bread and milk for dinner, and good supper
when he comes home. Then he tells US storie,
and plays on the fife, and Gu out beautiful
things with his jack-knife. You ought to
see our father and our home; they are both
so beautiful
Before long the teacher did see that home
and that father The room was poor attic.
graced with cheap pictures, autumn leaves,
and other little trifles that cost nothing The
father, who was preparing the evening meal
for his motherless boys, was, a. first glance,
only rough, begrimed laborer; but before
the stranger had been in the place ten min
o utes the room became a palace and the man
a magician
His children had no idea they were poor.
nor were they SO with such hero as this to-
light their battles for them This man,
whose grateful spirit lighted up the other
wise dark life of his children, was preaching
to all about him more effectually than was
many man in sacerdotal robe in costly
tempe. He was man of patience and sub
mission to Gods will showing how to make
home happy under the mot unfavorable
circumstances. He was rearin, his boys to
be high-mnded citizens, to put their shoulder
to burdens, rather than becom, burdens to
society in the days that are coming
He was, as his children had said, "a beau
tiful father in the highest sense of the
word.
How the Christmas Stocking Started.
Why do people hang up their stocking at
Christmas used to wonder why bag or
basket would not do just as well never
heard but one person try to explain, and she
tod such funny story thatGI mus5 see what
you think of it. Years ago heard very
old co.oreI woman telling a story to little
girl, who had just hung up her stocking at
f,hristss.a4 Ie 10 not very pnlita fn listan,
but ldid SO. I can't tell the story just as she
Qld, OUT IL was something IKE this. Many
yearsago Santa Claus in making his rounds,
found his wagon stuck fast in the mud.
There is very little snow at the south as
Christmas, you know, SO Santa Caus has to
come in wagon. At last a poor man, who
lived in the woods heard the noise and
came out to see what it was. Santa Claus
was SO anxious to get on his way again that
hs offered to fill nything the man had in
his house with presents, If he would
only help get the wagon out of the
mud. So they went at it. Santa Claus
drove the mules, while the man pushed
at the back, and at last. GU it came When
they came to settle up, what do you suppose
the man brought out for Santa Cllus to fill.
A great stocking with such large hoe at
the heel that everything ran through it, and
poor Santa Claus was nearly a bankrupt be-
fore he filed it. The people thought this
was smart, so it happened that wherever
Santa Claus went, he found nothing but
stockings with holes in them. At last ho
had to make rule that he would pass by all
torn stockings but that hs would put
prize in the best looking one and the one
with the neatest patch on it.
UNCLE MARX