Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-12

and Lab 10 come down and get my dinner
on the table. and could ride for an hour
as well as not think when
we got back that Mary
had learned that sleigh-ride in the real
country. on the front seat of a Russian
sleigh. by the side of man like the Judge,
and behind such horses as his, was equal
to any ride She had in New York with
nobody better than ramrod to drive.
won't say anything about the dim
ner. only this: hadn't planned and con-
trived ii all for three weeks to be disap
pointed in it at last Mary had given me
such good things 10 eat while | was In
New York that | should have been worse
than heather not to have tried to do my
best for her. and thinking ii all over had
said to myself People like change.
can give Mary the same kind of things
she gave me, but can give her good
things of their kind and they will be the
things she has not been used to- with her
French cook, and perhaps she will like
them for a change. So my Christmas
dinner was success. If do say it.
1t took us two hours to go through it,
the Judge, Mary Israel, Amarillo Ann and
myself, and there was enough left to feed
the widows and orphans in the neighbor-
hood besides, to say nothing of Royal and
Mehitabel.
And won't say anything more about
the Christmas tree. only this ''ltbeat all
the descriptions of Aladdin $ lamp and Guilt
ver's travels put together. You see Jonas
and Israel had put il up in the front par
lor. had a rousiug fire made in the fire
places in that room and Mary's large room
l4at y,F. Il IL,
in and saw the tree, and the fires all re-
Elected in Great grandmother Smithers $
looking glass that hung between the front
windows from the floor to the paStering
she just clapped her hands like child, and
said She Aunt Nancy, | knew your home
was lovely. but | never dreamed that it
was a Paradise
But her delight wasn't anything to
mine, when two hours after the Judge
opened the Sliding doors, and Mary told
US TO come in, for something was ready. -
BY us she meant Amarillo Ann. who had
on her new front and her black silk nit
tens, and her scissors tied tight around
her neck, and she had been worrying her
self almost TO death, for fear that she
shouldn have a present. But knew she
would for had seen to that. and the
widow Jones' and her four, and Royal and
Mehitabe ard all the others that had
invited in to eat land busy times had had
for two hours waiting upon them, for
Israel, Chloe, Lib and Jonas had been help
ing Mary in the parlorl and the Judge too.
He declared that he would go in, for he
must be at his own house later in the eve
ming at the banquet, and Mary let him,
though ! could see that she had planned
10 keep him out III the last minute but
then | could have told her to begin with
that he had always had his own way, and
always would and there was no use to OPP
pose him. Well, was saying. there were
about 20 of us to 90 in and look at the
tree, when the Judge slid back the door,
and pushed them all in ahead of me, and
went in last, am sure | speak reverent-
ly when say that ! might almost as well
attempt to describe the New Jerusalem. -
as to describe the sight that burst upon
me, The room was one blaze of light, all
the astrals and candelabras and Great
grandmother Smitherss old girandoles,
seemed to be on fire, but they wan 7 any
thing to be compared to the tree! 1t
looked first as if il was covered with icces
and then as if it had been out all night in
a snowstorm and then as if the heavens
had dropped stars all over it, and then as
if it was blazing with all the colors Of the
rainbow; and the fires in the fireplace
danced right in front of it, and the long
looking-g ASS took up both fires and tree,
and made two Of each We didn { say one
word-not one Of us; even the littlest
Jones held his breath, and must say that
| was frightened.
Mary, said !, after she had got the
people all seated in the two rooms, and had
come up close 10 me as she used to- and
tweaked my ear; Mary, ! don't under
stand IT, ! knew you could do wonders,
but ! never thought you could work mira
cles and thls seems like a miracle
"Oh, no, aunty, said she laughing, IL
is only colored glass
Just then there was great prancing and
clapping and iinglinR of bells on the piazza,
and a shouting as If an army with banners
had appeared, and what did the Judge do
but throw wide the outside door. and let
in Santa Claus himself He was dressed
in fur from his head to his feet. and he
had jingling bells all over him and long
white beard that reached TO his waist, COW
cred with frost, and on his head was
pplHltu zap All luI anu utllH. ana HIS
cheeks were as fat as pumpkins, and as
red as my reddest Spitzenbergs, and his
eyes looked like Goals Of FIRE, and he went
dancing and prancing around the room
shaking hands with everybody, and actu-
ally trying to kiss the children and the
pack on his back was as big as my new
trunk, and must have weighed a ton, and
his pockets we're filled out fuller than my
red peppers or my sausage skins after |
have stuffed them.
Jonas was laughing and chuckIing to
himself and repeating, what glorious
sight is this?'
Jonas, said |, IF you know where
Israel Grey is, wish you would find
him, he ought to be here 10 see this
sight.
Just then Santa Claus stopped before
me and began to make a speech ! can I
tell one word he said tin he actually offered
me his arm, and asked me to come and be
presented to a dear friend Of his and
Mary whispered, go. auntie
So we crossed the room and there
standing up on an easel was picture as
large as life and it was the picture Of me
lust like the image Of myself In the look