Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-24
a HUMBLE. CHRISTMAS DINNER.

There was not very much on the table-in
fact, it wasn't very much of a table, being
made Of dry goods box stood on its side
The room belonged to the grocer, but he had
told them they could have the use of it for
Christmas night In the corner there was a
little, cracked stove, which was so hot that it
shone like a big lump of Christmas cheer in
the semi-darkness.
Pretty soon 'Swipesy" came in out of the
roar of the city street. He had a few unsold
papers under one arm and a small--a very
small-bundle under the other. With him
was his sister Sue. They were orphans try
ing to make their own way She had had
good luck and had sold all her papers. She
took what was left of Swipesy's stock and
spread nice clean paper over the dry goods
box. Then he unrolled his bundle.
'Oh, Swipesyl" said the girl
There was can of cooked corn beef and
little box Of figs.
Pretty soon the others began to come in
There was Mickey" with little packet of
coffee, some sugar, and (what luckD some
cabbage that the apple woman on the corner
had cooked and given him with big tears in
her honest, Irish eyes when he told her about
the dinner
sit amt much, Mickey she said, ''but
may the good saints make it taste as relishin'
as if twas as big as barn and cooked in a
gowld skillet"
There were five charter members of the
dinner party, 50 TO speak Rocks $50
named from his manner of defending himself
in his frequent scraps came into the room
next He too had a little bundle which was
undone with due ceremony When "Piper'
came in he stopped a minute just inside the
threshold, and held the door open while he
beckoned to some one on the outside.
"Cmon in" said he. THE felers IL be
glad ter see yer"
Then there entered little fellow not more
than years old. He was very much en-
barrassed, and held his finger to his lips.
Piper, by way of introduction, said:
"Fellers-and Suze-this ere little coyen
piper himself was big cove, having seen
thirteen years, and being the oldest member
of the dinner party ''is comm to our Girls
mus. He's just gone into the paper sellin'
biz, an be amt got no Doodle. I'm takin'
care o him till he gifts started. Seeln
For minute an embarrassed silence hung
over the little group Then the little people
opened their hearts to the newcomer land
they were big hearts for such very small
bodies, and he was one of the dinner party
Piper explained to him:
You See said Piper, 1--WE fellers and
Sue had heard lot bout Cris1nuss. We
don know 'gzacly what it is, but we do know
that everybody, wot is anybody, has a Girls
mus dinner. So we Jes' Clipped in, and
and" waving his hand around the room
"here y are
But / amt Clipped in" said the new
conner.
well, wot if y amt. Y can mex time
So that was settled
Sue in the meantime had produced a nail
from somewhere, and an old stew pan from
somewhere else, and some broken crockery
from still another place.
YOU'LL make the coffee and warm the
cabbage and meat, darlint," said Mickey.
"Yez are the only woman here"
So Sue went at it,
1t wasn't long before everything was
ready, and they gathered around the box.
The savory odor from the coffee pot and
stew pan had tickled the twelve little nostrils.
and the six mouths were as eager to taste the
poor little dinner as ever yours was TO pick
your succulent Christmas turkey bones.
They fell to at once.
I'm fraid the coffee amt very good, y said
Sue. But she smiled the satisfied smile that
every housewife smiles while decrying her
own dainties, and was pleased as you ever
were, my fine lady, in similar circumstances,
when Rocks exclaimed in answer;
''Finer'n Delmo rco's, I'll bet"
Before very long the dinner had been
eaten. They sat around and talked for
awhile, and the little 6-year-old fell asleep
with his head on Suzes knees, and her fingers
passed lovingly over the little fellows dirty
forehead, and 10y -and-by she leaned over and
kissed him
The tallow candle burned low in its green
queried:
well, fellers-and Suze-has we had a
merry Crismuss" A fervent You betln
went from the mouths of every one but the
o-year-old, and he smiled in his sleep.
TIE dinner party was over. DEM