The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-01-08

with old Santa Claus every Christmas
and he always gets me and takes away
my pocketbook, and spends my money
and throws the purse back to me empty
and laughs and shakes his fat sides and
twinkles his eyes and puts his thumb to
his nose and wiggles his fingers at me
and says, Goodbye for q year." and is
gone. The old rascal. He sets my wife
against me, and while we are wrestling,
she stands off and laughs andaays, "Hur.
rah, Santy-go it, my Santy-get lis
pocketbook, Sanity" for she knows that
her children are to share in the money,
and she pats me SO lovingly on the cheek
and sings,
"Christmas comes lut once year,
Well, it is all over now. Christmas has
come and gone. The banquet hall is de-
serted. The Christmas Tree has served
its night and now lies hishonored and
wilted on the woodpile, with none so
poor as to do it reverence. How stately
and proud it stood erect in the parlor, IL
Illuminated with its little candles, and
bending with its burden of dolls and toys
and books and candy and fruit for the
children and richer gifts for the parents
and kindred and the servants of the
household It was family tree and on.
" two of the household had charge of its
secrets. Old Santa had chosen them as
his deputies. The parlor doors were
locked and ever and anon mysterious
messengers came with mysterious pack
ages that were slipped in at side 1iudow
while the little chaps we're frolicking in
another room. Out doors the silver moon
was giving its holy light. Bright lamps
were burning within, and soon the clans
began to gather and get ready for the
feast and for the frolic. The extension
table had been stretched to its utmost
limit and was laden with good things
that Mrs. Arp and the good old cook had
prepared At each end reposed q large,
brown, oily turkey. With legs pinioned
and knees drawn up in postbumous pray
er and wings closed serenely upon the
breast, they seemed reconciled to their
fate and meekly surrendered to the sacri>
fee. How kind it is in Providence to
keep all animals intended for our food in
ignorance Of their destinyl Good things
abounded in all the space between the
turkeys, and everybody enjoyed the feast
and fingered at the festive board. Ever
aud anon there was bang of fireworks,
and q flash from rocket aud some rebel
wells in the distance, and all of sudden
the children heard horn footing on the
roof and racket on the shingles and q
jingle of bells in the parlor and their ap-
petite was gone. The doors were thrown
open wide and there was an eager rush to
zee the old man, but he WAS gone. Amaz-
ed and bewildered, the chaps stood off and
looked and wondered. The paternal and
maternal ancestors were given the petri-
archal chairs and lent their dignity to the
scene. 1t was worthy of picture to see
the happy faces that beamed e1pectant
all around. and the servants in the ba
ground and old Uncle Sam bringing up
the rear with his big, massive, antiquated
Frame and bis dark face fringed with his
snow-white beard. Good, kind, old
fashioned ante. bellum Sam. He slipped
a package in at the window, the last of
ali, and said to Jessie "Put dis down dar
sumwars for your ma and mark it frum
Uncle Sam. She been good to me-" and
he vanished in the darkness. It wds a
fireplace set of shovel and coal tongs and
poker and stand to hold them. He
knew how she loved to clean up the ashes
aud punch the FIRE.
By and by the tree was stripped of its
treasures. The wagons and dolls and
furniture and chairs and knives and scis-
sors and handkerchiefs and gloves and
rings and breastpins and books and
dressing gowns and other presents had
found their delighted owners and every
body had to see every ybody's things and
talk and talk and admire. Verify, it is
more blessed 20 give than to receive, but
receiving is powerful good, and has more
willing advocates. 1t is mighty hard for
some folks to open their hearts aud their
purses too, but if anything is easier than
to accept gift have never discovered it.
They always make me calm and serene.
The world is getting better, l verify be.
lieve. The people are more unselhsh and
humane. 1t is easier to gather up funds
for charity. DR.. Jacobs writes that the
Christmas money came pouring in for the
orphans, and it was sll because the good
people were told of their wants. Folks
give more silly than they used to. Many
sent money to the orphans and gave nc
name. One sent FIVE dollars and signed
"Only a Drummer" A friend saluted
me on the street and took me by the hand
and left dollar in it as he hurried on
and whispered orphans" An old mau
from the country, who was my neighbor
and worked hard for q living, and has
good, kind heart, met me with smile
and said, "Hiread about the orphans, ano
av broug ye dollar for them" "Hold
Hengland" lost a good citizen when sht
lost John Allen, but we gained one.
know he is a good man, for | tried him
once. I shot his COW. We had q poor
fence between us and he had bad COW
and had run her out of my corn seVera
times and sent him word to put her up
but he WAS working away from home ane
didn't get the word, and the next time
she was found in my field I shot her.
was mad was. The Alliance knows
was mad, the Alliance always gets mac
under such circumstances, but John AL
len didn't. He looked hurt in his feelings
when he met me. He looked disappoint
ed and said with trembling voice: "H
know she were bad hanimal, but thi
fence were bad too, and Hi were ava!
and dident get the word. Hireckon it il
hal right, Major, but Hi wonldent a.
shot yours"
The COW got we'll aud John forgave M
and we remained friends. a man wh,
loses John Aliens good will is not mucl
of man. But the worst discontinue
have met with of late was the loss of m,
bill before the farmers legislature. l
wasn't even read the first time. 1t neve
found friend. 1t was bill requestin!
each member to give q dollar for th
soldiers monument at Fredericksburg
The $500 graves have all got marbl
headstones, with the soldiers names, an
company and regiment, but there are GO
graves right in the center, with no name;
They are the unknown dead, and Mr.:
Barry wants $500 for single monumen
"a soldier on a pedestal, who will stan
guard over his sleeping comrade. Sh
wants $500 each from eight Souther