The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-25
.ABE. HuMMEL.s CHRISTMAS.
While at Work His Mothers Loving Hand
Made His Room q Bower.

While at Work His Mothers Loving Hand
Made His Room a Bower.
The plsasantest Christmas surprise Of my
life was given to me by my mother. The
memory of it will linger forever in my
mind. and to recall it from time to time
forms the most pleasing reminiscence of
any / have in mind.
1t happened on the day before Christmas.
I left home "a usual in the morning to at
tend to my law business which, unfortun-
ately. is Of such q nature that l hardly
know what it Is to have a vacation, and was
of Oh ristmas at all. When ! went home
shat night it was very near midnight, and ]
toiled YEARLY up stairs too tired to notice
anything. / opened the door of my room,
walked half way across the floor, and then
suddenly realized hat I was standing
in the midss of q most enchanting scene.
When l left home in the morning l left
behind an ordinary bedroom, not unlike
that which any bachelor might occupy.
The room in which l found myself was
simply gorgeous in its beauty. During the
day my mother had by almost superhuman
effort transformed the whole room until 1t
might hare been a niche in Aladdin's palace.
On the floor there was a magnificent
Smyrna carpet, which had been made to
order in Europe. and was exactly the size
of my room and of u design that just fitted.
The old marble mantel had been taken
out, and in place of it was q handsome tile
shelf with a tile front and a fireplace large
enough and inviting enough to delight the
heart of any bachelor and to keep him at
home nights. My large collection of owls
had all been gathered together and was
stationed on top of the beautiful cabinets
and bookcases with which my mother had
lined my room. The top of the dresser
was covered with red plush and on it were
more silver trifes than I eve. expect again
to see on any other mans bureau. The
bedstesd had a black silk spread on it with
Japanese figures in raised gold. There was
n Japanese slumber ~coverlet so expensive
that l dared not guess how mueh my
mother had paid for it, and in place of the
ordinary bedroom chairs there were beau
tiful plush affairs. very elegant, yet SO COM
Portable in appearance that 1 saw they were
for everyday use.
rubbed my eyes and stared about me.
Had I made q mistake and entered the
wrong house? And was | in the room of
perhaps some maiden fair who might re-
turn at any time and go into Mysteries a
finding Il strange man in her room? Agar
l stared around the room. Surely I had
made some mistake. Yet NO. l was correct
for there on the walls hung my collection
of old prints. and scattered about were ia
miliar landmarks which told me that I wa
in my own room.
just then my mother burst into TIE roon
to wish ne a Merry Christmas" for rh,
clock had crept on to several minutes pas
twelve.
How I thanked my mother for such a Joy
full surprise and how l Toasted my eye
upon the handsome things which / had al
ways lopged to possess. but which it haS
always seemed rank extravaganza to her.
And so, after all, my pl%easantest Christ
mas rsminiscence ia this one on which m,
mother transformed my room from a plain
everyday affair into an Aladdin bower.
A. III. HUMAEL,