Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22

ming through her words. The fact is, that
during her whole life Miss Pendraggon had
set the country up against the city. She
had said that eatables in the city were
STALE" she had refused to taste "city
beef" she had never failed to answer a
charge in which the city was placed be-
fore the country. But her next door neigh
bors had returned to the city to spend their
Christmas, declaring it didn't seem like
Christmas in the country, where there were
no poor to be made happy.
There's people round yer pore as any
where's, amt there, Louysy?" inquired Miss
Pendraggon, pausing on her way to the
cookingstove with pan of small cakes"
II said 1 reckon eff they was willin' fer to
scour the woods they wouldn't hev no call
fer to return to town."
Oar plenty po' people in de woods" an
swered LOUSY, with a giggle. EFF de
Jenkinses done asst me To- to show 'em de
way to de po' people dey' wouldn't got SO
fur's de town. But in de city 'specks dey
do tend to 'em betta'n dey tends to 'em
out yer. Dey don tend to 'em none out yer,
fur's kin see.'
Il amt asked you fer none O. yer sass,
LOUSY Parker" said Miss Pendraggon,
loftily. What want is fer you to carry
Christmas Eve. 1 mean white folks; mig
gers always enjoy themselves festival
times"
Il know who yo' mean," cried Louysy,
with sudden enthusiasm. "Yo' mean Jawn
Carter, who done moved from the Black
Hills on wheelbo'r. Dey got a whole
pacel O chillen and two little twins. He
were down yer to de store tryin' fer to
buy three cents wuth o meat"
LOUSY Parker" screamed Miss Pen
dragon, "air you tellin the truth?"
Oats de tale dey tells down to de store
repeated LOUSY, firmly. ..Dey got two lit
tie twins TO shore, Miss Pendraggon, and
las summer de woman were cookin' on a
pile O stones wild sheet O. tin laid across
de top" After this piece of information
LOUSY Parker became convulsively inco-
herent.
'Tain't nothin' to laugh at, dare knows"
remarked Miss Pendraggon, but to think
o the Jenkinses leavin' the woods behind
EN-! l amt never give nothn' to the pore
thiSaways before, LOUSY" she continued,
seriously, Il amt never gone around to
their houses; but l reckon eff the Jenkinses
Kin have sech rollickin, time 'mongst
the pore in the city me and you kin try our
luck with the pore in The woods
''Wot yo' gunno give dc mann asked
LOuysy, CuriouSly.
This question was puzzler With the
best intentions in the world Miss Pendrag-
gon didn't know what to give the man
She had, OH occasion, made presentations
to men out of the woods, gloves and muf-
fiers, even cigar case.
''LouS sy,'' she cried, Overwhelmingly,
what am l fer to give the man in the
woods"
Laws I'd give him flannel shirts" said
LOUSY. The Jenkinses gives things like
that. I'd give him two flannel Shirts nigh
in the neck, with wristpins."
Very WE'LL said Miss Pendraggon with
sigh of relief EFF the Jenkinses can af-
ford to make pore man warm a Christ
mas, | dont see what's TO prevent me
a-doin the same
What yo' gunno give de woman?" asked
LOUSY.
EFF | fix the man up warm Christmas
morning" said Miss Pendraggon, Il amt
a gunno let the woman go cold 1 want
fer TO give these people in the woods q bet
ter Christmas than the Jenkinses gives to
the pore in town. / know as Wen hev to
fix up a basket, LOUSY"
"IaGS' m, PcquieSCed LOUSY, "cahcs and
candy, and lump sugar, and tea, and brad,
and jelly, and CHECKING
II was a-wonderin'," interrupted Miss
Pendra ggon, "ef you was gunno say tur-
key. No, LOUSY Parker l stop short afore
l come to turkey. I'll give 'em a choking;
yes: but l hold Christmas turkey jest
little above the pore people in the woods"
Nv hat 70 Sunno give the two little
twins and the other chillen, Miss Pcndrag-
gon? De Jenkinse3 piles toys on de chill
lem
They do" cried Miss Pendraggon, fire
III iICi cstS. w eli, Nil PIE Toys Oh en-,
too"
Miss Pendra ggon went shopping at the
village store that afternoon. The store
keeper opercd his eyes at Ter purchases, but
he was more than ordinarily polite. She
bought three mems shirts all wool. She
was thinking that the Jenhinses would only
buy two, and be satisfied with half cotton.
LOUSY had discovered that the ''pacel of
chillCn' numbered four, the twins among
them: and the excited colOTed SiTl had felt
positive there was "One leetle gal big
enough TO a doll"
Twice Miss Pendraggon hesitated over
the bargains displayed upon the village
counter. She was doubtful in regard to
"ten-cent' or ''tifty-ceut' doll. The .ifty-
cent doll was very strong; it would last
quite q long time.
''GeS; l know" snapped Miss Pendrag-
SOn, out I've got fer 10 dress IT; don
see as / kin pay more'n ten cents fer a
doll"
And she was doubtful over a "baImoral,"
her Christmas gift to herself.
Well" she said in the end, TIL wear it
the winter through, and do git the rheu-
matism sometimes. Give me the high
priced skirt and put the other out O. siSht,
for there amt no te!lin' but they're the
same make
LOUSY Parker went into rhapsodies over
the 1o-Cent doll after Miss Pendraggon had
performed the feat of dressing it in crimson
mcrino. Indeed, LOUSY went into rhap-
Sodies over the whole affair-the bundle of
warm, new clothing and the basket OF eat
y ff ,,.l