Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-10-10

MIS-. Jones, administering ma
ternal rebuke to her eldest son and
heir, in the form of a vigorous cuff
upon pair of very dirty ears
heard the request, and stepped for
ward.
"Yes, go right along, Mandy.
am going over to yer aunt James to
spend the day, and I'll take all the
children. So you can go as well as
not"
Amanda, without taking her eyes
from the book, gave an affirmative
nod. 1t was a most interesting
incident in the narrative, where the
heroine Alsada, after staying a 60
rilla and seven savages with her own
delicate hands, was about to make
her escape by riding through the
Jungle on the back of a wild pan
Their.
She would not go up yet. She
just wanted to see what befell
Alsada, and the panther. So she
sat down on the lower step, while
frequent skirmishes took place be-
tween the boys across the breakfast
table. In the meantime the valiant
Mrs. Jones marshalled her forces
with the air of a Encouragement
conducting seige.
"And, Mandy" was her parting
injunction, "be sure you lock up
the front door, and go right up
stairs the minute I'm gone"
And Amanda, having seen her
heroic Alsada safely through the
jungle, promised compliance.
But alas! for human resolutions
And alas for us, for whom the
tempter lies in wait at every step
upon life's pathway! Scarcely had
Alsada emerged from the depths of
the jungle, still mounted triumph
antly on the panther's back, when
the Infatuated creature bore her
directly into the pirates cave, where
the bloody chief of the buccaneers
was just pledging his comrades in
a goblet made from a human skull
and briming with raw brandy.
Who could withstand such g
temptation? Not Amanda. So
she sunk into the nearest rocking.
chair, and hung with breathless
interest over it's classic pages.
Meantime, the air grew dark
with murky clouds, thick snowfakes
were whirled hither and thither by
the resistless rush and roar of the
winter wind, which ratified the loose
easements and banged the blinds
and whistled it's shrill note of de-
fiance to the warmth and cozines'
of Christmas firesides into every
crevice and keyhole.
Outside, there were all sorts O.
merry preparations going on TO,
the Christmas, that would be her,
to-morrow-all sorts of people car
rying all sorts of bundles; express
wagons blockaded the crowded
streets; and although everybody
was jostled, and squeezed and crowd
ed, without mercy, everybody re
taliated with smiles, instead O
frowns; for that spirit of peace ant
goodwill which little child hac
brought to the world, eighteen hun
dred years ago, was alive in ever,
heart.
Inside, the clock kept up its mo
notonous tick, tick, and the cat, re
lieved for brief time from tn
prosecutions of the little Joneses
was trying to recall long-forgottel
purr, to do honor to the approach
ing holiday.
And Amanda, oblivious to al
around, and unheeding the high
of time, read ON.
u u Il
"Where are you, mammal" ant
little Maggie's hand crept feebl,
over the tattered counterpane.
"Here, my darling"
81 am cold, mamma-so cold
can hardly feel your cheek. Whel
will papa come? And bark! wha
are those bells ringing for?"
ut is twelve o'clock, and they arr
ringing in the Christmas morn
DEAR"
"Why don't papa come? ! an
so tired wish he could carry m,
in his arms once more, as he dlt
when / was baby. Take me up
please"
The poor mother tried to rais'
her, but her feeble strength wa,
insufficient for the task.
The strong clear radiance of ,
full moon poured through the cur
tainless window, and lay like a Sc,
of splendor around the form Of tn,