The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-12-22

llt HODu III my weary eAlltJ anu IHtII
presence seemed to diffuse an atmos-
phere of the breezy pines and wind
swept shores of Maine. And how good
their primitive, shipboard food was aft
err months of awful Spanish cooked din
ners on shore
And now tho sound of their hearty
voices seemed to give the earthquake
rent, dingy walls of tho old office build
ing pleasanter aspect lyon see, Mr.
b., said the captain, we kinder
thought we'd drop i'll and give ye tho
good wishes of the season fore goin
round to do our Christmasin. Fact is, +"
he added, smiling, 1.-THE old lady can't
get on without celebratin Christmas,
no matter where sho is, and she's al
ways bound to give some presents to
folks If we're at sea, she gives EN- to
my crew, and if We're in port like this
she hunts up poor folks and gives 'om
10 EN-, heathens and all Amt that so,
MOTHER
Mrs Halo nodded That's fact,
father, she said Why, 'twouldn't
seem the least mite like Christmas if |
couldn't give presents. whether | be
home in Boothbay or not As for hea-
thens that don't make bit of differ
Gnce It's Christmas jest the same,
whether they know it or not, and it
tickle' EN- jest as much to get presents,
and me to give EN- And you're Jest
the same, John. You know You be. "
Well, l don't know but what be,
Maria, " acknowledged the captain, and
thoy went on to tell of their queer OK
periCnCes while "Christmasinn in out of
the way Chinese and African ports with
chucllles and peals of laughter that set
Pedro grinning by force of example,
though he oouldn I understand word,
And spealSiu of that, Mr.. b. :" said
Mrs. Hale, Il thought maybe / could
make 1t II little more like Christmas to
you and them other young mon hero
away from their own folks, SO | made
you this. And with that she extracted
from her basket the very grandfather of
all Christmas plum puddings-the first
one | had seen for three years Maybe
faint jest what you'd get at home, "
she said, holding it out with both hands
while the captain lowered beside her,
six feet of genuine delight at my sur
prise, cause | didn't have Just the
right tixin's, but guess it'll go down
pretty we'll There, take it and don {
bother TO say ono word" And / knew
the kind old soul saw that for the mo-
ment | could as easily have flown as
uttered the thanks felt
Trust tho old lady to know what
boys like, said the captain. I'VE had
boy once ourselves He'd be jest about
your age now," he added in n lower
tone, glancing at his wife
We've got him now, John, rs I've
always said and always will, " said
Mrs, Hale quietly, rearranging her bas-
ket
The captain went ON i'll answer to my
wondering look; You see, our boy run
off when he want more'n 10. He'd
been kind of wild. rs boys be, and I'm
afraid was little harsh to him Any.
way he went off without word, and
we amt never heard of him since /
feel pretty sure he's dead, but mother
here sticks to it he ain p"
And I'm goin to stick to it, John,
till | know for sure -" And then with
CHEEKY smile at me: 1T kind of does mo
good to keep lookin forward to seem
Rufe again some day. Now, como along,
John; it's gettin late.
l slipped ON my jacket, whereupon
Pedro vanished, and accompanied the
worthy couple down to the door of the
building. On the stairs Mrs. Hale turn
ed and whispered to me: John talks
as if he didn't care much about Rufe's |
goin Off, but now he really does, Mr. |
b, If he could find our boy. 'twould |
take ten years Off his age and mine too F."
l did not doubt it, and / refrained |
from saying that l thought it would |
probably add ten years to Rufe's if he |
could realize the sort of mother and ia |
Their he had left so many years ago.
SO babe them good night. promising |
to see them i'll the morning and with |
hearty thanks for their thoughtful kind |
ness, and watched them as they trudged |
away toward the native quarters their
sturdy figures towering above the mot
ley crowd of natives and Cinnamon
who thronged the narrow street and
filled the air with their uncouth gable.
| sent my groom home with the pre-
eious pudding, and, mounting my pony,
my way around to the English
club. There l found McGregor, the old |
Scotch doctor, standing in the doorway
and amusing himself by tossing coppers
one Mt time to crowd of lame, halt
and blind beggars, who as each coin fell
became an appalling tangle of
skinny arms and legs
"Hellor" said he as l drew up. 81
was just coming round after you "Su-
lup (get away to the beggars, who
were plucking at various portions of his
and, like metamorphosed Oil
yer Twists, asking for more. Aren't
you acting American consul Just now?"
he inquired.
During the temporary absence of the
consul l had undertaken his not very
arduous duties, being the only other
American resident in the place.
well, continued the "medico,
L have a fellow countryman of yours
very bad with fever down in Malacanan
native quarter), a sailorman, only just |