The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-30

people ?"
This was now thought to Jackson
He had always supposed that thing
just happened in this world. Mr.
Jordan seemed to think they them
selves were to blame for Christmas no
coming to their house. Perhaps h,
was right. He was a very rich man
in Jacks0n's eyes, and had cverythins
he wanted his words were worth con
sidcring. Maybe 1t was because thci,
father did not work that he an1
Johnnie had to go without SO many
things that other children had.
Maybe Christmas was one Of these
Maybe he himself might do a0mcthiny
| He could not understand why Mr.. Jor
dan was dlspleascd with him, tut tb,
| fact that anyone took onoIHh interest il
him TO be displ lcasrd with him, aroused
u new sensation. He gax"d steadily at
the house. 1t didn't look like tn,
houses up in the village, whcre Christ
mas came every year that was Il fact
but perhaps he could yet fix it up in
time.
I Johnnie, who always did as jackson
did, stood and stared at the house
toe. But his feet bOcamc cold. and in
| trying to stand on one leg again, he
fell over against his brother. This
down the liver at d brisk tr0t, Johnnie,
OF course, trotting after him. Arriv-
ing AZ the mill. he borrowed an AK OF
the man in charge, and also got some
Wldc shingles from those scattered
about. With these, he covered the
broken pancs in The window anu took
down The shawl. Then he chCpDcd
some dry limbs from Il fallen t"cc near
the house and building up q rousing
lire, shut the door. Next he and
Johnnie, using shingles 70. trowels,
brought clay from the river bank, ana
filled up all the cracks they could
reach. was surprisingly warm and
comfortable in the house, when they
went in.
By this time it was nearly nipht,
mill to return the AK When they
came back, jackson stopped to look al
the house again. SO did Johrnic
jackson surveyed their work in silence,
but Johnnie spoke the supreme
thought OF Doth when he asked
Do you spUsc KrismUs will come
now, jackson :"
jackson shook his head dcspondcut-
~. reckon krlsmuS done forgot
we uns for good" he said. But bis
eyes bclicd his words thay were
either shining with unwontcd pride in
his work or liz by q spark o. hope.
After freeing his mind TO jackson,
Mr.. Jordan thought he felt better, but
il WIS Tor IL short time only. He kept
thinking Of tho two fOrlorn figures: ur0n
the river bank, all the aiternoJr. He
said over, IdZy.' shiitlcss," and
times buS that did not seem to hrjp
much. He Ctd noe Ieci NJ ali comfort
able. Finally, he did up u large pack
age Of candy, nuts and raisins, and laid
II one side on the counter. He then
iCit better. a. man OamG in and
bought some shoes for his children,
who were about the size OF Johnnie
and jackson. Mr. Jordan laid * dupli-
cate pair Of each OF those sold by the
side Of thc candy. He felt SO much
better that he went on adding to the
pile, one article AZ a time, first some
stockings and warm wO0len shirts, then
q large piece Of bacon, and at last Il
sack Ol -Four.
Mrs. Jordan in the meantime came
in TO get some raiSins for her Christ
ma3 pudding, and seeing these bundles
asked whom they were all for. He
tried to make her believe that he cx-
pcctcd some one in 10 buy thcm al
ready done up. She smiled doubling
Iy, bu, said nothing.
1t wa8 late when MIR. Jordan closed
the store that night, yet toe moon
WAS still above the tree tops. When
he reached home Mrs. Jordan was still
busy getting ready for her usual large
number OF Christmas visitors. Her
Christmas dinners were events look cd
forward to lorgingly by many Of her
poorer relatives and ncighbors. They
alkcd ever their plans for the morrow,
ana the presents for their little rosy
checked glr(. Then MIR. Jordan read
the newspaper through. Mrs. Jordan
was still busy. MIR. Jordan grew ner-
vOus and looked at his watch, he look
ed out Of the window the moon Was
below the tree-tops now. lie went 10
the door, and scanned the sky anxious.
ly. 1t looked like rain, on in the
northwest, he believed he would %
down and take another look at his logs
lt the river rose, he might lose some
OF them. Mrs. Jordan, who happened
10 be pccping out soon after that, sa%
a. man come ont Of tho back door Of the
store. There was still light cLougr
Tor her to see that he was CARRYING
something like sack on his shoulder
and d bag, o" basket, in his ha,.d. Hc
looked and acted like a thief, bu,
strange to say she did not arouse tho
neighbors she only smiled to herself
when she saw him slip away into tho
woods, toward the river.
AS rule. Jackson did not get NJ
carly, but on Christmas morning the
light was just struggling in through
the two dirty. IN broken window-pancs S
when he suddenly sat up and looked
round thr room. He had been dream
ing that Christmas had at last come tt
them, as he heard other children dc
| scribe It's joyful event in their we'll
kept bones. He got up and gropc(
his way over 10 the fireplace, and
threw some wood upon the slumber
ing Goals. a ruddy blaze soon lit uI
the room. He looked eagerly around
1t was the same chccrlcss, deserted
place. Not trace OF Christmas cOulC
he find. lie was bitterly disappointed
Tie had hoped against fear that they
would not be missed this time but il
was no use expecting anything. ever
Whcn they worked for it. What Mr.