The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-30
How Christmas Came 10 thc'SkiingS.


down by their house to look after his
logs. He was " lum mharmsn and store
keeper in a little village in Arkansas
aud their father unu mother lived in {,
Small log Shanty on the river bank,
near whore be tied his RATS. 1t was
the day before Ch.istmas. While the
weather was not as cold as it Is in
Chicago at this season OF the year, the
sight Of jackson aud Johnnie made
Mr.. Jordan shiver. Their father would
rather hunt than work, and was away
now, no one knew where, nor when he
would returD T1ey ofLo n enough mad
little to eGt, Hnd rs for clothing, they
wore such cast-oll garments Of older
people as they could pick up. Jackson
had on 2 very dirty straw hat, the top
Of which 'was nearly split Off, while
through the crack bis rcd hair shCnc,
not unlike fire undcr partially lifted
stove-lid. Johnnie's nuad piece was q
black felt hat mary sz $ too large,
which he had adapted to his use by
tearing OIL tho rim where it lOOpCd
down over his eyes. Their shirts were
much worn and ragged, but being very
large, the many folds and crcHscs
helped to keep tho weather out. They
pretty we'll; having been cut of for
summer 'use, Gnoy were short, but made
up Tor this in Width. Their bare feet
and legs were rcduencd and chappcd
by tho cold, raw wind.
Mr.. JUrddn mad been busy some time
examining his logs and seeing that
they were properly fastened, 50 that
he would have nothing TO worry about
while eating his Christmas dinner on
Inc morrow. Ga looking up, be saw
Jackson and Johnnie, with haads in
the holes they called pockets, gravcly
watchin" him from the bank above.
Now it so happened that MIR. and Mrs
Jordan had had g. discussion about the
Skillings that very morning: and in
spite OF their cJmica} appearance, the
sight OF these children made MIR Jur.
dan unCom(ortu bic.
What 90 you want hcre?" he
called. Go aad put Oh your shoes
aad stockings.'
Johnaio stood on one foot, and tried
to warm the other By holding it against
the supporting leg Jackson, being
Older and wiser, didn't. Rc had tried
1T, and had found that it only make the
leg colder while the foot got no warm.
cr. lie looked down 1T his feet i
moment, and then slowly drawicd, in
the way his fathcr talked
I'VE nns @in't got DO shoes"
60 in the house, then, where it is
warm" said Mr.. Jordun.
g. '"Eain't much warmer in thcre,'
plped out Johnnie, patting down his
1"It. and standing with his k2eos bent
{. iitcte, like jackson.
Mr.. 'Jordan looked over the top o.
the bank at the house. Through the
open door be could sec Mrs. SHILLING
crOucEed over u feeble little fire in the
big Fireplace.
Why don't you shut the door, and
keep tho wind out:' he asked.
1t don't pear to be 30 use," said
Jack son.
The clay chinking between the logs
had fallen out IN many places, and the
wind could enter frCcry through the
cracks. Most OF the pancs in the win
dow being broken, i: was covered with
an old shawl, which drew in and out
with the draft. 1t vas plain that the
open loor was needed for light. Mr..
Jordan could say nothing. He had
found that With this class of people his
words were thrown away. They knew
nothing better. LuzinCss and ilnpru-
vidence had become liked habits and
they could not realize that they were
az all responsible for their poverty.
They could not see any particular use
in striving for Anything better.
Just ic:c, Johnnie, Woo had been
squirmine restlcssly, nudged jackson,
and whispered hoarscly, ASK him
now, quick"
Jackson cleared his throat and said
hesitatingly, " reckon there amt 10
use in We uns expcctin' any Krismus,
Is there, mister? Nam says there
amt"
Ihcrc was a wistfulne5s in Jackson's
tone that betrayed d hope that he
would be cOntradicted, IL wistfulncss
which made Mr.. Jordan feel vet more
uncomfortable.
No, there isn't any USE he said
shortly. And he won't on up the river,
where he had some other logs. But
all the way up, and all the time he
was there, those children seemed to
follow him, and Jackson's mournful
eyes and JOhnnic's eager face seemed
efforts to put these children into the
class to which he applied such words
as . l8zy,' sEiftless," and "good-for-
nothng,' and 50 get rid Of them, he
could still hear Jackson's wistful voice.
Had he an6wcrc the boy fairly?
There was IL short cut through the
woods which he might have taken
when he went back, but ior some reason
he did not take it. Instead, he followed
the river bank down 10 the Skilling
shanty, pretending to himself that hc
wanted to sec his logs again. Johnnie
and jackson was picking up drif;-wooo
for the fire, when he went BY. They
were Shambling along toward the house
with somc wet sticks in their arms.
but stopped to look at Mr.. Jordan as
he came near. Ho noticed that their
hands and elbows were red and chan.
ped, like their feet. For some unac.
countablc reason, the sight OF these
two forlorn figures, their rags whip.
ping in the wind and the water dripping
upon them from the wood they carried,
irritatcd him, and he broke out, half
angrily, addressing jackson as the
older and more responsible Of the two
" See hcrc, boy, Christmas doesn't
como to people who won't work. Wny
don't yon take an TX and chop some
good wood, instead Of picking mp that
worthless stuiT ~
jackson dropped his wood, and