The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-22

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trade immensely. We always have q
fine trade when we have a cold, snowy
Christmas. This change in the
weather is worth thousand dollars
to me. I can afford to give the wife
and children pretty good Christmas
this time, thanks to old Boreas"
Then came the thought of those to
whom Christmas brought no good
cheer except as charity should bestow
it, and going to his desk, he filed ont
check for fifty dollars and sent it to
the committee who were arranging .
Christmas feast for the poor and
neglected of the city.
Meanwhile the North Wind, still
speeding on his journey, had reached
the warm south land, where the terri
BILE Fever Spectre had been holding
high carnival for weeks, seizing upon
men, women and children and laying
them upon beds of suffering and pain,
and in many cases death, bringing to
the homes of the land gloom and sor-
row and filling all hearts with fear and
dread. '.
"Aha!" said the old North Wind, as
he saw the state of things, "this is
where I'm needed. I'll soon put an
end to this. A pretty Christmas
they'd have here if this went on!'
And giving his cloak an indignant
whirl, he rushed over the land 80
fercely and determinedly that the
Fever Spectre, who had hesitated and
faltered in his work of destruction at
the first icy breath of the North Wind.
now dropped everything and fed in
terror and dismsy before the indig-
nant old fellows terrible blasts, leav-
ing poor victims pale and weak, but
happy and thankful enough over his
departure and their escape from his
clutches.
"Thank God for this north wind"
said the doctor, returning from his
round of visits to his patients. "This
frost and snow will effectually end the
fever's ravages, and we shall have
right Merry Christmas yet"
"There!" painted the North Wind,
when he had driven the Fever Spectre
to the far-away and uninhabited part
of the land, where he could do no mis-
chief, 'that finishes my journey, and
now I must get back home in time for
my own Christmas dinner. I've made
pretty good time" he added, shaking
his cloak to make sure he had dis
tributed all the snowAakes, and turn
ing his pockets inside out to see that
no lazy blizzards were Sinking work
by hiding there. "And I need not be
in such a hurry going back. I'll have
time to look around and attend to any
little matters that may have escaped
me coming down" 81
So saying, he filed his lungs anew
with warm southern air with which to
make amends for any unwonted sever
ity toward any particular spot on his
first visit to it, and facing about,
started merrily northward, we'll
pleased with himself and his efforts.
Nor was he any less gratifed as he re-
traced his steps over his former course
and saw the results of his work.
Everywhere he heard exclamations
of delig ght at the Christmas snow and
ice, and saw that the preparations for
the great Christmas festival were 60
ing on with redoubled interest and
happiness because of it.
"Pretty good trip" he murm nred
to himself, for his 81 ackened pace
made it possible for him to be less
noisy, and his former roar was now q
murmur. "Santa Claus will find
smooth running over this snow, and
some of his business has been taken
up by other hands, thanks to my cold
breath, 80 he will not have quite 80
much to attend to on Christmas Eve.
Hello! what's this?" and darting down
the chimney of a big tenement house
over which he was passing, he brought
up slip of paper on which something
was printed in a child's unskillful
hand.
Thought maybe I'd find some lit
tie matters to attend TO on my way
home, and here's one of them now.
Looks like one of those letters Santa
Claus is always getting from the chill
dren. Yes, that's what it is," he con-
tinued, blowing the folded sheet open
and examining it hastily. "a letter
to Santa Claus from some of those
poor little fellows in that big, forlorn
house. suppose I missed it when' I
went this way before, and now it's too
late to get it to Santa Claus in time
for him to attend to it. for I'll not get