The San Francisco call., 1898-12-18

"as willin' a boy as ever lived" Tn inclination to labor, the Medlarks had into renters: and owned a horse, a It was Mrs. Medlark who told the cn to have show of Christmas-cheer TO Christmas tree at the schoolhouse: children who hardly tasted candy twice a year! A whole beautiful red or green or yellow tarlatan bag, overfoWlng with candy, and one gift. at least be- sides, were handed by Santa Claus Tn person to every child. Neither did the plantation Santa Claus think it fair to little boys and girls to half fill candy bag with corn, as, it is painful to con- slider, is done by some unscrupulous Sunday-school Santa Clauses in the North of America.
 Not he; his candy bags were candy bags, and not what the old negro aun- ties would call "a miXtery.' Ambrose Medlark knew very well why Santa Claus jolly red face never stopped smiling, and why it sometimes was a little crooked on his neck, and then abruptly seemed to get straight: and he knew why he wore a sealskin cap like MT. Francis and buffalo robe like Mrs. Carroll's, and talked in a voice precisely like Uncle Billy Ruff ner's. And he knew about the gifts for the different friends being sent in to the schoolhouse. He. too, bought Christ mas presents. Like most Arkansas children, he earned a little money by picking cotton. For years the lad had paid for his annual suit of clothes and his annual pair of shoes out of his own earnings. What he could save went into his Christmas hoard. One proud year he actually bought his father a pair of boots. This year MT. Francis had in charge an oil cloth table cover for his mother, a little red rocking chair for Pearl, the baby, a wagon for Clay and a pipe and package of tobacco for Dr. Medlark.
 "Yes. I got 'em all settled. slick" Am brOse thought cOmplacently, one morn- ing near Christmas, "Only 'cept paw I must git suthin' more for paw. Ain't 1t tew bad I done spent all my money. kase paw did borrv that ar dollar I lowed fur ter spend on him. Honey. don't you git so nigh that hoss' feet. or his heels'll jest spatter out on vel" He stopped in his occupation of load ing the wagon with cotton to lift the child and place her at safe distance. She was a rosy little creature, very fair. with her yellow curls blown about her shoulders and her eyes as blue as sapphires. Ambrose thought that she was the most beautiful being on earth. To-day she was going to the settlement with him, and she wore her best frock of plaided woOllen stuff nearly covered
  curls were crowned by red toboggan cap.
 There ain't patch nor tear on her" thought the proud brother: and he did not care in the least that his own shirt was ragged and that his thin, bare ankles showed above his coarse shoes, because he had spent his stock ing money for the copper-toed shoes on Pearls feet.
 "Bleeged ter keep paw an the little chicks comfortable" said Ambrose. 'Me an maw's ruggider an kin stan the weather"
 If he were rugged his looks gave t his fourteen years, lads of twelve are work until his sharp little elbows and through his thin clothes. Yet his face the clear skin, the curly, dark brown bis brows had a continual pucker of ar was too firm. As he lifted his cotton the fingers of one hand were crooked set by the veterinary surgeon so unskill you must not make such a criticism bOne-settin'," as he was of everything
 Mrs. Medlark had bred her children q wonderful man, whose occasional n leader if his left leg" kept him from
 Ambrose glorified in his fathers ' speech, in his courage and aptness witt were considerable. It did not disturb father had a violent temper and woul a negro's, in which he was as likely as such excesses occurred Mrs. Medlark V cuse: You paw ben havin' one >er caynt enjure nothin' this morninl He
 Ambrose simply lodged the blows fathers way if the latter seemed TIP tempered Pore paw; reckon he cayn ful good luck he never does hit Pearl!
 It was true; the baby carried the pever impatient with her.
 Reckon he don't guess how powerf To tell the truth-although Ambrose hid broken fingers to a passionate random
 Law he! Ye didn't go to do it, paw through his tears of pain, an ye Kin
 Medlark was affected by the child's win him since; but this morning his straying under the beasts hools; lie fore he placed the c
 Looks like you
 o surly parting word.
 nary, 'cept havin' }
 ~. you keerless ways
 ,. ]. ] . . ,. ]. ]. ]. .
 U$ The tears starte - e ed them away "Re s E .sSSSIsl. pr. Medlark glo' lfs1 5@eSx xyw " consorted team of h %E$,M5ITHS down the hollow. AEA&yI1,- SS% Presently the O, lR\Nh E1SA next came Ambrose
 NN$GN angle in the air, the U \%AB3sg cryingi" snarled Me N \ITsEa4P He walked back N CEMR with his heels and N k<G gay, peIl-telIlpeTeu NJ -N@a aggrieved. Every
 A S spare in lotteries, a
 uRF tery. Nobody knew
 &A&N miles to another DC
 vS9N money.
 ESr<SVE> No one can calcl
 N1G < pocketbooks in the ..INSAFJNSg2|I sell their skins, if u LrIWA$S% a negro said to one GN# hopin""
 NAW The visions of W X lottery tickets were
 magic slip of paste
 came intoxicated. D