The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-12-20

Max was six years
old. His dog "Jack" was an amiable
creature. and had endeared himself
very much to his master. Jack had
to get in the way of truck, and Jack
died.
The Lore of Max's heart was the
fact that when he, too, died, which
because of the death of Jack he then
hoped would be very soon,-he would
meet Jack in heaven. Somebody
some unimaginative person-told
Max that dogs did not go to heaven,
that they had no souls. That was
Max's first great disappointment.
The second was like unto it.
The same somebody of those
bothersome bodies who put shoes
and stockings on little boys on rainy
days in the summer, and make them
wear uncomfortable clothes when they
go in swimming-toldM Max the whole
story OF Santa Claus.
Max took his sorrowful heart to his
mothers knee, and, hoping against
hope, told her what he had heard,
and when it was all over he felt bet
ter, for in place of the beautiful story
he had lost she had told him another.
In the long, cool grass down near
the waters edge, he thought of the
new story, and the more he thought
of il the better he liked it.
"If Dot was to fall in that water
there" he said half aloud, as he sat
up and looked out over the dancing
wave,ets of the lake, "Td dive in
after her. Maybe I'd be drowned, =
he hesitated for moment and shud-
dered--"but what of that? I'd be
self-sacrifcing. Supposin' I was
drowned; anyhow, they'd put me in
the parlor, and everybody would cry
and say l was good boy, and had
given up my life for Dot. And /
would give it up for her, that would"
Whereupon Max began to think OF
such terrible things that might hap
pen to his sister Dot, who was only
four years old, and OF still more ter
rible things that might happen to him,
if he should try to sacrifice himself
for her, that pretty soon he began to
feel little weak in the knees, and it
began to get cold down in the grass, aud
the little boy decided to whistle and
Go to see the pigs.
While he was poking them in the
ribs, Max had an idea. 1t suddenly
occurred to him that there was no
sense in his making it a matter of life
and death just to sacrifice himself.
His mother had told him that men
and women gave gifts to their little
children at Christmas to make them
happy, and that self-denial and self
sacrifice were the true essence of the
Christmas spirit.
Max had little fortune stored away
in his bank. This fortune he decided
to spend to make Dot happy.
Full of this idea, he ran to his
mother. Her consent was matter
of course, and Max arranged the pre-
liminaries.
"Dot," he said that night, as they
lay in their cribs, show do you like
Christmases?"
Dots eyes grew big. She rem en-
bered the dolls of the past winter, and
the lights of the Christmas tree, and
muA tnhuheu uis sturb luhb ne nuu
thought of such a grand scheme,
when the very idea of it made Dot 30
happy.
"Well," said he, when she had told
him in the strongest terms how very
much she liked Christmases, 'you
just watch out day after tomorrow,
and hang up your stocking to morrow,
and you'll nee another Christmas.
That's what"
Dot suggested that it was summer
time. But Max said tina. was all right
that Kris Kringle was coming in @
hay wagon, and that the reindeer had
been turned into mules with great
long ears. Dot fell asleep with won.
derful thoughts of reindeer turned in.
TO mules with long ears, and Maa
sighed. remembering his own fond
fancies about Kris Kringle, and how
he, too, had been happy once.
The next day was full OF work fol
the little boy. First, he had to keeI
Dots thoughts keyed up to the mosi
intense pitch, for the little girl could
not get over her doubts about the
reindeer and the snow. Then lie had
70 consult the bank. He found thers
~as jnst sixts-six cents in II.