Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23

you've ribbed 1t while backing the
! kitchen stove
Upon which the little girl hurried
away TO look In the glass first and wash
! away the SCOT afterwards from hen
pearly white hagds.
! 1t was very near Christmas time
and, although there was no snow In this
! far-away Stake, etill everybody was
busy preparing for the happy holiday.
MY dear said Mr., Wood, entering
the house late one evening, Il shall have
TO 60 to Alensburg and take the team
too, between this and Christmas"
ION, james, was all his wife re-
piled.
1T can't be helped, Diantha; hate
TO so. But duty must be obeyed."
1T seems 10 me. James you think
| only Of your duty, never Of yourself.
and rarely Of your family We owe some
duties 20 ourselves"
'Dianlha, there is not three pounds Of
salt in this town. II was not discov-
cred ull this very hour. You know,
I've got the only team that can be
spared from the ditch, and every man
Is engaged IA necessary and vital la
Dor. Besides that the land entries for
that west piece Of town must be at
tended 10 this week. and there are a
dozen other almost as important rea.
sons Shall ! stay at homer"
go on, dear, | did not mean TO dis
courage you, for l know your noble,
God-fearing efforts to build up the
country 70 which we have been called
But We miss you so, and you are away
so much, and YOU work 50 hard"
Never mind, my girl. Better wear
out than rust out. Get my things put
together. And is there anything you
need?'
"oh yes; there Isl want some beans.
We have a few supplies this winter and
| need beans. Don't forget them,
James, you must be sure that you get
them. for we need them"
Hurried preparations went forward
Il will get home Christmas eve, Dian
tina. So have hot supper ready"
Sure, papa! But remember-beanl
Just one bean
Just one bean
There are turnips ! know
But there not what they seem,
Black or white, the beams my delight,
j will be happy with Just one bean."
She sang, with a lachrymose drawl-
Ing Of her syllables and a dramatic and
operate twist and twirl Of the various
notes.
20, gracious, Dlantha, I'm not going
to forget"
"Of course not, thou paragon Of hus-
bands, for I'm going to sing 1t into
your memory:
Just one bean"-she carrolled and
81 he oil
luncheon away in the big spring wagon.
Going to ride horseback, papa?" she
asked, as the hired man drove the team
around, and Charles led his fathers
horse out saddled and bridled
Yes, | thought so. then | will have
the horse to do my errands with
while Sam is loading up supplies; and
/ viii get home, too, an hour or so
earlier"
Don't forget to bring Santa Claus
home with YOU"
"Good-by, papa; good-by, good by"
and Mr. Wood jumped on his horse,
his rotund body and his long bearded,
good-humored face giving him the APP
pearance OF a second jolly German
Christmas Saint, as he rode merrily
Gathering out Of the yard.
Just one--bean," sang both mother
and daughter gaily, as he Jared forth
on his way.
Now. children, we must pitch in and
get everything done for our own Christ
mas and then help everybody in the
whole nelghborhood who needs our as
sistance."
Mrs. Diantha and her husband had
both been practical jokers In their
younger days. She had been deceI d
In February once. by her husband
sticking lucern leaves with soap onto
the rose bushes.
She had retorted by sewing up his
shirt sleeves and legs, which he had TO
unpick while she was as II. S. meeting,
Numberless jokes had been perpetrat-
ed In the days gone by: and so, after
her husbands departure, Mrs. Dlantha
set her wits to work to devise some plan
that would cure her beloved lord and
master Of his careless habit Of hang
ing his clothing about in the sitting
room,
Meanwhile her liege lord rode on, and
he, too, was meditdting on the feasibh
ity OF some plan which wbnld demon
strate 10 his wife that his memory was
as good as a calendar He had small
use for reminders he just liked to do
thing or forget II as seemed him best,
and he wanted his wife TO see the
matter from his own point Of view.
The days slipped by, and the day Of
Mr., Woods return was at hand.
Mother. can | dust the sitting-room
to-day?" asket small Dlantha.
mo, my pet! Mamma is going to do
that herself, and | am going to make
q surprise just for papa only. 1 will
therefore keep the key Of the room in
my pocket, dearie. You know there's
the Christmas tree TO trim"
All the afternoon, Mrs W. worked In
the sitting room. After the sweeping
and busting were complete. small
Diantha wondered why on earth her
mother wanted TO empty all her papa's
trunks. and drawers and carry every
thing In the front room.
But she asked no questions; she knew
Il would be useless. And. too, she was
sure she would be In for any fun there
might be going. So she went on ston-
ing raislns and popping corn assisted
by her big brother, Charles, and him
dered by her small brother. Tommy.
At last Charles burst into the house
with:
Here comes papa down the road,
here comes papa"
Down went playthings and raisins
and things, and out came mother and
running joyfully to the big
gates to welcome dear papa home on
Christmas Eve"
Home again, home sweet home"
sang his wife as she held up her face
for kiss
Come in come In" and leading the
way, Mrs. Dantha opened the front
door, and gently pushed her husband
into the sittlng-room, while she deity
drew the children away TO unharness
the horse and to help her put on the |
supper.
What sight met the astonished gaze |
Of the good man of the house.
The room was certainly decorated, |
and so was the Christmas treel But |
what on earth were the decorations? |
He gave one swift, comprehensive |
sank. utterly collapsed in
10 a chair.
Dangling from the picture frames,
from the organ hung every
pair OF Dantaloons he owned Every
Did boot and his new ones, too, stood
In solemn precision on machine top,
table and chairs. Neckties collars. sus-
uapaovg p,gtu banRkarahfofr .,d s.r,r /