Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-12-26

eAy~S
WE HAD A LOT OF VISITORS.
In huge barn away out on Western
row, which seemed to have been built
to fit 1t. ~ good big room was partl.
toned of for me In one front corner.
The cages were ranged along the side
walls, with runway behind them, and
In box stalls across the farther end
were the zebra, the elephant. the cam
cl and the sacred cow. A monster rcd.
hot stove stood in the middle OF the
central space, with large bunch light
over 1t. Altogether 1t was as warm,
bright, clean and CHEEKY place as
you'd want to see, rs everybody said
who saw it, and we had 4 good many
visitors.
Gagged animals become restless If left
alone, and | never went out moro than
an hour or two at n time, but even at
that took n good many long walks
for exercise and to sec the city. leaving
black Sammy hclper-and the TWO
cage cleaners for the animals to look
at. But rs time ran along to near
Christmas | seemed to lose heart for
going out much. Something in the
air made me feel myself. more than
ever before, hopclcssly lonesome.
homeless total stranger.
The stores were brighter and gayer
than | had ever noticed their being
before; the streets full OF happy faced
people carrying bundles Of Christmas
presents; the windows OF homes adorn.
ed with evergreen fcstoons and Christ.
mas wrcaths; the shopmcn's wagons
busy delivering good things for Christ.
mas dinners and Christmas trees.
The Lord knows | didn't bcgrudgc
anybody's happiness. but 1t all made
me feel unutterably sad. In all the
world knew of no one whose eyes
would brighten or lips smile welcome
for my coming. AS for sharing IN. the
general JOY Of the Christmas season, !
might rs well have bccn- Mat ornary
'camcl-thc menncsttilSposition beast
alive, 10 my thinking rs a man with
heart to feel his loneliness. Every
other man had friends. even poor old
black Sam.
And what made 1t harder to bear
was that home and love belonged In
my past and | could not forge them
When came back to New York after
q winter engagement with "Rcntlcy's
Aggregation" In the West Indies and
South America. found my dear wife
Lizzie had been run down by n Broad
way stage aI,! killed. And what had
become OF my sweet little baby girl
Jennie. only years Old nobody could
tell me. That was Il dozen years back.
Dut never since have | felt aEy less
hcartsick and lonely than when my
grlcf was fresh, and In the winter,
along about Christmas, | always feel It
most.
lhe animals, as ! sat brooding by the
stove, seemed to know | was In trou.
bic and feel sorry for me. They would
stand stlll long time looking at me,
ana the elephant, I'm sure, tried to ask,
by his little squcals, what was the mat.
ter. Only that mean camel screwed
up his nose scornfullikc, as II he didn't
care cuss who felt bad, which he GER.
tainly didn't.
Friday morning the third day before
Christmas, Jack Henderson, a young
reporter dropped In. rs he often did,
and happened to remark: ut seems
hard to be imprisoned for life without
an occasional happy day 70 vary the
monotony. Gagged animals ought to
have holidays"
That set me thinking after he was
gone and made up my mind the men.
agcric under my charge should, for
once anyway, have Christmas. con.
sidcrcd what every bird and beast in
the lot liked best and mostly never
got and all those things | meant they
should have on Christmas day That
afternoon went out buying and laugh.
ed to myself when | thought was ac.
tnally purchasing Christmas presents
for lot Of folks who would be sure to
appreciate them.
! got for the birds all sorts Of choice
fruits, nice seeds, ants eggs, meal.
worms, and so on, according to their
several tastes, and for the monkeys
more fine fruit iig paste. candy and
nut Kernels. For the cat animals
engaged plenty of tender, juicy, fresh
beef instead Of tough old horse, their
ordinary diet. There wasn't much to
be done for the hay eaters beyond un-
accustomed oats, apples and bran
maShcs, but for the elephant | got a
basket Of fine oranges and had baked q
lot Of latty cakes. such as he used TO
enjoy at home In India. The camel
didn't really deserve any Christmas
but bought n hatful OF dates for him
anyway.
/ VAS getting the stuff i'm on Satur
day afternoon when Jack came around
again with bunch of good cigars for
my Christmas, and 1t brought my heart
up In my throat that the kind fellow
had thought Of me so, for no one else
had since Lizzie died lie asked what
the things were for, and / told him.
Maybe | said more than meant to, for
my heart was full nj he time. and
had no idea Of his putting anything In
the paper about the mcnagcric's Christ
mas. But he lid, and really when |
read on Christmas morning the story
he got up | was surprised
Cat animals are never fed on Sun
days and as we let Ill go shy OF break
fast Monday tic mcnagcric's appetite
for Christmas dinner at noon was
sure to be good. Before that time