The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-06
"oUR NEW YEARS FUN
BY RALPH BROOKEsD.

(BY RALPH BROOKES.)
p 1t was New Years, and all my aunt
and uncles had come from town t
spend the Gay They always said i
was such a treat to get in the country
and they liked to come and always dic
on New Years. On Christmas we wen
to their house.
This was q cold snowy morning, anC
us boys was all sittin round the fire
wonderin' what to do, when Aunt Mil
lie said Boys, how would you like t
skate up the river to the pine wood.
and set some green bOughs for the
/ house? 1t will seem so much more like
/ New Years with decorations.
Now there was Fred and George anC
| Ned and me, and we just looked al
each other and jumped for our skates
That was what we had been aching
/ to do.
In a few minutes away we went UP
the river. The ice was good, and we
felt pretty happy about the turkey and
the mince pies we was a-goin' to have
for dinner
We skated about a mile and a halls
and then went in the woods Ned
climbed the tree and cut off the
branches. and we tied them all up with
a rope we had brought, so as to carry
them easy, and then we went farther
in the woods to explore. Ned, my cous-
in, who was ahead, stopped all of a
sudden and said, Whats that?"
Looks like smoke" said l.
'P'raps it's Indians" said Fred, nay
cousin from town; lets go home"
Pooh! Indians" said my Brother
George, 1--WE don't have Indians here
We walked on a little and soon saw
through the pine trees a little log hut,
with the smoke a-pouring out of the
chimney.
Let's go and peek in," said George.
All right" said l.
L knew it was real mean, but we
crept up real quiet-like, and peeped
through the cracks. There wasn't any
windows.
And what do you spose We saw? A
man, a woman and a little Teller,
baby, just big 'nough to walk, all sit
tin by an old stove a-tryin' to keep
warm.
And what do you s'pose they had for
a New Years dinner Just guess!
Some dry bread, without any butter,
ana three potatoes-one apiece for 'em.
The table had a red cloth, all holes,
and tin plates and cups
on his plate he just cried and looked
so hungry. Then the woman looked at
the man and begun to cry. We stopped
a-lookin' then, and all seemed to think
the same thing at once, for we all said.
Let's fetch EN- a New Years din
ner."
Yes, let's" said Fred, who had kept
pretty still, bein' afraid they was In
dams.
Well, now, you just ought to have
seen us run. We took up the boughs
and away we went home like the wind.
We was all out of breath when we
got there and all tried to talk at once,
and they couldn't make a word out of
what we said. So, finally 1 said, Now,
see here, boys, I'm the biggest and let
ne tell it." So they kept pretty still
ill l come to the part about the little
chap and then they all chimed in
again.
Then N.Y. mother says, well, boys,
What is it your want to do?''
Take 'em a New Years dinner" we
3aid all at once.
Then mother sat and didn't say any
hing for a minute, and then all at once
he s'prised us by sayin', Boys, I'm |
Ifraid there isn't enough for so many"
Then George began to cry-that was |
ust like George, and said, ooh, mother.
you'd a-seen how that little Teller |
ookedi"
Then mother said, kind a quiet-Iike, |
ookin' at us boys, Would you be will !
ng to give them your share of the din
ler?'
That was terrible
We looked at each other and kind a.
wallowed down the Jumps in our
hroats. We'd been a-thinlzin' about
hat dinner all morning, and could
nell the turkey and all the good
Kings.
At last [ spoke up and spoke real
bud, Il will"
Then Ned said, me, too
And Fred and George said. "Yes4
It's do"
Then mother smiled and went out
ito the kitchen, and in a minute polzed
er head in the door and said: "Shall
put in your share of the pudding,
oo?' Now, that was worse than all,
ut we said real loud and strong,
Yes ma'am."
In a few minutes the basket was all
eady, and we put on our skates again,
nd away we went.
We raped at the door and the wo-
ian looked so glad when she saw the
asket, and when we said ITS a New
prom over her head and cried.
Then the man came to the door ana
lid, Come in," and so we did.
They opened the basket and put the
lings on the table, and you ought Just
} have seen them smile and the little
Jap dance up and down.
Oh, it was worth all the dinners in
lie world to see how happy he was.
Then we took the basket and the
oman thanked us all and said we was
lice boys and then we skated homo !
gain and told 'em all about it.
Dinner was all over when we got I
TEX, and mother said Boys. there is !
me mush and milk on the kitchen ia !
e and some oranges" Well. now YOU I
light to have seen US pitch in. We !
as awfully hungry. You just skate :
, the river ON New Years day and :
e if you don't get hungry.
Then when we was all through !
other came out and told us how glad I
e was that we'd been good unselfsh f
US, and kissed us all and said it made c
happier to give up something of our Q
IN for some one else. a
And that was how we had our fun on v
wv Years. S