Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-19
A
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Christmas.
~ NM2SWNNSNS WO0l.
W0 o, l AMT go
AC@ in to make
G~ any Christ
M a s." d


Mrs. bennett, decisively, as she
of tea. 1.-The Lord amt good to US,
and / don't feel called upon to act as
if 1 thought He was"
''Why, Hannah, how you talk" and
Samuel Bennett set his cup down so
suddenly that some of the tea spilled
over upon the table. "It sounds kind
o. sa~crilegious."
II can't help it if it does. There!
you've stopped your tea on the table
cloth. Why amt you careful?'
"You kind O. s'prised me sayin'
that, and"
Surprised you, did I?' and Mrs.
Bennett wiped up the spilled tea with
a cloth taken from the sink near at
hand. "I don't knows / said any
thing so very terrible. 1 guess it
amt no worse than actin out a lie,
tryin' to have a Christmas when you
don't feel it."
"But the Lord is good to US, Han
nah. They's a lot of folks worse off'n
we be-"
'Then I'm sorry for 'em, Sam Ben
nett. Look at us. We amt had moth
Ing =DuJ DdU LUCK luIS WHOIc year
Don't talk to me. It's settled"
Samuel Bennett knew his wife too
well to argue the question, so he left
her and went out to do the "chores,"
while she went glumly about the task
of washing the supper dishes. But in
the old mans heart, as he went out to
feed the cow and fix the mares stall
for the night, was the lonely feeling
of a disappointed ch: He liked
Christmas. He had c',vays looked
forward to it with pleasurable an
ticipation, although for many years
the day had not meant so very much
to him. But he had taken delight in
trimming up the plain rooms of the
little farmhouse with e~vergreens, and
he always had managed to give Han
nah a little present, while she had
never failed to remember him with
some useful product of her own
handiwork. But these humble gifts
were real treasures to him, for he
measured them in loves own balance,
and their brightness was a reflection
of the effulgent Christmas glory. He
and Hannah were alone in the world,
their only child having died in in
fancy. But they had been happy to-
gether and fairly prosperous, until
within the past year.
During this time, Samuel. as he ex-
pressed it, had "lost his holt" One
thing after another had happened to
discourage him and set him back.
First. his horse died, leaving only the
rather decrepit old mare to help him
in his field work; then crops had
failed. Never before had his few
acres of ground yielded SO sparingly,
and the fruit trees were never so
barren. Along about harvest time,
as if to complete his misfortune, he
was taken i'll and for weeks was IN
able to work, while a doctors bill ac-
cumulated. He was obliged to hire a
man to do the work, and the farm
produced hardly enough to pay for
these services. This had all put him
behind, and now, in the latter part of
December, he seemed to have every
reason to be discouraged. But it was
Hannah who had given up He would
still have been hopeful and looked on
the bright side, but for her. h
grumbled-
IL feel awful kind o. bad not to
have any Christmas" confided Samuel
to the mare, as he laid the straw for
her bed. At know things amt so
bright. but Hannah hadn't ought to
feel SO. It might be worse. / guess
we can pull through. But then, itn
have to be as Hannah says. II h