The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-12-12


them the best it had, and none suffered.
But its heart was not wholly in the work.
One longgated citizen, evidently orig
inally from the south, explained it:
"Yeh see, we 5 a.goin' ter hev' the
Chris mas doin's ternight at tn hall"
What? Id forgot that it was Christmas
eve" broke in Marvin. Lets all go over.
The passengers from the Pullman car, find
ing that they could not continue their
journey until the following day, as well as
many of the others, agreed. Well bun
died up, they took their walk through the
chilly streets, where blew the bitter north
wind Of the plain.
The hall was nothing more than the
upper room over a store. 1t was filled to
the aisles, but the exercises had not yet
begun. The southerner, who was master OF
ceremonies, tiptoed back to Marvin.
I'VE need two more to help in the doin'
he whispered. Won't you un's Gomez"
Frank laughingly arose, and the dainty
Miss Reisen, having no other choice, tol-
lowed him.
Behind the curtain, what a sight met
their gaze! A Christmas tree it was, to
be sure. There were no evergreens nearer
than the mountains, and to make up for
the deficiency the plainsmen had secured
a dry cottonwood and wound its struggling
branches with green paper. The appear
ance would have been ludicrous had 1t not
been little pathetic.
Not much like the pines of the beach
where we used to rest last summer" whis-
pered Frank to his companion.
You and the other-I presume you
mean" was the whitening response.
!
mean" but the gaunt captain Interrupted.
You, young lady, I'd like you to be the
fairy Our leadin' lady is sick, an you
look like her"
Entering into the spirit of the occasion,
Miss Reisen accepted the task.
You'll have to wear some wings, and
there will be a little scene, but nothin' fer
you to do but look pretty-you don't need
no coachin'," he added, gallantly.
Great admirer OF yours" suggested
Frank, as the functionary moved away.
Alice did not reply.
The wings were brought, and they
seemed almost large enough for the wearer
to soar with. she put on the costume and
danced a two-step across the rude stage.
"Yeh mustn't do that, lady; this is fer
tn benefit of tn churches, an tn folks
wouldn't like it" said the manager, with
a grin.
Then came up one of the women of the
town, who seemed to have a part of the
management. She gave some instructions
as to what would happen, and Miss Reisen
listened intently. Another listened, but
she did not know it.
The programme of the evening opened
with a number OF songs and recitatiOns, to
which the passengers from the train gave
the most earnest attention and hearty ap-
plause. Marvin seemed wonderfully at
home, Miss Reisen thought, and was call
ing men by their first names as if he knew
them. He was behind the scenes a good
deal; too much, she thought, also, and it
worried her, for he was the only one in all
the house that she counted on as a friend
no, was he friend? She wished she knew
if the story her chum told her were false
or true.
Then came the time for the Christmas
tree "doin's," as the manager called the
exercises. The big curtain was dropped,
and the children of the prairie farms and
! ranches gave an audible "0h!" as the beau.
tiful green-paper-wrapped cottonwood
I lighted with candles and glistening with
( tinsel, all brought from the city 400 miles
| away, burst on their eyes. Many of them
had never seen an evergreen, and this was
( a fulillment of all their anticipations.
Before the tree stood the fairy, her wing.
I and robe making her almost ethereal in the
/ sight of the little ones. Behind was the
! open mouth Of a chimney, and far off rang
/ the horn OF Saint Nicholas as he approached
over the housetops on his sleigh. 1t wa.
| cold enough outside for his biggest furs
and when he came laboriously down the
chimney and stood amid the group on tht
stage he was the very picture OF the Santa
Claus Of their dreams.
1 Swiftly he made the rounds Of the tree
and in cultural tones told the little folki
to help themselves. Then be did what wa,
not on the billshe approached the fairy
and in the same rough voice exclaimed:
You are to 20 with me on my travels 70
night. Cons"
For moment she stood iFresplhit ~
knowing Il this were part 81 thf ntsrS