The leader., 1902-12-24
FREDDY,s PRESENTS.
Those Ho Received Were Always Of
the Useful Kind.

the Useful Kind.
The following short story, says
Youths Companion, will excite vari-
GUS emotions. Some readers will
laugh at it; others will be indignant;
and every boy that reads it will be
glad his name is not Freddy Keedick
IT think shall have to get Christ
mas present for little Freddy
Keedick," said Mrs. Dillingham; to her
husband one evening early in Deem
Der.
Don't you think you have enough
little nephews and nieces to provide
for in that way?" asked Mr.. billing
ham.
1--WE have enough, that's true, but
Mrs. Keedick was so very kind when
Nellie was sick in the summer, that l
feel somewhat under obligation to
her"
"Then I would get Freddy Christ
mas present, by all means. What do
you suppose would be suitable
81 have not been able to make up my
mind as to that. What do you think2"
"oh, don't ask mel"
81 have an ideal" exclaimed Mrs.
Dillingham;. an make call on Mrs.
Keedick this afternoon, and try to find
out what sort of present would be
acceptable to Freddy"
In pursuance of this resolve, Mrs.
Dillingham; was shown into Mrs. Kee-
dicks parlor on the afternoon of the
next day, and after few preliminary
exchanges of opinion on unimportant
matters, the conversation was led
around to Christmas by the caller.
81 suppose Freddy receives quite a
number of gifts each Christmas" said
she.
ooh, yes" replied Mrs. Keedick.
"He has a few relatives who always
remembers him, but really the presents
we appreciate the most are those his
papa and l give him."
That is because you know what
pleases him BEST" said Mrs. Dilling-
ham.
Eyes, that's it. ! haven't much pa
thence with the toys that his Uncle
Henry and his Aunt Polly bring"
"Why not?"
"Oh, I prefer something useful!
Now that French clock on the mantel
there has given me more satisfaction
than any other present Freddy has
ever received at Christmas"
"Was that Christmas present to
| Freddy?" asked Mrs. Dillingham;, in
| surprise.
eyes. We needed a clock in this
room, and l told Mr.. Keedick that as
we had to get Freddy a Christmas
present we might as well buy him a
clock"
'Does Freddy like it?"
"Well, he doesn't exactly go into
raptures over it, but find it very use
full indeed. Then Freddy has plenty
of trash given to him at Christmas,
so that it really doesn't matter. Then
| like him to have useful things, you
know. That writing-desk there was
another Christmas present to Fred
dy."
"But that is a lady's writing-desk."
KNOW 1t Is. LOU see Adu uCSIuCo
that he ought to have writing-desk
because it would be so useful, but
when l went to buy it, could not find
a desk suitable for small boy. How
ever, l saw that lovely lady's desk for
sale at a bargain, and l thought it
would be sinful to lose the opportun-
ity of getting it for Freddy, as I had
gone out for the very purpose of buy
ing him desk"
81 see," replied Mrs. Dillingham;.
"Then those ,ovely vases in the par
lor, which you have admired so often,
are also some of Freddy's Christmas
presents. The way we happened to
get them was this: Mr.. Keedick could
not think of anything useful to buy
for Freddy last Christmas, and l hap
pened to think of those vases, which
I had seen at such a very reasonable
price in store down town. The par
lor was so bare of ornaments that we
needed them very badly, and SO ]
went straight out and bought them
for Freddy"
Mrs. Dillingham; rose to go, and as
Mrs. Keedick followed her caller to
the door, she continued to explain how
much more sensible it was to give
children useful presents rather than
gimcracks, which are broken in a
week or two.
Mrs. Dillingham; went home, and
surprised her husband with, the an
nouncement that she had decided to
give Freddy Keedick handsome sofa
pillow for Christmas.