The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-08
SWEET
MISTRESS
PRUE
BY M. L. AVARY
Copyright, 1901, by NJ. L. Avary !.
9e30:e:e3o:eo: 20 :o:0a0:e.l

Inc eNpreSSUan rugged IN great
bundle of burlap. The girls cut it
open, and ont tumbled boughs Of noun
tain laurel, plumes of pine and hem
lock and gay lunches Of bittersweet
berries
"Ah. how it smells of the woods at
home" cried Anne her face bright
with smiles and tears.
The little brothers and sisters in the
New England village where she lived
before she came to make her living as
a stenographer in New York had gath
cred it.
"Ole Virginny nebber tire" shouted
Margaret as the eXpressman numbered
in again, bearing a biz box.
1t was crammed with holly. running
cedar greenwood lace" Margaret
called lt-and mistletoe.
"Oh, love to touch it. Mammals
dear hands put it in" And Margaret
sang
THE mistetoe hung in the castle hall.
The holly branch shoue on the old oak WALL
And the har1n's rc;aners were blithe and gay,
Keeping th.ir Christmas holiday.
On. the mi-tletoe bough, Oh. the mstletoe
bought"
The girls had lots of fun decorating
the house from Top to bottom.
They made their den a bower OF
green and scarlet Then they festooned
the doors Of every boarder in the house.
Nobody was too old or new or glum
or ugly to be thus prettily reminded
that the merry girls up stairs, whose
antics kept them awake o nights and
made them swear under and above
their breath. were full Of the spirit Of
good will to men. The landlady's apart
ment was invaded while she was in the
kitchen seeing to it that meals went
into the dining room properly. When
she came up stairs tired and cross, 10!
the smell of the forest and the CLINT Of
red berries greeted and soothed her.
The little sewing girl who had recent
~ taken the room next TO the den came
timidly TO the door to voice her thanks.
at makes me think of Santa Claus
times" she said, with eyes suspicious
r. bright. 1T was ever so nice for you
to do 1t for a perfect stranger"
"Oh, but you aren't a stranger" said
jolly Margaret. You are our nearest
neighbor. you know. Come right in
and have a cup of tea. We're just
brewing"
So Prue sat down among them and
listened while they talked away about
the folks at home. She watched them
doing up small packages in white It's
sue paper with red and green ribbons.
These are belated offerings" they
said I'VE were up till | last night
tying up things Hope we didn't dis
turb you. We do jabber so. Its such
fun to make up the presents-lots of
crinkly paper and gay ribbons, you
see. and not much else. We can't give
anything that costs over 10 or 10 cents,
so we have to make the magnificence
of the parcel counterbalance the hui
mlity of the gift. 1t looks like a sin TO
send such trash. but ii reminds kinfolk
and friends that we think lovingly of
them. Besides, if folks didn't buy
trash. what would become of the stores
anu Alt shltSldt4ltS anu NdSAhuNS lutN
employ Where would their Christmas
be if all of US Vere too wise TO buy
foolishly?"
The little needlewoman turned to and
lhelped with the parcels and waxed al
fmost merry. When all the fluffy affairs
were ncased in coats of brown paper,
she helped Margaret carry them to the
corner drugstore to mail.
! Good night" said Margaret at
Prues door But wait minute. I'm
going to stick bundle of mistletoe
over your door just for luck, you know.
And-who knows?-Lord Lowell may
walk beneath it and find you here"
She took spray out of the bowl Of
leftovers and. climbing on her steplad-
der chair. fastened it into the running
cedar.
I'VE have some over our door" she
said. laughing.
Your prince will be sure to come"
said Prue.
Margaret's engagement to 4 bank
clerk and AnneS to budding railroad
magnate were matters of common talk
in the house
Prue's room was in reality a slice cut
off the den by thin partition, against
which Marsaret's and Anne's folding
bed stood on one side and Prue's cot
on the other. In the night Anne shook
Margaret. Listen she whispered.
Through the wall came the sound of
weeping.
For a time the girls lay quite still,
but presently Margaret whispered:
81 can't stand il any longer II
sounds as If her heart were breaking.
Let's go to her."
In a few minutes they were in the
tiny room kneeling by the narrow bed.
ooh" sobbed Prue. 81 haven't any
body to send anything to-if had any
thing to send. And there's nobody to
send anything to me!'
You poor little thing" said they.
"There, there; you can have US. Wen
take you right in"
They took her round to the social set
Element and whispered a word TO the
head worker. and the head worker ask
ed her to dress a doll. She brought it
into the den and had great fun prink-
ing Miss Dolly out in gay attire. The
head worker was much pleased with
Miss Dolly's appearance and with the
way the tire woman helped about the
Christmas tree and the children. So
also were the deaconess and the curate.
II took only day or two for Prue to