Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-04-18
SWEET
MIS- TRESS
p r UE
BY M. L. AVARY

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The expressman logged in great
Jundle of burlap. The girls cut II
)oen. and out tumbled boughs of noun
ain laurel. plumes of pine and hem
eek and gay punches of bittersweet
berries.
"Ah. how it smells Of the woods al
homer 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
4 stenographer in New York had gath
cred it.
"Ole Virginny nebber tire" shouted
Margaret as the cxpressman numbered
in again. bearing a big box.
Ii was crammed with holly, running
cedar - greenwood lace" Margaret
called it-and mistletoe.
"Oh. | love to touch 1t! Mamma
dear hands put it in" And Margaret
sang:
"The mistletoe hung in the castle hail.
Tho holly branch shonc on the old oak wall,
And tho Lorou's retaners were blithe and gay,
Kceping their Christmas holiday.
Oh. the mistletoe bough! Oh. the mlstletoe
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 GUM
or ugly to be thus prettily reminded
that the merry girls up stairs, whose
antics kept them awake O nights anu
made them swear under and above
thpir breath. were full of the spirit OF
good will to men. The landlady's apart
mont 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, To-!
fine 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
" bright. 1T was ever 50 nice for you
to do it for IL perfect stranger
ooh. but you aren't stranger! SAID
Jolly Margaret. "You are our nearest
neighbor. YOU know. Come right III
and have a cup Of tea. We're JUST
brewing"
So Pruc sat down among them ana
listened while they talked away about
the folks IT home. She watched them
doing up small packages in white It's
sue paper with red and green ribbons
"Thcse are belatcd offerings, they
said. I'VE were UP till last nlSht
tying ND things Hope we didn't dis
t1rb YOU. We do jabber so. It's such
finn TO make up the prcscnts-lots oil
crinkly paper and gay ribbons you
soc. and not much else. We can't give
onvthinp that costs over 10 or ID cents
so we have to make the maSnlllcehce
of the parcel counterbalance the hu
militv of the gift. 1t looks like SIN &c
send such trash, but it reminds kinf0lB
and friends that we think lovingly OF
them. Besides. if folks didn't buy
: trash. what would become of the stores
and the snleslades and cashbOys they
employ? Where would their Christmas
he If all of us were too wise to buy
foolshly"
The little needlewoman turned TO ant
helped with the parcels and waXcd al
most merry When all the fluffy aHHlr'
were ilcascd in coats Of brown paper
She helped Margaret carry them to tn
corner drugstore to mail.
Good night" said Margaret a
prup's door Put wait minute. In
going TO slick bundle of mistleto
over your d)cr just for luck. you know
And-who knows?-Lord Lovcl ma.
walk beneath it and find you hcre!
She tool; y spray out of the bowl o
lcftovcrS and. climbing on her steplad
der chair. fastened it into the running
cedar.
I'VE have some over our door" sh
said. laughing.
"Your prince will be sure to come
said prue.
Margarets engagement to ban
clerk and Anne's to a budding railroa
magnate were matters of common tai
in the house.
Prue's room was in reality slice CT
off the den by q thin partition. again'
which Margarets and Anne's foidln
bed stood on one side and Prue's CT
on the other. In the night Anne shoe
Margaret "Listen" she whispered.