The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-26
a BACHELORS CHRISTMAS.

! and the maturity of many experiences
| and much thought has chastened my emo
tons, L am not altogether mindless OF the
! biessedness of my single estate
! But there are times when / realize that
1 am a lonely old bachelor, longing for
Z the heayenliness of a fireside surrounded
BY ny own brood-a tender companions
home smile, the feeling of soft arms
/ about my neck, the weight of little forms
| OF M knees. And one of those times
| comes at Christmas-tide.
On this particular Christmas day l had
just returned from my heavy hotel din
ner. l hardly had the ambition to draw
of my gloves and my outer coat My
rooms were cosy. but they were silent
desolate Books2 Bah: Music? Bah
again The clube Bah still more. /
| wanted HOME-and all that went with
Home,
So kept on my coat. my hat and my
gloves, again took up my stick. and sailed
forth. Forsooth. would enter into the
bcsoms OF some of my various friends
/ families.
There was Silas jenkins II ever there
/ vas an honest Yank. it was Silas, Silas
and 1 played hockey from the same
school, and he always beat me at mar
les He had but recently come TO the
city from the old country town which
had been our joint birthplace. 1 would
look up 81 and see how he was getting
on.
Sis cottage was a modest affair, on a
back street 1t needed painting, but the
muslin curtains at the windows were
scrupulously clean. 81 had married Jen-
Iie Ciemons-Fd been rather sweet on
Jennie rnyself-who was the soul of neat
ness. In answer to my pull at the old
| fashioned bell, a great scuffling was
| heard and 81 opened the door with his
| entire family at his back.
Jimmy crickets.' exclaimed 81. "Ef il
amt Joe Hopkins, Come right in, 10.
Come TO the back room by the fire. Ma 5
got a bad cough so We keep all the heat
In one room. Ernmie. take your Uncle
JCe's hat an cane, an you. Eph, take
his coat. My sakes, but it's good for
sore eyes to see you, Joe, old man.
| II took only one glance around the
| shabby 'backroom. and at the family $
seedy garb. to tell me that 81 wasn't
getting on very well in the city There
| were four children. a red-cheeked girl
and three lantern-jawe long-legSed
| boys, the image of Silas. Jennie sat hud-
died near the stove. coughing desperate
~. and old ST himself looked anxious
| and worn.
No. sir.v said 81. "the city's no place
for the likes of us. I wished Tt kept Pas
cid store. But we thought we'd do better
| in the city, so we sold out an come.
but We dIW1NS enough u tdl Oon II
home. an here L can't even git nothin'
do
rs it as bad as that. SIP
| ''Oh, | amt kickin Thingsll come all
right by an by. Santa Claus came last
night. any way. didn't he. Emmie?'
"Yeth. an he mended my dollie what
was broked, explained Emmie holding
VI said doll for inspection.
After my visit to 81 | stepped into the
| did tplp-
phcning. An old codger like me is good
for something once in while. and il was
going to be a blithering cold day when
| would let my boyhood friend starve for
the want of a job-even if he did beat
me at marbles. And little Emmie-she
vas the image of Jennie at that age.
Where should l go next?
All. had it, / would go and see Mich
eel OConnor, owner of little buffet
| where l take an occasional bracer.
Pom my word, | never before met with
so hilarious a reception! Mike embraced
me with fervor aud threw open his fam
lily hearth to me and all my kin. Mrs
Mike all but took me TO her capacious
bosom. and the first thing / knew / was
drinking hot toddy and capering ike d
young goat with the rest.
''Shure." said Mike, ''phwat's Christmas
f'r if it's not t inj'y ye'erslf [ IN top Nv
ye'er heart? An phwats L hip on tn
III ymint betther thin a leetle good whis-
key? Hurro6' FIJI up Misther Hopkins
glass. Br-r-idset. an he kin kiss tn in
tire fainbly f'r tn da-ay sake. includin
ye'eYsilf.'
| did. | smacked every Hibernian cheek
except Mikes, and | think there were al
least twenty-five of them. There are
times when | might object to kissing
candy smeared and toddy smelling
mouths. but | think I rather enjoyed thu
process upon this occasion. Honest Mike
and blooming Mrs Mike insisted that
stay to supper. but had another call tc
make and so departed after having taker
part in an energetic dance of some kind
| Of which | didn't and never will know
the steps. As | remember il, the dance
consisted mostly of hollering and laugh
ing and pulling around, with frequent ex-
cursions to the toddy jug. oh. they were
jolly lot. those Irish, and l left in a:
hilarious mood as they. Mike showed into
ny coat pocket generous flask of the
finest Bourbon when I departed.
Then | bent my steps toward the home
OF Herr Friedrich. my florist. And Their
sank into a soft. deep chair. with The
days first sight of content. Such dear
warm rooms Such sweet homeiness
Such Freat-hearted friendliness, Is Their,
anything brighter. more breathing Of con
tent, security sentiment. than happy
/ German family? Here l found old Grand
father, peace and good will and univer
sal love beaming from his old blue eyes
scod-humor shining on his cheeks round
and red Ike apples. the very spirit OF
Kriss Kringle sticking out of every hail
IT. his head. Here was old Grandmother
- II her snow-white cap and apron, Will
ever-husy knitting needles. Here was til.
hearty. square-headcd. affectionate son
father husband. Herr Friedrich. dandlins
Young Friedrich on one knee. holding tow
headed little Gretchen on the other Here
o. was Frau Friedrich. plump. blond. srnii
ing. And here was that sweet flower Of
German maidenhOod. dimpled Trudchen
OF seventeen summers. II I only were
little yoInger-if only | felt more worthy
or course. I stayed 70 supper with Herr
Friencich. You couldn't have driven ms
away Frau Friedrich served me with th'
F. hest coffee ] ever had the Joy Of drinking
and cakes Of her own cooking-snis
I gebackeae, torte kafteekucben. lebkueher
and other kucEea-untii ! was like q
burst And after supper. when We drew
about the great glowing stove. I hear
, from the fat-legced little Friedrich ant
the chubby Gretchen. how Santa Claul
had come 10 them late the night before
{ lie had on a hiC ft,r coat. And he wa
r. fat And little Gretchen was 80 scare
r she couldn't talk. Santa Claus told then
they must b. good and learn some verse
10 say when he came again IN the morn
ing And they d.i title Gretchen sais
ore word They were pretty verses
Would I ike 10 hear them I would 8
e.tls Gretchen and little Friedrich Stco,
4 up together and repeated them for re
Little Friedrich Vas indeed very fst-ha
rite legs stood apart ike '. and iirrl
Gretcfen's braid II hair stood out YER
stify ard straight Thev also sang
! ~