Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-12-17

outdo the others in doin somethin' for
them little folks.
well, jest wisht you could have seen
them children when the time come for
EN- to go up to the hall an see their
tree! Little Freddy he give a yell O JOY
that most split our ears. an he jest stood
an clapped his hands, while his sister
kep' sayin': How lovely it is! Oh, is
MT it beautiful Then Freddy he
schreeches out: Oh, there's my choo-
choo engine! Goody.' An how little
Elsie's eyes did shine when she saw no
less than three dolls on the tree for her
self! There was enough stuff on that
tree for hull Sunday school, for the
men had been that reckless in sendin'
to Crystal City for things.
Then | wisht you could have seen
| those children when Big Dan come in all
! rigged up as Sanity Claus! That was the
capsheaf O. the hull proceedings! First
we heard his bells outside, an him call
/ in out. Whoa, there!' like as If he was
talkin' to his reindeers. Then he elm up
the ladder the boys had set outside, an
presently down he came through the hole
in the roof. | jest thought little Fred S
eyes would pop clean out o. his head when
that part o. the show come off! An what
fun there was when old Sanity went
around aivin' the boys all kinds OF re-
diculous presents! He give old Tim
Thorpe a tiny chiny doll. an big Jack
Ross a jumpin'-iack an Ben Anderson
a set o. little pewter dishes; an he
fetched me a great big old pipe, when
they knowed I hated the very sight o
one. I tell you. it was real fun?
"Well, the things had all been dis
tributed, an the children were loaded
down with presents. an me an the other
two women were about to go downstairs
to take up the supper when the door OF
the hall opened, and a strange man
stepped in. When he saw the children
he give a kind of little outcry, an the
next minute he was down on his knees
before 'em. with an arm around each
child, an he was kissin' first one an then
the other. We all jest stared at each
other when little Elsie clapped her hands
together and said:
Why, papa!'
AN that's jest who II was! The man
named Miller, who had died a few days
before, was cousin O. the children's pa
1t seemed that this cousin o the name OF
Miller had been sent TO meet the children
because their pa had been sick an wasn't
hardly strong enough to come away ovel
to Singin' River for them. He lived in 6
little camp only about 20 miles away, but
il was a hard road to travel for a wei
man, even. So this cousin he come, an
from all we could make out. he had lost
his way in a storm. an had laid out {
night an got so chilled it had brought
on pneumonia. When he didn't come
back with the children after two or three
days, their pa got oneasy. an he set ou
himself 10 see what was the matter He
wasn't hardly fit to travel, but he come
anyhow, an he was all tuckered out whe1
he got to Singin' River. Then he was 81
one thought it to his shame that he ies
broke clean down an laughed an cried
by turns, kind O. hystericky like, over The
children.
I'VE did have the best time at the sup
per! storm had come up, an the winC
was roarin' and howlin in the caynoI
an up an down the Sirgin' River, an
the sleet was dashin' ag'in the windel
lights; but that jest made it seem NOR
CHEEKY an comfortable in the cabin, will
a roarin fire O. pine knots in the big fire
place at one end O. the cabin, an the tea
kettle singin' on my big shinin' stove a
the other end. Mr.. Miller he set betweel
the two children, an he'd hug and llis
'em between times. We made him sta!
two whole weeks in Singin' River to res
up an get real well, an then hull passe
o. the boys went with him to get the chill
dren home. The boys rigged up sled
an TUX turns drawin Elsie an Fredd
over the trails an away up over Re
Bird mountain. | reckon it was rid
they won't ever forgit; an none of u
that were there will ever in this worl
forgit that Christmas on the Singir
River"