Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-12-17

pulled the limb down here, an the
kid told me just where he wanted it;
right here, where you see it, Then
they both thanked me an went Off
About an hour ago | saw the two
kids again, going off together, and
says | to myself: III go down there
an see what's the end Of that story,
and when l come here here's what
see."
If there is anything more pathetic
on this earth than we saw there l do
not know what it may be. The branch
of the hemlock made a very nice tree,
and upon this were several little
things that might, anywhere else,
have seemed like little gifts. l was
just about to take one in my hand
when l heard Sam whisper, "Blest if
they amt coming back; here they
are"
We could not get away without
showing that we had been meddling
with their affairs, so concluded that
the best thing to do was to show our
selves friendly TO Sans two little
kids"
This is the gentleman and lady,"
said Sam, by. way of introduction,
who planted the flowers here for you
last summer, and brought them down
to see ycur tree"
If l had been alone | doubt If |
could have won their confidence. but
the mother knew how to approach the
little girl, and Sam and I appeared to
take a deal Of interest in white
birch tree near by until we saw that
the children's timidity had been over
come by the mothers tact
BY and by they told us about the
tree.
ME an Susy," said the boy, whose
name is Fritz, "never had no Chris
mus tree an pa amt to home now, an
we saw two trees last year, an l told
| Susy we ought to get one for ma and
Kitty. Kitty was Iittler than us, an
just 2 when she died. An ma told
me to come often to her grave an al
ways pray for her, an me an Susy
! does.
! "An when we sees this Christmas
/ tree We said we'd have it right here,
an put things on it for ma and Kitty
to see, an we forgot to say goodnight
when we was here, an Merry Chris
mus, an so we ruined back"
The little trinkets on the tree told
their story. They had hung a Sunday
! school card there, that their mother
might see how well they learned their
catechism, they said. A dozen picture
cards, of the commonest kind, were
tied on the tree for the dead Kitty,
and Susy had also brought her one
dell to offer it on this altar of love-
This looks very tame, very i'm
probable, perhaps, in print, but it was
a lesson about keeping in loving COM
partnership with the dead that could
only come from the mouths and hearts
of babes and sucklings.
They went out of the cemetery with
us, promising to return early in the
morning, for we assured them that
Santa Claus loved such children, and
that we were much mistaken if they
would net find something for them
selves on that tree when they came
back They thanked us in their
solemn, old-fashioned way, Fritz as
surfing us that he could find his way
home with his eyes shut.
We had little business that took
us back to see Sam, and we think we
left it in coed hands About 8 o'clock
Christmas morning he called us by
phone. Say, those little kids has
just gone home. / wish to goodness
you could have seen 'em. They're
! just as solemn as ever, but they
amt no happier kids in Toledo. / got
the things last night and got out early
with them this morning, but want
none too soon. They was here be-
| fore o'clock. | didn't go near them
till they was most at the gate, an
| then l sort Of accidentally met 'em!
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