The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-25

II y
taking him by the nap of the neck
and sings him about as if he were
rag. Other dogs run up and lay hold
upon the already exhausted coon, and
he is soon killed. Just then somebody
fires off his gun and another coon,
that came nigh slipping off without
being seen, lies kicking. Somebody
says: There's another one about
here. Two of these are young ones.
The mother must be close by" A
dog banks few hundred yards away,
and some one says: That's Lawyer !!
I'll bet he's speaking to the madam"
Two or three start in the direction or
the barking dog, and in less than five
minutes two guns are fired, in quick
succession, and l hear one of the ne
groes sing out: Fore God OATS de
ole lady. l noed she was bout here
som'ers, en- ole Lawyers jis de dog to
tell on her. Dat dog didn't study law
for nuthen. you hear me. He's de
best dog in dis naberhood.
What dat you say JIM? asks
another negro boy, named Nose.
az say Lawyers de best dog in dis
naberhood!'
"Cepin our Tige," says Nose. "Ef
it hadn't been for Tige dat ole coon
would a whipped out de whole She
bang, jes now Tige's wort two Ell Law
yer every time
''Tfges a bigger dog den Lawyer,
but he amt got haf de sense. Dat ole
coon would got away, shore, et
Lawyer hadn't a ben here" said Jim.
Dat shos how much sense you
got" said Nose. Whar was yer old
Lawyer jes now when Tige and de rest
of de dogs was a putin de lights out
er dat old he coon? War was he, L
say 2" Dodging out dar in de woods
to keep out er de fife. OATS Whar
he was"
Nose, you's a liar, en- you knows
it,"
Fore God / can't stand dat. Eff
We don't take dat back I'll sling you
round here worsin' Tige slung dat ole
COON"
80, boys, boys, boys, that won't do.
Behave yourselves. This is Christ
mas. Tige and Lawyer are both good
dogs; they don't fight each other, but
both are we'll behaved dogs. Ones got
a good nose and trees coons, the
others got big strong teeth and WHIPS
Fem. SO both of them are good dogs.
II clare fore God, MarSe Toms rite
er bout dat" said Nose.
HE sholy is" said Jim.
And the quarrel ended up by their
shouldering the coons, two each and
following after the hunters
By late dinner time, with four
coons already in hand, the hunters
had about as much game-rabbits,
SQUIRRELS, 'possums and birds-as they
cared to carry; so, being hungry and
tired, they were glad when they heard
the dinner horn blow.
What a dinner we did have! Every
body enjoyed it, and especially did
the women enjoy the account given OF
the coon killing and the quarrel be-
tween Nose and Jim.
That's only one picture of the old
time Christmas in the country. Many
other scenes might be presented, but
the readers of these days, who are
used to different and more expensive
ways, would not, perhaps, enjoy them.
What would have pleased and salts
fed a boy in my young days would not
don't change, Christmas presents, for
the next generation of boys and girls
will cost enough to feed q family half
a year But what difference VIII that
make if money is plentiful?
Yes, to-day is Christmas. To-day we
celebrate the birth of the Prince or
Peace To-day we remember Beth
lehem and the Manger, the Shop
herds out on the Judean hills, and
ings of great joy. To-day, by faith, we
hear that convoy of Angelic Spirits
shouting, GLORY to God in the high
est, on earth peace, good will to mem"
And turning our thoughts from Beth
lehem to Gethsemane, Golgotha and
Joseph's tomb, and remembering the
sufferings through which the infant
Jesus-the Man of Galilee-the de-
spised Nazarene, had to go that ne
might redeem a sin-cursed world, we
can but exclaim, in the language of
John, Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us
that we might be called the sons of
Cod"
In Norway and Sweden Christmas
is called "Yule-peace," as at this sea-
son every one is expected to be at
peace with his neighbor. The courts
are closed, all quarrels are stopped
and children who have been naughty
to each other make up and are friends
again. On Yule-night all the shoes
of a family are placed in a row, side
by side typifying that during the year
the family will live in peace and har-
mony.
May all the family feuds end today;
and during the coming year may all
the unhappy past be forgotten in the
new and better lives that men and
women may try to live.