The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-12-03

Iady Alice. II gave away your ttlrls1hiaS
ree?' she asked. softly. "On Christmas
Jay | believe an ogre would just as lief
ave this dear little tree as roses.
Meenie began to hustle about the parlor.
IN take some of papa 5 cigar matches,
he whispered reaching to the mantel for
small brown box.
She clasped her arms about the tiny
christmas tree, then opened the door, and
tole softly to the back stairs.
A messenger boy came whislling up the
tairs.
.Win you tell me where Mr.. Crabbe
ives? she asked.
\ There. drawled the boy; ''that 5 OF
abs den Don't stick your nose in
ne. If there's one thing on earth OF
VA hates, its kids.
",erationS ago Meenie had an ancestor
VINO y colonel in the Revolutionary
army Once. when he was planning to
'e,Le l'veSS manned by twice as many
soldier, as>e had somebody told him it
was hcpeN task. He burst into the
stronghold M before the British soldier
Nne" what hanlappened. they were priS-
onerS.
Meeme eyes Nshed Just as her great
great grand father did at Tieonderoga.
Her small fingers Glazed the handle. She
shut the door benin her Il was the
snoring Of the ogre. N.enie' : heart beat
wildly. There was diuFaht in further
raom In a leather ehair5eside table
lay the o-re, with his feet ,,ravled out
4 grey muslache stood out tierely under
a big red u,~e, and over his We. were
bushy. terrible eyebrows Mcei, noise
lc-,iy placed her Christmas tree on,he ia
Hc \ beautiful Maltese kite, wa,
stretched on the ogre knee Me,,ie
heart gave a lhroh Of relief, '.Ol Cr.Ss
could not be a real ogre. or he would neSl
allow cat 10 sleep on his knee.
Meeuie struck match, aud Soon ever
candle on the tree blazed into glory. The
the ogre woke. and looked acrS> the table
A merry Christmas. Mr. Crabher
she cried
Mr. Crabhe v,ood mp lie leaked q
tall a. the ;alle~s Of story book ogre
lhoaahl the little girl
4 was al alone. said Meenie Man
ana md lay1. are at church, and Mr.
Fapreuy had to leave me. though
II come. down and get quainted with ynr
And brought YOU my GtIle Christma
tree
What your name asked the ogre
Tie had teiribl, voice
Nieenie Allen Jasper she anSwere,
Where do yoa live:
--Ou the eth floor.
What IIerr in the Avalon2' IN
ogre EYES were blazing. DO your pal
vnts know allow no children in the Az.
lon2
.YcS-,hey know Meenie's LIP
quiyerud. Mamma walked for week
and weeks III over New York looking {,
i new home in nice apartment hous,
Whenever she found the one she wanteC
they always said, No children Above
here Then We saw the apartment her'
with windows looking ont on the river, an
a real tree close By. Then Mrs. Flat
perty said you didn allow any little q
here. and mamma jus; erred and
so Mrs. Flaherty Is at the bottom 1
this business How many more ehilire
are here ia the Ayalon2
Not one, cried Meenie ''Oh,
xish there we're 1t Is - lonesome.
get tired of keeping still want to :
riding in thu iliyator, and | would loN
10 walk up and down the beautiful marb
stairs instead of the old back stairs 1t
50 long and a. steep IL makes mamma
heart beat to climb it. aud my legs gro
so tirel
You walk up and down the bac
Stair?
Yes: We can take the ihvator, W
know. for the boy might tell you lit
-ih lived here
i, down, Meenie, want to talk
you. said the old man.
Won YOU please come first and e,
the things of your Christmas tree? II
/ afraid the candles viii burn down if VI
wait
Meenie pushed his big chair close 10 ii
tree
I Thi, Is a uut heart, Mr. Crabbe, - >l
cried. eagerly. Just see how good it /
/ Here Is a cake with the deliciouSe>t a
Z mon,ls. Here, this is something for Yet
dear kilty. the cute>t little chocolate mou
with a hong tail.
She laid it on the hoor before the FRA
eat. lie Investigated it -rayeIy, Al
+ turned il over. only To walk away in 81
prrme scorn Even Mr. Crabbe laughe,
,Do you Ike CATS he asked
II hove them cried Meenie. excite,ll
lnu didn' expect to find eat in q
I Grabs dem
III Is very rude Of people to call "
/ Ol Crabs. cried the child, loyalty =
/ believe. after all, you re a good ogre
! What? and Mr. Crabbe burst into
+ his laugh. '.You actually thought | W
an ogre. and set you dared to come
( hrre-aloue? You are brave little girl.
My great great grandfather was Co
( Ethan Allen. said Meeuie, lifting h,
head proudly.
Mr.. Crabbe bowed to his visitor, al
took her small hand in his own, Mi
Meenie. | am proud to have descendar
Of Ethan Allen under my roof.
NIeenie threw her arms about his necl
and kissed him SiIas Crabbe lifted h
to his breast. The touch of a child war
cheek. the clinging Of tender little arm
made Ol' Crabs look back upon his Ii
and see it as it looked to other eyes
Suddenly the door was opened, and Mr.
Jasper came in. Her pretty face W;
white with terror.
.sMeenie. she cried, ''Meenie deal
what made you come here?
She stopped in bewilderment, gazing ;
the tiny Christmas tree, with its tapel
burned down to mere spots of red, then ;
her little Girl. The old man did not pr
the child down. She -clasped his nee
tightly.
Mamma. Mr. Crabbe and are frienC
very good friends indeed.
4 was most happy, madam, to max
the acquaintance of this little lady sal
Mr.. Crabbe, with old-fashioned courtesy
"not only because she is a dear, lovabl
little girl, but because she is the descendan