Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-12-15

Tut, tut, tut, All that in tie nouse
OF God?' said Aunt Sally, Il don't
know about that. 1 wonder what FL,
der Manley will say to it."
An it's secret bout ev'rything,
gra'ma'a ami" broke in little Solomon
Ward. Nobody mustn't tell one
word. An | know what I'm goin' to
give you, gra'maam. Esther, don I
you tell, will you, Esther? An oh!
it's somefin' big, an round, an red,
an it's good to eat, an know what it
is, an |. shan't tell" And the little
| fellow Rugged himself to hold his S.
cret in.
! When the afternoon meeting was
over, Polly Dodge went back to the
school-house for q few minutes and
when she started to go home she saw
Dea Simeon Leland waiting for her
under the great maple at the edge OF
the woods. His eyes blazed with a
flame repressed; his long, gray beard
swayed in the chilling wind which had
arisen. So Elijah might have looked
before he began to denounce the
priests of Baal.
Polly Dodge he began sternly. q
want to ask you whittier or no it is
true what l have heered, that ARE
agoin' to have them heathenish
Christmas doin's in the meetinhouse? ~
! Polly stood undaunted. I'VE are
going to have a Christmas fesrlv...
Dea Leland" said Polly, respectful ly,
but there will not be anything heath
enish about it,
in regard to this thing?"
Yes, SIR
What did he say?"
Il don't quite like to tell you,
said Polly, hesitatingly.
What did he say?" Numbered the
old man, as he lowered In wrath above
her.
HE said" answered Polly, with
blazing cheeks, that after what ne
had seen of my Sunday school for the
past year, he was perfectly willing to
trust me to have our Christmas festi.
val in the church"
The old man shrank backward as If
Woe unto u.s." he cried, "for we are
spoiled! Priest and people alike are
gone astray, and the heather are
come into the inheritance of the house
of the Lord! Forty years ago toiled
with all my strength to help build that
house for the worship of Jehovah, ana
now l have lived to see it dishonored
by idolatrous feasts."
Polly looked up at the old man with
| pity rather than resentment in her
heart, though she could not understand
how he felt. Perhaps" she said.
! gently. "if you should come to our
Christmas tree you would feel differ
emily about it,
| But the deacon did not answer her
He left the road and started hon e.
ward through the arkening woods
AS Polly went along the road and
came out of the wodds, she saw Ran
som Ordway standing by the gateway
of his field. He tried so hard to make
it appear that he just happened to be
| there. that it was perfectly evident
that he had been waiting for Polly
ever since meeting was over. The
tall young farmer was very much in
! terested in Polly Dodge, and every
I body was aware of it except Polly hel
self. That is, Polly did not appear to
notice it.
Good afternoon, Polly" said Ran
some, with very poor attempt to
look surprised to see her. Amt you
rather late home? I heered the folks
| talkin' about your Christmas time at
ter meetin' was out. There was some
that opposed it, but most of 'em seem
ed TO think that if Elder Manley favor,
ed it, it must be all right The chill
dren seemed to be all excited about a
Christmas tree. Was you goin' to
have tree in the church, Polly?"
ooh, yes, Ransom, a tree and some
evergreen. and everything we can
find to make the church look brigh,
and cheerful"
/ We'll now, Polly" began Ransom
eagerly, you must let me help you.
I've got an OK team, you know, and a
stoneboat, and wagons of all kinds,
and ! can draw anything you want
And | will pick out the straightest
tree and cut it down, and draw it to
the church and set it up for you. And
| know where there is bears grass,
and three kinds of runnin' evergreen,
and l can get whole CARLOAD of it.
and you and can make it into ropes
and string it all over the meetin-
house, and"
Stop, stop, RANSOM" cried Polly.
You won't leave anything for any
body else to do"
81 don't want 'em to, not when it is
| for you, Polly. And l was thinkin"
he went on hastily, that there amt
any lights in the meetin' house, hut |
can put some strips of wood acrost
the windows, and hang candles on EN-
by the hundred, and it will be ligtt as
day in there Well, for the Ian sakes,
here is your gate! Goodnight, POLY;
don't forget you can depend upon me "
The next day winter set in in gooo
earnest The snow fell deep. and the
weather grew cold. But there was I'M
usual activity in almost every farm
house in Spruceland. The spirit OF
! (sl.-