The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-12-23
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Ns ROMANTIC 3
$ NsS@ HISTORIES

II is safe to affirm that no Christ
mas card played SO important a part
in a mans life as one which hangs in
a frame over the writing desk of q
certain we'll known journalist. The
remarkable story connected with this
card was related to the writer a short
time ago.
About twelve years since, the jour
nalist to whom the card belongs went
to a large city with great literary as
pirations. Against the advice of his
parents, he threw up a situation which
would have brought him in a steady
if not large income, SO long as he
cared to do the work. But he col
sidered literary work was his forte.
and he came to the great metropolis
to earn fame and fortune with his pen
as a free lance. To be brief, the re-
suit appeared to be dismal failure;
for after nearly two years incessant
struggling the journalist found him
self n Christmas eve without suffi
cient money in his pocket to pay his
railway fare TO visit "the old folk al
home"
Too proud to admit his failure after
going against the advice of his parents
he began to think seriously of de
stroying ali traces of his identity and
committing suicide. While sitting in
his lodgings with this idea running
through his mind, however, the post
man brought a letter which contained
a small Christmas card sent by a five
year-old niece to whom he was great
ly attached. The words on the front
of the card were simple: Wishing
you a merry Christmas and prosper
ity"; but on the back was written,
in the child's scrawling handwriting,
From your little sweetheart, Nell"
The thought that the little girl was
looking forward to seeing him quick.
ly dispelled all thoughts Of suicide
from the journalists mind, and, put.
ting his pride in his pocket, he Dor.
rowed sufficient money to take him
home. 1t was the turning point in his
career; for he determined to try again
after the holiday, with the result that
he was able to go home the following
Christmas and tell those who were
dear to him that his work had won
for him a lucrative post.
Maybe there are some readers who
tached to a Christmas card received
by the German emperor two years
ago from a little girl whose father
had been imprisoned for lese majestic.
The girl. who was about ten years OF
age, had no mother. and, probably
feeling very miserable at the thoughts
Of spending Christmas without her
father, conceived the idea of sending
a petition to the emperor for her par.
ent's release in the form of a Christ.
mas card.
The card was but a cheap one,
bearing the very appropriate words,
"Good will toward men,; while on the
back the child had written in Ger.
man, please. Your Majesty, let my
father come out of prison for Christ !
mas day" The appeal interested the
kaiser to such an extent that he
caused inquiries to be made, and. find.
ing that the man had not committed
a very serious ~ofense, ordered his i'm
mediate release.
A gentleman living in Wales still
preserves a Christmas card which
cost him one penny and brought him
a fortune of $4,000. He was once
a doctor at Sheffield, and one Christ
mas bought a shilling box of a dozer
Christmas cards to send to his friends
After dispatching eleven he found thai
his list of friends was exhausted, anl
at first thought OF keeping the twelfth
card. He suddenly remembered ar
old aunt. however, liying In Wales
whom he had never seen, and to he,
he posted the remaining card.
A little later the old lady died. ant
the doctor found that she had lef,
him her entire fortune. Her lawyer,
declared that the date Of the altera
ton of her will was the day after tina,
- M~vhtrh ->>>-~I 49, ---n #