Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23

too. will have become disenchanted ground,
for each year the southern boundary line
is moved by me little farther toward the
glittering palace where lives the Fairy of
Eternal Frost. And just before this won
derful court Is reached the balsam ceases
to grow, and there the Christmas Tree
Country ends.
You wonder that each year 1 part with
portion of my domains. But see! On the
car In which came to the city were 900
punches of Christmas trees. From three to
SIX trees were in q bunch-some 2, 500 trees
in all.
This was one of fourteen carloads that
came to one Wholesale dealer-25 GOO trees
an told. This dealer is but one of fifty or
more operating In this city and tributary
territory. And there are many other whole
sale centers throughout the Land Of Santa's
Little People. Think, then, of the great
each year-of the hundreds of acres that
will never again be Of use to me. And the
cutting that permit to take place is al
OF Crown Ups. So you see, why each year
on Christmas day, make a gift of terri
tory to the Goddess Of Agriculture.
Cutting the Trees.
ut is early in September that let NOR
tails who know the elfln calls of the Woods
cross with axes into the Christmas Tree
Country Weeks before, I have granted
the petitions of favored few mortals to
|, travel UP and down the Christmas Tree
Country marking the trees for cutting. But
they can do this only proving to me
that they have entered into arrangements
with and satisfactory to the devotees of
the Goddess of Agriculture to whom the
cleared land will fall. Sometimes one of
the latter gets a hundred dollars for all the
trees that may be cut of his portion; an
other will receive much per tree, still an
other so much per hundred trees. or an
acre. i is my little way of insuring addi-
tional Christmas cheer to not a few NOR
tails, though this part of the Unseen Worlds
work rightfully belongs to old Santa Claus.
However, with the coming of the woods
ually In the Christmas Tree Country until
well on into November, when the Snow
Furies, long FESTIVE at the sight of so many
gentle friends laid low. and no longer to be
restrained, whip angrily about the woods
men and cause them to hasten TO get their
harvest to the Land of Santa's Little Peo-
pie ere the Snow Furies in their rage.
block the paths hence"
Here the Spirit of the Christmas Tree In
dulged for the millionth part of the twink
ling of an eye in ecstatic pirouetting, ended
up by balancing comcally on the point of
one ever SO dainty foot, and trilled on:
"As the trees were cut they were sawed
even at the base. then trimmed clean, and
those that needed 1t were topped. Then
they were tied in punches of threeS and
skies and placed in great orderly heaps
tops together in much the same fashion
that the Woodland Sprite taught the first
woodsrnan how to cord wood. So, generally,
when the first battalions of the Snow Furies
appear about the only thing that remains
to be done is to load the trees on wagons
and haul them to the nearest railroad sta
tons, frequently hard and full days
Journey for mortals, but a trip of only a
breaths duration for such as I.
Loading the Evergreens.
by trick that 1 taught the woodsmen,
nf NIL In, A.
each corner of a wagon stout balsam
trunk, as thick your wrist and perhaps
twelve feet In length, is placed. The two
in the front corners are secured to each
other by a chain placed about their mid
dies. likewise the other pair, and between
all four the trees are piled by the woods
man stationed in the wagon and his fell
low on the heaped up trees on the ground
And as they are loaded into wagons, end to
end, top to top. so they are placed on fiat
cars till these are rounded off. and then off
they are swished by the Steam Demons TO
the very heart of the Land of Santa's Little
People.
Struggled in the warm heart of the very
finest tree harvested this season in the
Christmas Tree Country, I came hence.
This Is my usual method of getting ahead
of those strange soullesS beings mortals
known as Railroad Barons" and the Spirit
went into a fit of the most silvery laughter
imaginable that did not cease till the whole
tree was a-quiver as IL in gentle zephyr
and the tiny bells were jangling merrily.
Another exhibition of that truly wonder
full whirling marked the continuance of the
narrative:
IT was so sheltered when your husband
sought a Christmas greens market on a
street corner. It Is an easy thing to lead
a man. as you and know and Immediately
/ had him overlooking all other trees in
favor of the one in which lay concealed.
Finest Specimen of the Lot.
The finest tree of the lot in shape and
color and good nine feet high prompted
the dealer to say. Nothing like those third
and fourth rate fellows over there for two
and three dollars-an cheap at ten
while he was hesitating summoned the
Imp of Extravaganza, who straightway
pulled wide open your purse, sir, and So
courtesying gracefully until the diminutive
poll was in close proximity to the Stars
uppermost point, 1--WE four are together in
this room-you and you. gentle SOUL the
Christmas Tree and I. And all the while
YOU, sir, were on the ladder arranging
things. 1t was not yourself, but 1.-the Spirit
of the Christmas Tree-that kept you In
amazing good humor And IT,
sHark! The bells of Christmas--On earth
peace. good will toward meng I must
hasten. and crave your pardon. SIR, but
only they who possess the true spirit Of
Chrtsts Day
drousIy illumined face Of my wife, the Spirit
of the Christmas Tree addressed her solely
in a strange tongue like nothing 90 much
as the dreamy echo of far distant golden
harps.
How long the Spirit talked thus know
not. ! only know that after ] had sat
patiently still for a great while there came
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