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

Giant by comparison, and the maddest,
merriest of their rhythmic revels became
parson beside the sprite's pirouetting.
Whenever you wandered from the Desert
Of the Present into the enhancing Vale
of the Years to Come you beheld sweet
faced boys and girls romping about you,
but when you tried to grasp their hands,
they became as intangible as the dewy mist
itself? Not one of these children was more
beautiful in face and figure than the tiny
form on the star, and his airiness was that
Of breath at the first faint suggestion of
backward autumn.
We gazed entranced-I all forgetful of my
recent haste to penetrate to the heart of
Santa Claus Land. On and on the sprite
danced for the very Joy Of it, until he was
revolving on the stars point at a rate in
finttely faster than the hardest driven cleo
trio dynamo makes revolutions in a second.
Round and round-and round he whirled,
and then, before either of us could catch our
breath, he was balancing and bowling to us
in a way that would have got him q prince
ly offer long ego from the greatest show
on earth to be it's leading acrobat, had he
been of human texture.
Spirit Of the Christmas Tree.
Now there came peal of laughter, even
more delicately pitched than the music of
the swaying bells, but clear and contagious;
then the sound of a purling voice. marvel
ously like that possessed by the selfish
companion who used to seek you out when
you had thrown yourself down, weary from
play with the meadow fairies, by the side
Of the Brook of Doxing Hours, which flows
from the Eternal Mountain Of Restfulness.
IT am the Spirit Of the Christmas Tree"
cried the voice, while two eyes. tiny as
tiniest star dust, shone like the Sailors
Guiding Light toward us.
''Once every Christmas season am per-
mitted to appear to some good woman who
is filled with the true Christmas spirft-the
Christ spirit-who gives never thought to
herself In planning for the happiness OF
others There have been many such women
in the world; there are many now. Ali.
gentle heart of the Christmas spirit, I have
longed to appear to you ever since that
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS holiday season when
you gave your mind completely over to
fasf1ioning with childish hands dainty gifts
Of love for father and mother and brothers
and sisters. But have long delayed-you
were 50 tenderly young, and there were
gray-haired mothers I must needs visit be-
fore their time came to taste OF Christmas
joys forever. And you are still young-oh,
the fire in eyes and bloom on cheeks!-but
could no longer delay my coming with the
sweet memory of that year, with never
thought of new doll from Santas pack in
your darling head, constantly before me-
And SO, make reverence to you.
AS for you, sir, l tolerate your presence
because you have been fortunate enough to
be honored with love that you don't de-
serve
+ bowed humbly, with a realizing sense Of
my utter denciency; ana the Spirit or the
Christmas Tree, evidently noting with sat
isfaction the deep loyalty my wife showed,
by creeping closer to my side, in spite of
determination and confession, went musi-
cally on:
Christmas Tree Country.
ST came from the Christmas tree coun-
try in one of the fourteen cars of my trees
ordered by just one big. wholesale dealer.
Mortals with no poetry in their souls call
a part of my domains Down East also
hold sway over the great stretches Of the
Ad.rondacks, and my word Is law among
the balsam that grow in Canadian soil as
far west as Lake Superior's Minnesota end.
But unlike all other lands, the Christmas
tree country has no fixed southern boun-
dairy. Once upon a time this line included
the Blue Ridge of Pennsylvania, where the
Tiny People of Overhead = ever SO much
smaller than I-dance in such numbers that
mortals say the mountains have the color
of the sky, and those Catskill Businesses
that the Sprite World has ever recognized
as rightfully belonging to the funniest of
airy little Dutchmen imaginable. Now the
Berkshires, where the wonderfully CARRIED
Folk of the Autumn Leaves live, are In the
extreme southern portion of the Christmas
Tree Country. In a few brief years they,