The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1905-12-29
A Tale of the Yule Tide
BY WILL NJ. MADPIN

TITS mighty little Oh love tn work. growled
Private OBrien as he savagely jabbed his knife
into the of embalmed beef with hand
and reached for his canteen with the other
60 g'wan with your everlasting growlin'
Terry, grunted Private Wilkins. Did you think
you were comm on Sunday school picnic?"
Il guess Oh knew phwat comm t. me when
Oh enlisted" replied O'Bren, wiping the perspra-
tion from his forehead with the sleeve of his
shirt. But little did Oh tink thot we'd be
hikin' trough these blessed jungles at Christmas
tonne. Divle fly away wild tn little brown feIlys
thot keep pesterin us Av it wasn't for them
it's home we'd be this minnit, an tomorrow III
blessed Christmas day.
Lieutenant Glider in charge of a squad of
'hikers' i'll pursuit OF some recaIcitrant members
OF assin.ilated brethren, writing up his
report while his hastily getting sup
per and ever and anon he would stop and look
away toward the east with PARKWAY look in
his eyes. He, too was thinking of home and
Christmas joys, and he caught the conversation
OF his little command as it came floating towards
him the fever-aden air.
Christmas and home ten thousand miles
away" he muttered And the thermometer 100
in the shade when it isn't raining-and $50 then.
Well. were in for it, guess.
The rapidly nearing the western
horizon. and Lieutenant Glider hastily finished
his report and prepared to take the usual pre-
cautions for the night The supper quickly
finished the guards posted. and in instant al
most the sun disappeared and the tropical night
fell like pail
No fires allowed the soldiers
rolled their blankets and loled around upon the
ground, talking in low tones and sending the
wards the stars that fairly seemed shoot into
sight the dropped behind the horizon.
Dim wonderin' if Santa could find
stockin' if Oh hung it thot thorn beyant,' re-
marked OBrien with grin. pointing aZily with
his toe towards a nearby thornbush.
He could that, if he isn't suffern' from ca
larrh. retorted Billy Borden the wag of the
squad
IF it wasn't ag'in tn rules Old punch yer
head for tho' said OBrien. IT'S cruel of We
L poke fun at tn fate that has carried SO
many moilcs in tn effort t. make PEACEFUL citizens
OF me brown brothers"
Not loud boys cautioned the lieutenant.
NO telling where we what may happen
Ills cruel hard t he kept excited
Christmas eve whispered the irrepresibe
OBrien Wild all tn rest of tn world at pace
it seems y murtherin' shame hey t be itchn
t. shoot felly min.'
"fll bet the kids at home are just about
hikin' out of bed to look in their stockins,' said
Burkett the bugler-
% study geography" growIed
rade. You've got your time backwards.
We'll, I'm thinkin of stockin's and hangn'
them up. just the same retorted Burkett.
Dim not goin' t snub Santa Claus, onyhow,"
said OI3rien sitting up suddenly. eff SO be he
happens I come trough this God-forsaken part
CT tn world he's goin' t find Terence o'Bren
maxim familiar wig-wag
What are you goin' t. do, Terry?" queried
Riley, he OF the corporals stripes.
Dim goin' t hang me stockin thot same
thorn OF am, an I'll lick tn man thot laughs
at it
Go ahead, Terry" said the lieutenant. We'll
al hang up our stockings 1t will seem like home
Steep
The whimsica1ity of the thing appealed to the
lonesome and tired soldiers, and with subdued
chucklings they dug down into the packs and
brought out clean army socks. They hung them
on thornbush and bramble, then after a few more
pipefnlls of tobacco they lay down quiet, dozIg
off into the first stages of tired sleep where
visions of days gone by pass in review. 1t is
not difficult to imagine what those soldier boys
were dreaming about as they lay beneath the
tropc sky ten thousand miles from home on
Christmas eve, with unknown dangers lurking
all about. But at last their restless movings
ceased, and the only sounds heard were those