The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-12-21
Nov the Wanderer Signs
| for a Nome Christmas
EY Fl. r. nAulns-
TO the wanaeror, Inc mar


nv " % nnvune
M
~ ""A&eieI' me mar VINO
SpefloS ms GAYS travelling from n
place 70 another, whose stop in town
- Just long enough 10 make n few
FRIENDS anG who then moves on 10
newer pastures, Christmas is about the
most qiSiiAi time OF the year. He is
SGi@ed ny an uneohtrollabie loneliness.
he watches others happy in their
iloiiieS' ne sees the "heln%eih" in all
rs most beautiful aspects and he sick
viss Ok liic WaIecrlust, the fever IN his
pIooa Mhlch sends him inward like
u playthlng moved by the hand OF an
unseen power. Durlng, the rest of the
year ne prices himself on his freedom,
ne thaflks inc gods because his feet
are NOT shacNiea as those of other men
ana me sentiment OF home and family
les 90 nor affect HIM in the least.
lut at Christmas al is changed. The
luliqfeds OF years OF convention which
nave halloWeq Chflstmas day has. for
an ms eonNletion ana scorl for such
lIlttleis, leIt us imprint on him and
shoQSIl ne IS loath to ADMIT 1t, his
feelings ON Christmas time are of the
S2ddest. Tlis homeless Christmas is q
theme which Christmas writer's have
handled from times unknown. They
have harpcd on The string until it is
worn and frayed, but the note is still
there and though the rest OF the world
the staY-at-home worldly hearing
1T so often expressed, take it as Il tlite
platitude, admitting its fact, they lose
its true significance. Only the man
who has travelled can properly under
~stand-and he would give a lot to be
ignorant ON The matter.
TO him the little pleasure that lies
at Yule tiGe period, is not in the Christ
mas present, but in the Christmas past.
Memories which for months have been
lying dormant come to the surface ana
as he smokes ana dreams, he forgets
his present surroundings, and dwcls in
the commissioners which bring a half
smile to his lips and which make hin,
feel the terrible uselessness of his life.
made man and burdened him with sor-
rows he also placed tobacco in the
world for solace and to tobacco the
wanderer turns, knowing that In it's
cloud dreams. he can at least still the
gnawine loneliness i'm his breast
The pipe is an old acn,aintance If
has been With him on many sl1ch other
occasions and may have been given 10
years. But the latter Is a mere nos.
sibilitv. the nrobability heinr that If q
Christmas present he never would have
the courage to smoke II. With nervous
fingers the wanderer lifts the match to
the bow. his mind seething With things
ne mad hOnnd and 1nJ1Srh 1nn had 1Or,r
forgotten. AS the smoke rises ia the
ceiling. envelonine hin, in its ,ono,y
curtainins. it takes the form of old
faces. some dead some liyi,,g ,nd oil
rp to thar time Forgotten Refora bi,, ,
there rises tbe scene of , Ch.iis+ , y
past. Throngh tho smoke ba snas y
mental picture of the eternal sea hlacI
and angry rising ana ]fai1ing '1ha
white-crested waves stril,a again. ~
sides of the tiny tramp steamer. bat.
terinr unceasinnlv He soes binasaIf
at the bow gazing ahead as tho boet
pitching and %proaninp crealinr 80 go
rolling crashes ire wsav +hrn,,ab 49,
dark waters, .h0
If is bitterly cold-the d.,,n oo1a 90
the foggv seasSand he swinrs b ieia a, ~
against his sides in an effort 70 kaan
warm. The light of q liner aaslp
slimmer and die down in the distanas
and the loneliness he knows SO Wen
creeps over him. From he ocs'Ie mn
derneath his feet rises the voices of
men in anger. Greeks. italians and
Portuguese of the lowest type. the scum
of southern Europe, sandbapred and
shanghaied aboard, form the crew and
they are fighting among themselves.
But he needs them not. Soon it will
be his trick at the Wheel. and as he
thinks the ships bell clangs, it's Quick
double strokes almost being lost in the
whistling of the wind in the rigging,
the unceasng dashing of the waters
against the SIDES n grooming rattle of
Ihe engines. lie hears the hoarse
voice OF the mate, deep with curses of
the channel, routing from their warm
puhks lhe new watch. They come out
ahSrilS, ana one OF thern PUSHES at the
knitting hin, Tl,,,o,,oh +,,a ani 49, VI