Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29

dear, for he may be too busy to come. -
The next few days were full Of tremendous
once, for he knew that Santa Claus loved
only children who are sunshiny and good
natured. At last, one afternoon after the
stage had come in. mother called him, and
that she had heard from Santa Claus.
Hes coming!'' called mother, and then
she read the letter aloud:
Dear and Honored Madam-Although
the fairy hands now in my factory are SO
reliable that feel can leave the work.
shops for few days without running be-
hind on my December orders. therefore
vitation, and will make arrangements to
give you a Fourth Of July Christmas.
Nothing affords me more pleasure than to
hear of little boy who wishes to make
SANTA CLAUS.
"'P. s.-My reindeer are out at pasture
SO shall come on the stage: 8. c."
face 's suddenly heightened. "Mother, " he
sighed. 1.-The Fourth of July is-two. three
whole weeks orr
1--WE an idea" said mother: "In fact
two ideas-twins," she smiled I'm the
first place, as long as Santa Claus is going
to give Fourth of July Christmas let US
hunt up all the other Tommys and Jennys
in these mountains who have never met the
dear old gentleman and have them for our
guests"
! "And I'll introduce them to Santa Claus
myself" eagerly declared Cedric. "for he
and are such old friends. What's the
1.-THE other twin" she laughed. Is to
give Santa Claus a surprise. Well have a
beautifully decorated Christmas tree
awaiting him, and, as it's summer, he'll
see 1t will take all Of three weeks to carry
out-the twins"
Cedric clapped his hands in delight. 'tOh;
mother, If only they'll let US cut 1t down.
we can have that fine big Ar tree back OF
the hotel!''
"Cut it down." repeated mother. scorn-
fully. You forget it's to be Fourth Of
July Christmas !. Well trim the lovely tree
Its dear branches. For once. instead OF
being shut up in stuffy house. Santa
Claus shall be entertained out of doors"
whined when motber asked him a 10 90 Wits
her, rode for hours over the rough roads.
eagerly hunting up little girls and boys in
the houses scattered over the mountains.
And when he returned to the hotel he was
poor fare. and cheerfully ate everything
before him until he grew so fat that
mother teasinsly called him her piggy
AS for the tree mother and Cedric took
the other guests at the hotel into their
secret, and everybody wrote home to their
nephews and nieces and little cousins for
the loan Of the decorations used on their
own trees the Christmas before. But that
was not all. The ''cross LADY, who ''hated''
children cut up yards Of carleton into
candy bags and showed Cedric how to sew
them with bright worsted. And the stout
old gentleman who found fault with the
sun because It overheated his blood. knelt
before the log fire in the evenings and pop
ped corn for Cedric to string.
The Fourth OF July was what Cedric
called q "splendiferous'' day. Although
for the first time he could remember he
had no firecrackers to be set OF at sunrise,
he was up with the birds. And SO was
everybody else at the hotel, for the Christ
mas tree had yet to be trimmed.
And what vision Of beauty the tree
was when all the busy fingers had finished
their loving work. The strings Of white
popcorn trailing from branch to branch
chubby candy bags the most irresistible q