The Green Forest tribune., 1908-12-25


 others, came: Yes, yes; that is just what we want, a story about Christ mas in the army"
 "The motion prevails, and you shall have what you vote fora story of an army Christmag." said the veteran of three wars-the civil, Spanish-Amer- tcan and the Philippine insurreetion.
 There were many troops in and about Manila in December, 1900 My temporary home was with an Amer ican family that had rented the large, beautiful mansion on San Sebastian street occupied by Spanish admiral before Commodore Dewey sailed up Manila bay and said: You may fire, Gridley, when ready
 This patriotic man and his wife, former Wisconsin teacher, planned a Christmas dinner and party. They in- vited a dozen or more officers and their ladies. The dinner did not differ materially from most Christmas din- ners, yet it reminded the diners of holiday events in far off America, and the conversation soon turned in that direction
 One little army lady began to tell about home Christmas, it's tree and the good cheer, when she Lfas a small girl. No other Christmas lad seemed quite so heavenly. I can see how love- y that tree looked; I can hear daddy's voice as he called of the pres ents; can see mammals smile as we children danced and chattered; I can see the happy gathering about the | table Christmas-laden; I can hear daddy's request for blessing and and, well it was all so sweet and beau tiful. Before another Christmas came hadn't any daddy
 The little lady's handkerchief was not the only one that brushed away tear.
 Captain, this dinner reminds ma of one our fathers have told us about
 "The captain was the son of Wis consin soldier Of the civil war; and the | speaker a lieutenant, the son of an- other civil war veteran.
 "'Tell us about it. said the wife of another captain.
 "'Yes. we want that story said an old n1ajvr of regulars, who had come 1 down from the civil war. "It was after the battle of Fred er.cksburg, Va, in 1862. Four tent mates. one of whom was my father, and another the father of the lieu | tenant here, were remembered by l their sweethearts. The four sweet | hearts got up the incest kind of | a Christmas dinner-did all of the 1 cooking themselves-and sent it to their soldier boys. Accompanying it was a good, fat letter from each of the girls to her particular soldier boy | They told us of the table they set in their small tent, of the coffee they | made, the comments as they ate the good things, of the four sweet girls, l and how it was all enjoyed Before the war was over all of the boys won | commissions and were wounded, two l of them twice, yet all returned home and married the four girls. One of those girls was the best woman ever born, and the lieutenant here will say the same about another of the four
 "tAnd will bear the same testf- mony as to another of those blessed sweethearts of 1892 said the wife of the other captain. She was my mother
 Tt is my turn to speak said tho old major I was one of the four to enjoy that Christmas dinner back of Stafford Heights, in 1862. The mother of my bairns was second to none of the four sweethearts'
 Then the four---the captain, the lieutenant, the other captains wife. and the old major-left the table. formed fours, shook hands, laughed, congratulated, and had such reunion as seldom occurs.
 ".Well. well. well, what little bit of world it is, anyway said the astonished hostess"