The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-12-23

NnG ndu driven us all TO the Dack VeT-
6E anda, where we sat looking at the
SspE moon and the rose and heliotrope
bushes, and at Aunt Mollie, who
was walking slowly up and down
with a little white shawl over her
shoulders 1t was a Southern California
Christmas, you see.
The younger children were trembling
with excitement, and we older ones were
well, we were considerably interested.
Inside the house mother and father were
filling the stockings.
Dear Aunt Mollie," l pleaded, at last,
do tell us story to compose our minds
something beginning with When l was
a girl in Maine"
when | was girl--then it must have
Uncle Jim in it."
At this there was a burst of applause.
Sailor Uncle Jim was one of the chief
favorites among our host of relatives.
"Thweet Uncle JIM" said lisping Sis
ter Sue. II wonder where he ith?"
Hes on the wing, you may be sure"
responded Aunt Molie. There's moth
ing stationery about him. He wrote me
that he wanted to go to Tibet"
ITO Tibet" exclaimed my mother, sud
denly putting her head out of an open
window behind us. "oh, l nope not"
He said he wanted to-" replied Aunt
Mollie, but perhaps he won't be able
to. l wish he would come here"
$50 do l." said we ALL and immediate
ly there rose before us vision of Uncle
Jim's round head, with it's closely crop
ped iron-gray hair.
81 have At - pxclaimad Aunt MolI;a
"our mention of Uncle Jim has reminded
me that in his last letter he asked me to
tell you a story which may do you
good"
ooh, hope it is Christmas story"
cried Bob with sparkling eyes, with
snow and ice and whistling icicles in it."
When was child" said Aunt Molly,
and as she spoke she seated herself in
big rocking chair and allowed the twins
to scramble up on the arms of it, every
thing | did was connected with my bro
ther. ! had no more character han a
rabbit
Jim was very good TO me- During the
afternoon he played with boys, but when
he had eaten his supper he allowed me to
sit with him until my bedtime came.
He invariably read me a story before
] went to bed-not always story from
the book case that mother had provided
for him Certain men in large cities used
to send to the girls and boys in our
school circulars containing lists of books
that could be bought for few cents
apiece. These books were great rub
Dish, and Jim knew that they We're, for
he used to keep them carefully hidden
from mother
Just wnel Jim was at the height of
his story-book fever father gave up his
house in town and moved away out into
the country, near grandmother, to take
up small farm that your Great Uncle
silas left when he came to California.
I'VE moved in the winter time, when
the ground was covered with snow. Jim
was wild with delight over the country.
When he surveyed the pine grove near
us, he said that in summer we must have
q camp there, and perhaps we should
have adventures with Indians, such as
befell the heroes in some of his stories
Il am sorry to say that just before
We moved to the country Jim was foolish
enough to secure a revolver In what
deplorable way he got it and managed to
)
knowledge, ! do not know to this day.
'"The farmhouse was long low build
ing, painted red, and standing some dis
lance back from the road 1t had a
front door and a side door, and behind
the house stretched a woodshed and a
small barn.
The day before Christmas and about
ten days after we had arrived, a man on
horseback rode up to the side door and
told us that grandmother who had been
Ill, had suddenly grown worse, and wish
ed to see father and mother
The man went away and my parents
got into the sleigh and drove off as
quickly as they could. My mother took
the baby, your mother, with her. and
said that she would send woman from
one of the neighboring farms to stay
with us.
THE woman told mother that she