The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-11-28
The King
OF Christmas
By F. A. Mitchell

and went out from his home into the
world with turmoil in his head and il
his heart. He saw {, troubled present
and a dismal future. He had married
| rather late in MISUNDERSTANDING TAX
Ell woman ten years younger than
himself. The honeymoon was pleas
ant, but as soon as ii was over the
groom. who had become set in his
| ways. found the task Of getting used
to woman. who was fast becoming
IL she bad not already become-also
set In her ways. difficult. There was
friction. Friction makes fire. and fire
burns. Bickerstaff rued the day when
he had married. At last he could
stand it no longer and went off by
himself.
But he had tasted Of the sweets of
matrimony as well as the bitter
When he had ceased to quarrel his
mind settled back on the sweets. He
| remembered his counting days: went
over the little nothings he had said to
his love: dwelt on those feminine idi-
osyncrasies that had so charmed him.
And now what contrast was his
present life to that brief. happy season
with one he had loved and who had
loved him. The charm had gone out
Of his bachelor freedom. He was
minded to get a divorce and try mar
! riage again with another woman. No:
if he couldn't live with the woman he
already loved he certainly could not
live with another.
He spent long while trying to get
used to the separation. He hoped
some suggestion that might lead to
, reconciliation would come from his
wife. Then he began to dread lest
she would proceed to obtain divorce
| in order to supply his place.
Christmas was coming and added to
his gloom Men at business began to
talk about getting this done and that
done in order that they might be free
to enjoy Christmas. This stung him.
What in the world should he do. where
go to avoid the day which would be
full of misery to him as it was of
pleasure to others? He could not get
rid Of it; he must face it.
Then something Of the spirit Of
Christmas must have stolen into his
suggesting that they try to live to-
| gether again or at least spend the
Christmas holidays together Doubt
less he had been very impatient with
her: he had not considered that her
viws. habits. requirements were as i'm
! poriant az his own. If it appeared By
the end of the holidays that they were
as discor,lant as before they could part
again.
| At their separation his wife had gone
to her former home on a farm so Sc
cluded that he heard nothing of her
| through others. and she never wrote
him. He waited anxiously for her re-
ply. and when it came was much
pleased that she accorded with his
proposition. She longed for their union
as much as he did. TRY to think of
some gift you can bring me-" she
wrote. (which will so please me that
| it will make me more patient with
yon Notwithstanding not of Pc
cuniary value. Read the poem of
Paradise and the Peri and you will
understand. have something for you
that hope will produce like result"
Bickerstaff read the poem. in which
sinner takes gift to heaven that
will be accepta BILE and insure an en-
trance there. He tried many gifts and
finally succeeded by offering a tear of
repentance.
Mrs. Rickerstaff wrote her husband
that Christmas morning would be the
most convenient time to receive him.
If they had lot of children to hang
up stockings Christmas eve would be
preferable. As it was. let it be Christ
mas morning. The moment it was all
arranged Bickerstaff began to fret over
the period that remained before the
visit. He had not seen or heard any
thing of his wife for months. yet the
few days interval before he was to
meet her seemed an age. While read
ling the poem his wife had recommend
ed-thinking of her-a tear had dropped
on the paper He tore ont the page.
resolving to take it to her for his gift.
! Christmas morning opened bright
and beautiful BicEerstaff had taken
the journey the evening before so he
! had only Ia drive from Il hotel To the
farm. He WAS received by his wifes
| parents. who seemed tn he very happy.
He wondered if their joy was caused
/ BIZ the prospect Of their daughters re-
union. They led him upstairs to her
room and threw open the door There
she lay in bed. pale. bit happy. while
babe was pulling for his breakfast.
J MY Christmas gift she cried.
| Rickerstaff made one bound for the
bed and encircled his wife and his
| child in a single embrace
| Now you have both got a governor,
said Mrs. Rickerstaff's father. perhaps
you will not take the law into your
Own hands and fight it out on that
line. He will rule you with a rod of
iron. And yet he shall serve as a
l,ond between you stronger than steel.
YOnr lives are changed in this little ty-
rant. and. although he comes to bis ia
tber un Christmas morning. day Of
l,e:itee ta al the warld., vets shall he
drag gen, from Your slumbers ut mid
night and t.OmytQI yO,T t0 walk the floor