The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-09-18
The King
OF Christmas
BY F. A. Mitchell

and went ont from his home into the
world with turmoil in his head aud il
his heart lie saw IL tror bleu present
and Il dismal future. He had married
rather late in life forty having talk
en- a woElau ten years younger than
himself. The honeymoon was pleas.
ant. but uS soon as it was over the
groom. who had become set in his
ways. found the task Of getting used
| to Il woman. who was faS; becoming
, il she had not already becoMe--;lso
set in her ways. dl.!i;;llt. There was
| friction. Friction makes fire. and fire
burns. BickrrStaii ruch the day when
| be had married. At last he could
stand it no longer and went off by
himself.
But he had tasted Of the sweets of
matrimony us Well as the bitter
When he had ceased to quarrel his
mind settled bac! on the sweets. lie
remembered his counting days: went
ovee .he little notlings he had said to
bis love: dwelt on those feminine i'd.
osyncruSeS that had 80 charmed him.
And now what Il contrast was his
present life to that brief. happy season
with ore be had loved and WHO had
loved hisE: The charm had gone out
of his bachelor freedom. He was
minded to get Il divorce and try mar
riage again with another woman. No:
if he couldn't live with the woman be
already loved he certainly could not
live with another,
He spent a long while trying to get
used to tie separation lie hoped
some suggestion that might lead to a
reconciliation wUHld come from his
wife. Then he began to dread lest
she would proceed to- obtain a 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
60 to avoid the day which would be
full of misery to him us 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
heart. for he wrote a letter to his wife
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 wereias i'm
portant as his own. If it appeared by
the end of the holidays that they were
as discordant as before they could part
again.
At their separation his wife bad gone
10 her former home on a farm 50 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 bis
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
you 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
a sinner takes gift to heaven that
will be acceptable and insure an en-
trance there. He tried many gifts and
finally succeeded by Offering a tear Of
repentance.
Mrs. Bickerstaff wrote her husband
that Christmas morning would be the
most convenient time to receive him.
If they had a 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
ing the poem his wife had recommend
ed-thiEking Of her--a tear had dropped
on the paper. He tore out the page,
resolving to take it to her for his gift.
Christmas morning opened bright
and beautiful. Bickerstah had taken
the journey the evening before, so he
had only to drive from hotel to the
farm. He was received by his wife's
parents. who seemed to be very happy.
He wondered if their Joy was caused
by 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, but happy, while
babe was pulling for his breakfast.
my Christmas gift"' she cried,
Bickerstaff made one bound for the
bed and encircled his wife and his
child in a single embrace.
snow you have both got a governor"
said Mrs. Bickerstaff'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 rod Of
iron. And yet he shall serve as a
bond between you stronger than STEEL
Your lives are changed in this little IT,
rant, and. although he comes to his IA
ther on Christmas morning, a day Of