Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-05

nSee& s 60 <ssssS:N
TT was interesting TO see how they
took the proposal to drop that
Christmas from the calendar
there in Old Trail Town. 1t was
60 eninently n sensible thing TO do.
and they all knew IT oh. every way
they looked 1T it It was sensible. and
they admitted II Yet. besides Mary
Chavah and Ebenezer Rule. probably
the only person in the town whose
satisfaction In the project could be
counted on 20 be unfeiEned was little
Tab Winslow. For Tab. as all the
town knew. had n turkey brought up
BIZ his own hand to he the WinslOws'
Christmas dinner. but such had be
cone Tabs intimacy with and fond
ness for the turkey that he was pre-
pared 70 foreco his Christmas II only
that dinner were foreGone. too.
TTheophfTus Thisrledown Is such
human turkey" Tab had been heard
and he knows his name. He don't
expect Us TO eat him-why. you can't
eat anything that knows its name"
But every one else was just merely
sensible. And they had been dis
cussing Christmas in this sensible
strain ~ the town meeting that night.
before Simeon and Abel preached their
plan for standardizinG their sensible
Ieauin-s.
Somebody had said that Jenny Win
and Bruce Rule. who was EbeDezeE's
nephew. were expected home for
Christmas and had added that it
didn't look rs if there would be much
Of any Christmas down to the station
TO meet them" On which Ms Morti-
ner Bates had spoken out, philosoph-
zeal 10 the point OF brutality. Mis-
Bates was little and brown and quick.
and her clothes seemed always TO cur
tain her Of. so that her figure was no
part OF her presence
Il amt going 10 do n thing for Christ
mas this year" she declared. as nearly
everybody in the village had iutermit-
tently declared-''not q living. breath
ing thing. l can't. and folks might just
Is well know il. fiat foot What's tho
use Of buying tinseI and himfam when
you're eating milk gravy 10 save butter
and using salt sacks for handkerchiefs?
amt educated up to see it"
Mis- Jane Moran. who had changed
her chair three times 10 avoid n draft.
sat down carefully in her fourth chair.
her face rwitching a little as If its mus
eles were connected With her joints.
-ChrietmaS won't be no different
from any other day 10 our house this
year" she said Wen get up and est
our three meals and sit down and look
az each other. We can't even spare a
hen-she might lay II we didn't eat
her,
Mis- Abby WinslOw. mother OF seven
under fifteen. looked up from her rock
ing chair-AIis' WinslOw always sat
limp in chairs as II they We're reaching
out 20 rest her. and indeed this coca
sionaI yielding to the force OF gravity
was almost her only luxury
You amt thinking OF the children
MIS- Bates" she said. nor you either.
Jane Moran. or you couldn't talk that
way We can't have no real Christ
mas. Of course. But I'd planned sOus
little things made out OF what l had IN
the hOuse-thin-s that wouldn't b"
snythiug and yet would seem little
something"
Mis- Mortimer Bates swept round al
Ter.
children" she said. ought 10 be
showed how 10 do without things.
Bennett aud Gussie amt expecting
silver OF nothing for Christmas-not
silver"
Ms Wirsloyy unexpectedly fared up
Whether il shows through on the
outside or not" she said. III bet you
tLey are"
Ny three" Mis- Emerson Morse put
IN paciGcally, have been kept from
popplng corn and cracking nuts all fell
SOS they could do both Christmas night.
and Il would seem Ike something thar