New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-11-25
CHAPTER ~.
= Sane Christmas {.

HI different wise. Matthew.
| ~ said Ellen Bourne. 1.-THE town
meeting voted not to have any
Christmas this year. That is. to ask
the folks not to nave any -'coun, Ut
expense"
Sensible move.,' said Matthew
sharpening his az by the Kitchen
stove.
It'll be relief for most folks no.
to have the nuss and the clutter" said
Ellen's mother
"Hey. king and country" said Ellen's
old father. whiting stick. u amt
done no more'n look on at q Christmas
for ten years and more with no chill.
dren around So"
""l know:' said Ellen Bourne. Il
Know
'rhe announcement was greeted by
Mortimer Rates with slap OF the
knee.
"Goodby folderol!'' be said. 1--WE
need d sane Christmas in the world a
good sight more'n we need a. sane
Fourth. most places. Good work"
But Bennett and Gussie Bates burst
:n.a -=1 ...>
flush" said Mis- Bates perempto.
rily. You amt the only ones. remeu'
Der. IT'S no Christmas for nobody!'
| Il thought the rest of ,'em would have
one an we could go over to theirs"
sobbed Gussie. ."@s 80. 81:
I'D rather p'etend it's Christmas in
other houses even II We amt it,,
| mourned Bennett .,..s
BE my little man and woman" .ad:
monished Mis- Mortimer Bates. -;
AT the Morans' little Emily Moran
made an unexpected deduction: =:
II won't stay in bed all day Christ
mas r she gave out.
'Stay in bed!'' echoed Mis- Moran.
why ON this earth should you stay In
bed?" 49, - -
well, if we get up then it's Christ
mas, and you can't stop it!'' little Emily
triumphed. .
When they told Pep. the minister's
son. after long preparation by story
and other gradual approach and Soc
ratio questioning cleverly winning dam
aging admissions from Pep. he looked
up In his fathers face thoughtfuily:
If they amt no Christ's birthday
| this year. is it lie that Christ was
borne" he demanded. @a
| And secretly the children took coun-
sci with one another Would Buff
Miles,. the tenor in the church choir.
take them out after dark on Christmas
eve to sing church choir serenades at
folks gates or would he not: And
when they thought that he might not,
| because this Won Id be considered
Christmas celebration and would only
make the absence Of present giving
the more conspicuous, as in the case
! of the Sunday schools themselves. they
faced still another theological quandary
For if it was true that Christ was
born then Christmas was his birthday,
and if Christmas was bis. birthday
wasn't it wicked not to pay any. atten
| ton? >::: . ., :
Alone Of them all little Tab Winslow
rejOiced. His brothers and sisters
made the time fearful with questionings
as to the effect on Santa Claus, and
how would they get word to him, and
would it be Christmas in the city, and
why couldn't they move there and 9TH
er matters denoting the reversal of
this their earth. But Tab slipped out
| the kitchen door to. the corner of the
barn. where the great turkey gobbler
| who had been named held his empire
| trustingly
| "Oh. Theophilus Thistledown,' said
Tab to him. you're the only one. in
this town that's going to have a Christ
mas. You amt got to be ct"
The placard was tackled to the Old
Trail Town postofice wall between a
| summons to join the army and navy of
the United States and the reward of,
fered for an escaped convict-ail three
manifestoes registering something OF
the stage Of society's development
! NOTICE.
Owing to the local business depression
/ and to the current private decisions to &c,
| up very few home Christmas celebrations
| this year. and also to the vote OF the
various iOOgeS. cOuTc0eS, sunday SCHOOLS
| ETC., ETC.. etc.. to forego the usual Christ.
| mas tree .observances. the merchants OF
this town have one and all united with
most OF the folks to petition the rest to
omit all Christmas presents. believing thai
the Christmas spirit will be kept up hes,
by all agreeing to act alike All that's
willing may announce it by signing below
and notifying others.
! THE COMMITTEE.
There were only 300 folk living in
Old Trail Town. Already twO-thirds
Of their signatures were scrawled on
the sheets Of fooiscap tackled beneath
the notice.
On the day after her return home
Jenny Wing stood and stared at the
notice. Her mother had written to he,
of the towns talk, but the placard
made it seem worse.
IN go in on the way home and set
what Mary says" she thought. and
asked for the letter that lay in Mary
Chavah's box, next her own. They
| D0ves hor tho lotfor uy;thr,,% r,,o.%;r,,