Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-24
he Christmas Surprise
BY CASSIE MONCURE LYME Author Of The Critic"

i By CASSIE MONCURE L
Mi.s Dorcas was the comfor, OF the
Anderson family. the cornerstone OF
their domestic welfare. for ever since
Grandma Anderson broke her hip She
had been their faithful house keeper.
But hard worl; ara loneliness had been
the Keynote of her existence; that was.
until Eph-niIn came las. spring to hire.
and that yer, night Grandma .Nm.icc-
son noticed Miss Dcrcas haG ;uckcd
in her hair Il SPRAY Of flower called
"ET i1al Wreath" which MAS = torm OF
artistic decoration totally mex. though
very becoming 10 thc spinStrrS aus
;erc appearance. Since then. Grand ma
being An obscrvant woman. and having
way with irNaiids sometimes. had
grown speculative with interest. ac-
cording To ,he old iruisIi which says.
".All ihr world loves lover /, wrs
evident To- hcf Hind ;hAt Dorcas SID
'ey had notions, but as 20 Ephraim tho
hsd her doubts.
Miss Dorcas 81 late had taken To the
selt-irU posed tasi; % picking up chips.
and Grandma Anderson uoticcd these
visits 10 the woodpils were carefully
'tiired fo- the huul when i:phraim Wis
tied The cranars to carry The h"rscs
ihclr GlTnt, supply oi corn.
Ii had seemed to Grandma tina: Dor
cas- looked rattle; sieepish WHEN she
iuouircd IL tho Kitchen wood-boN lack
I'd for kindliDE; ;ha; :. faint pink had
stolen in Inc nouSekecper's fade
checks. Truth w;,S. as she gathered the
fuel. tho hope had como some day TO
i-n; u blaze or hcarthstouc az h,r
own. whore ui!ch; waru The feet
rather the boots OF another. 10Y whcrc.
III lies the co2ircsa of comfort If onll
= ~omrn's sli3p2"S toast on thu fen
der:
GRANDMA ,LOSEL,
MATt HES DEVELOPMENTS
VIII ;he wisdom Of age. Grandma
watched Developments with. the kccu.
silent in;crcs; 90 tho shut-in. for lie
on furn is d"cary at best il tn:
winter and especially since her. tw"
orphaned 81" ndsons. Nat and sam. now
wcr. old enough 20 go to the puhlic
school. Tho were the prtde Of Grand
pa Andcrsou's heart. wh" iniUlE ii
them in luXuri-s which would have
anaGod those WHO remembered his
penurioUsucss 80 his own on'spr;3G.
which perhaps IA had lived 10 ;egv"i.
Anyway. a goat and y green wagon.
with wheels paia;'d rcd. had been pur-
chased for their Christmas gilt; bat ii
was profound secret. shared nrlS bv
EphraiT. who had brought the git
from tho express Office. Thc lit;ic
wagon had hecn safely hidden I'm tn,
srana":. under some corn SACKS. "h"r"
the children were not likcl:' to Prev.
t;ut Keeping the :;"a, - = surpris"
seemed task fHr more difficult. du"
TO his roaming dispositions Roth the
hired man md Gr&Ndpa q; las; decided
10 ccnCnc BILLY IL - old disuscd hon
house in tbs rear of tn sable. The
door. rotten from aE". sa-ged on is
at -, 10 i,n. .,F 10.
resistance when nlly determined on
exit for II goa: - !, soCiubla creature.
little given 10 solitude.
GOAT. ON RAMPAGE. SENDS
MISS DORCAS SpRtML LING
Now Miss Dorcas. oblivious OF i'm
pending danger and unconscious %
even tho goats existence. bent her
back 10 the task % picking UP chips.
To hav. secn her. j. required NO trick
~ imagination 10 detect thu h"Sh on
her face. not duo to her STOPPING po-
sition az tho last rcd ravs ~ sink
ing sun. but 10 .ne fact ,'I;I opi OF
,he tail OF her eye. Miss - r,;s hT'
Spicd EphraiM cmc'G!n- f'cA IN
granary with Eamp'r nu"Otns
tucked under his arm. ~ she pervcr-
sity OF fate. lust 81 ( his prop;uquity alb
.orbcd the old maids attention. The
goat. having broken his confines. iroi-
ted rapidly from behind tho corn crib.
lie regarded Mis- porcas STOPPING p"-
siti"n with more menace ihan inc non
or involved in attacking an enemy from
The back. :" mace u 'nhd'h onset ms
head lowered with al the strength
Of his BODY concentrated in his horns.
y powerful OUT SPr" !" 'e" MISS '"t
cas- race ior""r" !" INC "'' "" '"e
CHIPS ,.,,
w ava! 20" va ",'"' -
'.phf"'N' an" ru!S"H p".'"h """ a."
hamper G. Nu""'ns' ne P'r"e" W. III.
Woo" -riie ""' "''o "H.h| CIV ".'' ~,
: cucS'' H''"' 49, ~ ~
"'ehN you. '"," ~" "a y"
tr'l'tF. nc '""""''e'' ~ '"'
"i'ho"' '"''"o' Sh'" 90 "1"'' ''''t'
AVA
LAYS DISMAL Ht:tF
\r THE WOOD Ptl.T.
Miss "t,orcasilay a dismal heap al The
wood nil.
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