Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-12-20
BY WILLIS BROOKS

copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union)
NUR village paper had issued very
creditable Christmas edition.
was looking over the news sec
ton by the front window. My wife
sat near, absorbed in the story part.
"What's that?' she asked, listening.
She was always on the lookout for
more eggs. What she heard certainly
did sound like hen announcing the
arrival of one-twelfth Of a dozen.
"That," l answered, us Ezra Barn
stable in state of amusement
We looked through the window, and,
sure enough, here he came down the
street, an expansive smile illuminat-
ing his moonlike face.
"What on earth can the man be
laughing so about all alone?' my wife
wanted to know. She was that way
never content to let man be happy
unless she knew the reason why.
So / went to the door and sang out
to Ezra, "Isn't 1t kind of stingy to en-
Joy 1t all by yourself2"
When he had unwound the wool tip
pet from his neck and taken the rock
ing chair which the missis had set be-
fore the fireplace for him he leaned
back and cut gashes in the atmos-
phere with another flourish of his
sharp cachinnations. 'Tve heard o
Santa Claus playin' tricks before now"
said he, "but / don't guess he amt
never played none no funnier than
this.
ut was like this: Three, four days
ago my boy Chef come home with
rabbit-one o. them big white critters
with the pink eyes-that he'd snapped
off one o. his mittens to the one armed
Mayhem boy fer. When he come in
luggin' the thing in his arms, his ma
asst him whose 1t was, an he said II
was hls'n an Its name was Jimmy an
Eddie Mayhew give 1t to him.
"Thcm Mayhew boys amt giyin
no.liD' away fer nothin'," says she.
'What'd you give him fer itT
"Chet knowed he was cornered, so
he owned up that he'd give Eddie one
o. his wool mittens. I don't never
wear but one much anyhow says he
AN, besides, Eddle's poor, one armed
boy, an his hand was cold, an 1t was
comm Chris'mus.'
"I seen the look in his mas eye, an
felt sorry fer Chef, so l says, 'Chet,
says I, severe-llke, you come to the
barn along of me- like / was goin' TO
lick him.
"That satisfied his ma. SO Chef an
me went to the barn an made box
to keep the rabbit In. | knowed the
thing d freeze to death II he KEEP It
anywheres but in the house, an
knowed his ma wouldn't listen to his
doin' that, so / puts him up to gittin'
rid Of 1t by invitin' HIS Cousin Artle
over fer Christmas an giyin' 1t to him
fer a Christmas present.
"Artie, you know" Ezra explained
as MY wife's brothers boy. You re-
member my wife's brother, Dan Baker,
over In Center township. the one that
died an left a wilder with eight chill
dern7
"Waal. when Chef told his ma what
he was goln' to do she said he could
keep the rabbit in the attic till Chris
mus an not a minute longer. So he
writ to Artie, an this mornin' bright
an early here comes the hull family
Mis- Baker an the hull eight Children.
"Chet, he hadn't even got up yet, but
I rousted him out. an when he come
down he tolt Artie about the Jimmy
rabbit he was goin' to give him. Then
Ms Baker chips In an says she never
lows one o. her children to accept
presents unless all the others gifts the
same thing. IT makes the others 1eal-
ous,' says she, AN creates dissensions.'
81 seen trouble comm to Chef In
Aocks an herds an says to myself
they's Jest one way to settle this thing.
You know, II you give a rabbit little
cuff on the back Of his neck he never
knows what hit him. So / sneaks up
10 the attic, but ole Santa Claus had
got there ahead o. me-"
Ezra rocked back and let out few
more staccato notes Of merriment-
what had happenedl" nv wife