Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-12-14
NC6riistn1as
WPiddarce;
VAC. z.sG
BY WILLIS BROOKS

~ credltable Christmas edition. ]
was looking over the news Sec
ZION by the front window. My wife
snt near, absorbed in the story part.
~Whats 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 dozen.
That" / answered, sis Ezra Barn
stable In state Of amusement"
We looked through the window, and,
sure enough, here he came down the
street, an expansive smile lllumlnat-
Ing his moonlike face.
@What on earth can the man be
laughing so about all alonef' 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 stlngy to en-
Joy 1t oil by yourself?"
When he had unwound the wool tip
vet from his neck and taken the rock
ing chair which the mssls had set be-
tore the fireplace for him he leaned
back and cut gashes in the atmos-
phere with another flourish of his
sharp examinations. "Tve heard O.
Santa Claus plnyin' tricks before now"
said he, "but | don't guess he amt |
never played none no funnler 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
of one o. his mlttens to the one armed
Mayhem boy fer When he come in.
iuggin' the thing In his arms, his ma
asst him whose 1t was, an he said 1t
was bis'n an Its name was Jimmy an
Eddie Mayhem give 1t to him.
"'Them Mayhem boys amt givin
nothin away fer nothn'," says she.
'What'd you give him fer III?
'Chet knowed he was cornered, so
he owned up that he'd give Eddie one
o. his wool mittens. 4 don't never
wear but one much anyhow says he,
an. besides, Eddie's poor. one armed
boy, an his hand was cold, an II was
comm Christmas
" seen the look In his mas eye, nm
felt sorry fer Chef, so says, 'Chet,'
says I, severe-llie, you come TO the
barn along of me- like was goIn' to
uck him.
THAT satisfied his ma. So Chef an
me went 10 the barn an made box
to keep the rabbit in. | knowed the
thing d freeze to death If he KEEP It
anywheres but in the house, an |
knowed his ma wouldn't listen to his
doIn' that. so puts him up to gittln'
rid of 1t by invitln' his Cousin Artlc {
over fer Christmas an givin' 1t to him
fer Christmas present.
AArtie, you know Ezra explained, I
as my wife's brothers boy. You re-
member my wlfe's brother, Dan Baker,
over In Center township, the one that {
died an left q widder with eight chill I
dern7
"Waal, when Chef told his ma what |
be was goin' to do she said he could {
keep the rabbit In the attic till Chris {
mus an not minute longer. So he
writ to Artle, an this mornin bright
an early here comes the hull family {
Mis- Baker an the hull eight Children. S
'Chet, he hadn't even got up yet, but
| rousted him out, an when he come {
down he tot Artie about the Jimmy
rabbit he was goln' to give him. Then
Mis- Baker chips In an says she never
lows one o. her children TO accept g
presents unless all the others gifts the t
same thing. Tt makes the others jeal- t
BUS, says she, an creates dlssensions.' II
Il seen trouble comm to Chef in ii
locks an herds an / says to myself o
Ihey's jest one way to settle this thing. Q
You know. II you give rabbit little {
ruff on the back of his neck he never "
Knows what hit him. SO sneaks up n
10 the attic, but ole Santa Claus had f
got there ahead O. me- s
Ezra rocked back and let out few 4
more staccato notes of merriment.
"What had happened?" my wife
lsked.
swat till tell you" said Ezra. 81
:nlled Chef to come up quick, an he c
;ome a-runnln'. Look here says to
lin, you give the eight little ones to s
he children an the old one to Mis- c
Brker. II you do 1t nice she can't Il
'efuse 'em, specially when the little
.abbIts, needs the services of Jimmy O
'er awhile yit.' So Chef he lugged the Il
,ull box o. rabbits downstairs an made Il
'ech a elokent presentin' speech that h
he wilder couldn't do nothin' but 81
hank him an take tlss hull ssAss home =
With her." g