The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-17

} would give their benefactors "plent,
} meat and clothes"
That was the last the Van Schoonho
vens ever saw or heard directly of th,
Mohican. Several years passed. ant
the saving of the fathers life and thu
, family's sojourn with the man whe
had paid for it with his pelts had be
come one OF the many half forgotten
episodes of frontier life. The next an.
niversary of Christmas came round
and brought a great change in the af-
fairs of Van Schoonhoven. He had
been Ill for two seasons and unable to
60 out trapping. During the autumn,
when he had been used to getting In
his winter supply of venison and other
Wild meats. he had been confined to his
bed, and the larder was untitled. The
savages were very hostile at that time,
and the hunters were all loath to go far
from the settlement, so that there was
very little provision on hand. This
prevented the others from helping out
the Van Schoonhovens.
And so 1t was that when Christmas
came round there was nothing for
gifts In the Van Schoonhoven cabin
ana, worse than that, nothing TO eat.
The principal meat was venIson. but
there were many birds in the forests.
such as grouse, plover and wild geese
and turkeys. 1t was very hard for the
van Schoonhovens to hear the distant
calls OF these succulent birds while
CHRISTMAS was approaching and VET
not dare to go into the woods TO shoot
them. Yet this made no difference to |
the Van Schoonhovens, for the father /
was confined to his bed, and none Of |
the boys were old enough for hunts
men.
Christmas eve was a sad one to tba
trappers family. For some time they
mad been living from hand to mouth
ana there was nothing to eat in tho
caDh out some sailed meat that had
oeen sent up from Fort Orange-AI-
oahy-to relieve the distress at Sche-
lectady. Mrs. Van Schoonhoven had n
picked the currant bushes during the n
iutumn and made currant Jelly. Int H
'hat use was 1t with no venison on
land and no maize with which to make
read to eat with the jelly?
christmas eve the Van Schoonbo-
ems went to bed hungry and with the
respect OF remaining hungry the next II
av. Inc mother tried to persuade her II
'tle ones not to hang up their stock II
49, wen knowing that there was MOTH II
~ 10 put In them. But, having nm III
pldlng faith In St Nicholas. thew in. HI
s'ed on doing SO, and there was H
ing line OF hosiery dangling from the H
'inney piece. The poor woman cried H
erseiI TO sleep thinking of her chill
zen disappointment on the morrow. III
Dur1ng the night she was awakened | II
cracking of twigs outside tho II
ON. thinking that some wild animal | II
as proving about which might pro- HI
de a dinner for the next dav she II
ought OF getting up to have a shot II
IT. BUT the children were sound II
ieep' and she did not wish to awaken
enl. Besides. she fancied. when sbo HI
ara soft tread on the roof that ~
Is neighbours cat So she went 70 II
ep without thinking any more abont I
IN the morning she was awakened
ner little son, Peter, crying: -
oh' mamma. see what St Nicholas
J brought us!' [SM
ilancing at the chimney nieco sho IE
' ,ne stockings were rounded out. IE
TINS was only small part of ST in
hoias bounty. The immense fire. ia
&c was piled with pelts, and on tho ia
. rested an enormous quantity of Ia
ne. There were venison in abun- III
ee' wild turkeys and many other E
US or beasts and birds. III
ne children were most irtoros.,a EH
their stockings and, taking them 81
H. began to pull out many trinkets |H
inents and apparel, such "a head 81
ioot covering. Every child re. Isl
ed pair of beautiful beaded moe. III
MS. Anoe IN
II tue father was more Interested
he bottom pile on the hearth. Tho
gave him strength, and snrin III
OF bed he began to pick over the
. lucy proved to be the moSt 49,
able kind. 'nos'
know who st. Nicholas is tb;s =
exclaimed Katrina. clannino
hands joyfully.
no! asked her mother
he Mohican."
ah sure you are right" said tba
ler Last night I heard what 7
sn' 10 be cat on the roof. Now
INK OF 1t. it was more like the
of moceasin." ~ {
zen they went outside they cow
easy 1t would be for the Indion
lcnoias to get on to the cbimnan
", with bis heavy load of Gifts
-hey most admired his stealth IN =
: himself down the chimney and
the stockings without awakan Il
hem. AWAKEN
sc0O0nlOVon -