Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-12-20
Really Truly
e Christmas,
rs&pAI!ree:,< n
SssSsS
BY CHARLES S. PEAS {


by CHARLES S. PEAS Z
copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)
NF course you want to know at once
y how Christmas tree can be any
more real than the one you had
last year, so l shall explain that the
tree Ralph and Rhoda had by accident
one winter was rooted In the ground
in the Lake Superior woods.
First you must be told that the town
children up there had the good times
In both summer and winter, but the
miners boys and girls had the hard
times all the year around, and that's
the reason why mother said to Ralph
and Rhoda the day before Christmas:
II don't see how you two are going to
have a happy holiday when the chill
dren up at the mines do not expect to
have any tree at all. How would you
like to go up the mountain and take
them a lot of presents and things1
You can get back before dark. I'will
telephone the mine captain that you
are coming"
"Just the very thing" said the chill
dren. And away they went soon after
with n sled loaded with everything You
can think of for jolly Christmas, just
lots of gifts and royal trimmings for
tree.
They were making good time along
the mountain side when Rhoda stum-
bled over a root.
When she tried to stand up again her
ankle would not work.
OF course Rhoda would not hear OF
leaving the miners children's Christ
mas" in the snow and coasting back
home. So Ralph went back to the
Halfway store for some help, but the
place was locked and barred. Before
they decided on what to do next flock
of the mine children came racing down
the road. 1t seemed as though the tele-
phone message had emptied the settle
ment Of youngsters.
"We've come to help take the Christ
mas up the mountain. It's hard pull
farther along" they explained.
When they found that Rhoda was
hurt they wanted to take her home,
but she wouldn't listen to word Of 1t.
.Tm going right up to see that tree
properly trimmed and hung with these
things" announced that young lady
and. being of the sturdy and determin-
ed kind, tried to forget the pain.
So the swiftest runners of the mine
BOYS started back to get a sled to car
FRY Rhoda to the summit.
> Before the ambulance corps could re-
turn. down came oneaof those bowling
billiards. so dreaded in the rough
northern country, and there was moth
ing for 1t but to retreat and take refuge
in the Halfway store. This old log
house proved hard nut to crack, but
Ralph finally managed to get In
through a rear window and soon had a
roaring fire going In the big stove. The
plucky lads got back from the noun
tain, and everybody thanked his lucky
stars to be safe and warm. Out
side the storm roared and the trees
bent low in the gale. All the evening
Rhoda stood the ache bravely and said
II was nothing, but Mary Martha Muir
phy knew better. When all was quiet
she brought pail of water so hot that
Rhoda squealed when her nurse put
the swollen ankle into It, and these
two girls, one who had lovely home
and rich furs and many other hne
things and the little poor girl with 9
warm Irish heart, sat up till "all hoursS
During the night the storm turned to
rain and then it became cold, so very
cold that the forest was covered with
an icy coat. In the morning the Dllz-
Eard drifts were many feet deep.
!. So the only thing to be done was
to wait till a rescue party came out
for them with shovels and horses and
snowplows. And then a great thought
occurred to Rhoda.
A giant hemlock tree stood right In
front Of the store, In a place swept
clear by the wind-that Is, It had been
a hemlock before It became one great,
dazzling emerald with peariy icicles
hanging all over It.
When night came. clear and perfect
y Btin and inhy black, the rescue par
y found q celebration going on the