New-York tribune., 1920-12-26
Harding Aimed
AT Goose and
Slew Cander
CONTINUED from page one>

geese. threw the stone. n ten thou
sand deliberate times it vc lldn't have
happened, bur | hit the leader of the
flock, fine old gander, in the head
He shook himself, spun around and
fell over on his side. dead.
From that instant the cows l had
been sent after became my most press
ing obligation l not only went after
them, ran after them, and when
was driving them into the barnyard,
place OF muck and mud, ! heard my
grandfather voice raised IN high COM
plant against the assassin VINO had
killed his gander.
Pm s-gv.ng to kill that turkey COB
Ter. blast him, if it's the last thing |
o." grandfather was saying He
listed series of other crimes that
had been charged to the old gobler
was petritieG with fear. did plead
or the gcbler's life, but must confess
that | did not admit that | was the
culprit To be quite honest, this is
the first time | ever have admitted II.
The gobler was sacrificed. | ne4p to
cat him.
1T never occurred to my grandfather
Dickerson TO draw the gander and
dead But his feathers were plucked
and lined mattress. | slept on HIM"
Brown, returning with the Christmas
turkey. opened the door from his pan
try with an agile foot and offering it
anew, interrupted Senator Harding in
another story Of his early career
"il wager none OF you can remem-
her your first Christmas" ne said. 81
can. There was great big tree.
Home made ta.low candles lllumined
it. 1t was craped with popcorn
threaded ir long white festoons. There
WAS taffy made Of brown sugar bought
at the general store and maple sugar
boiled from the sap Of trees on the
farm. Candy, the principal gift for
each child. was a stick OF red and
white striped store candy. There were
apples from thu cellars, the finest xp-
pies, carefully selected from the win
yer S supply. The whole affair didn't
cost a dollar. but think that was the
finest Christmas anybody ever had. The
slcture of 1t is as clearly imprinted
on my mind as Il it was yesterday, and
yet | was only thirteen months old
Mrs. Harding and Betty Spari 5 were
having an animated discussion eoncern-
ing the length Of Santa Claus's whis-
kers when Brown placed before each
OF them and in front of Dotty, too q
pink figure bearded with white and
made in the image of st. Nicholas him
self That argument ended abruptly
70, the simple reason that Betty, be
cause Of busy spoon. was thoroughly
cngrossed IN dismantling tho image
her patron STINT, he that she very
wrongly credited with the miraculous
nocturnal delivery Of her newly ac-
quired electric stove, her toy sewing
machine, her dolls, her box OF paints
and the rest of her toys and trinkets,
not forgetting Swiss watch.
But at his end OF the table Senator
Harding was letting the pink iced fig
are saoc unhecdea in his plate as ne
selected several cylinders of crisp pas
~ covered with walnuts and began
t. tell the story of another miscar-
riage Of justice. 1t was about Orville,
orpfan boy adopted by his grand
father, Dickerson.
- was during the corn planting
season." said he, "Orville and Were
working in a distant end OF the field
away from the other farm hands and
NY grandfather. got very weary of
the monotonous motions of planting
and buried about & busheI OF seed corn