The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-12-23
the chief cashier.

The afternoon dragged on, but be-
cause 1t was Christmas. there was little
lswOrksto do. Four o'clock and still the
spirit of Christmas hadn't made the
least Roadway in the office of the big
factory. The telephone girl yawned
and welded the powder puff again.
The private secretary sat at her desk,
trying to read book but thinking, no
doubt, Of the cashier, and the young
salesman and the cashier were swap
ping stories in the cashiers office.
| Mean time old Thaddeus was am
bling back and forth through the Of
fees with bags full OF waste paper and
rubbish.
"What' do you say to getting the old
fellow to perform for us?" suggested
the cashier to the salesman. II re-
member once, years ago, we got him
going stood him up on the desk, and
you never heard such scream. Hc
lpreached about ADAM and Eve and
Noah and the rest of theln--preached
till the tears were running down his
old cheeks and the tears were running
down ours from laughing. Then we
passed the hat and got few dimes
for hims -he said he was going to send
it back to his old sister in Virginia.
Shouldn't wonder If he did. 1t was
about two dollars, suppose, but
looked like lot to him.
.
Ten minutes later old Thaddeus
trembling with emotion, was standing
atop of one Of the closed typewriter
desks, where the cashier and the sales
man had lifted him. Even the man
ager, weary OF looking anxiously into
space, had come out from his office to
watch the fun. And from the first
utterance from the wrinkled brown
| lips the group around him had begun
to laugh. They were in mood to be
amused easily, and, besides, just TO
look at Thaddeus was to satisfy ones
cravings for the ridiculous. Perhaps
this was because Of his broad, genial
smile In the midst Of wrinkles, rags
and rheumatism.
Ten minutes later the laughter had
ceased. The bent figure had straight
ened out and the eyes were shining
/ with the clear light and faith of con-
viction. Every pair of eyes in the
dozen or so around him was riveted
on him intently.
"I knows, slstern and brethren" he
said, shat you intends to pass the
hat and take up collection for me,
and I. knows 1t is because of the mite
] Of Christmas spirit in yo' hearts that
full, that Is" Here the voice grew
clearer and the eyes shone brighter.
"But what / wants to tell you is that
I, poor OF crippled darby as is, have
got mo- to give you. all than you oil
has got to give me. rs got In my heart
treasure, the treasure of lovin' one
another, loving your brethren and sis
tern same as / loves you all--sspe-
cially the same as I loves my OF sis
ter tlownin Virginie. And yo' ali have
lost sight of that kind OF lovin'. can
tell by lookin' in yo' faces. ="
And SO the old man preached on and
the faces around him grew more in
tent and the figures grew closer. "And
now" he said, raising his withered
brown hand in blessing, ST gives my
great Christmas gift to you--the great
est of.all gifts---of lovin' one another"
So the old man stopped, and no one
noticed how much went into the hat
that the SALESMAN silently passed
laround, and no one spoke save In mon
osyllables, for the Christmas spirit
had at last entered the office Of the
big factory.
It was ten o'clock by the clock in
the Office and old Thaddeus was on
his knees scrubb;ng the concrete
floor, grooming as he did so an old
darky melody. Just then the door
opened and the telephone girl bundled
Into mans overcoat, came IN on the
( arm Of the new salesman.
you're parson, honor bright,
aren't your" the man asked. well,
here's the license. We had little
talk after your sermon, Uncle Thad-
deus, and here We are. Can you
marry us right away?" And there in
1.-THE outer Office beside the switch
board the little telephone girl was
married to the new salesman. After
!. 1t was over and the blessing had been
pronounced the old man smiled and
! said:
"Tll tell Ion now. This is the Sec
ond marryin' these oil hands has
blessed tonight. Mr.. Cashier and the
managers secretary, they got here
ahead Of you all. They said it was
the little sermon did it, too"
Thaddeus was almost ready to leave
the Office, his work done, when the
door opened with rush. 1t was the
manager, out of breath and excited.
II was afraid I'd miss you, UNCLE"
he said, with smile that was as gen.
lal as Thaddeus' own. s'But have