The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-12-19

song that could be recalled from
Sunday school days to Dixie" and
'Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight"
The sing was a success, but songs
were giving out and it was compare
lively early in the evening.
"Some one tell a Christmas story"
It was the voice Of a little old woman
sitting near the writing desk who
brought the halt in festivities to re-
newed interest.
"AIl right" said the big lumberman,
who had tacitly accepted the role Of
master of ceremonies, "whO win be
frst?' There was a good deal Of
kidding, but no one volunteered.
And who would have expected 1t to
be the big banker going to the coast
that would furnish a storytelling host
unknown to all and thousands Of miles
away at that? He arose and put
his hand inside his coat pocket and
brought forth a newspaper and hand
ed it to the chairman.
"My friends" said he, II wish to In
troduce to you a man who has been
telling me Christmas stories for years.
His name matters not. He lives In
a little town in eastern Pennsylvania,
where he publishes the little home
town paper that has been my pleasure,
considerable inspiration, and afforded
me q good deal Of entertainment since
I was a boy. It happened that / had
a copy Of his paper here In my pOcket,
and 1 suggest that some Of the splen-
did Christmas stories and poems 1t
contains be read by members of our
company. / am sure all will enjoy
Them
The bankers little speech was re-
warded by generous applause. The
reading began, first by one then an
other, and many a silent tear was
lOosed in memory Of other Christmas
parties, and not a little humor was
mixed in, too.
At midnight the little woman by the
writing desk arose and asked the big
lumberman to take up a collection Of
a nickel apiece from those gathered
in the parlOr car. Chances Of wonder
were directed her way, but 1t was
thought just a within of a little old lady
who was far from home in all but dis
tressing circumstances. While the
collection was being taken, she turned
] to the desk and began to write on a
sheet Of the elegant stationery Of the
! railroad. And this was what she
wrote:
"Snowbound in the Rocky Mountains,
Dec. "a.
"UncOnsciOuSly you have been the
host at a Christmas storytelling party
In the S%nOwdrifts Of the Rocky noun
tains. The passengers of the Cont
mental Limited render gratitude to you
for a pleasant evening afforded by the
Christmas stories in your paper. We
wish you and yours a merry Christ
mas. God bless you"
Just as she finished writing the big
lumberman dumped the coins collected
on the writing desk in front Of her.
keep the money" she said, land at
the first station send this telegram to
the newspaper man who has enter
tanned US so well this evening"
The car soon was in an uprOar, anC
the little old woman was embarrassed
by the attention shown her.
Then the big lumberman suggested
that the message should have a sigma
ture. A number Of proposals were
made, but the chairman turned to the
writer of the message and asked
: "What is your name9 We will sign /
with that"
~Just sign it Grandma Howard,
and he will know it might be any on
, of a million grandmas, and they'r,
pretty much alike-especially q
Christmas time away from home"