The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 22, 1935, Page 17

Jhe llupo;ted Christmas Letter Jocile Webb Pearson attendant entere nging tern, ther k g darkness Despite the chi blar T w hundred ed and glowed cheerily, bringing into sharp re a long time. Ye're from a farm, nebbe? “No, dad’s no farmer. He's a car- senter, and got along fine till hard mes struck-—you know how things ent , I do.” Tim supplemented. An' there wasn’t much work.” That's right, Tim, and I wasn't ceen on school. I wrote a note tell- ng Mom and Dad not to worry about ne—they bave three more to look and I hit the trail for the at Northwest.” Tim gave him a reassuring pat. “I e, lad. An' ye're fed up an’ sort disapinted an’ homesick?” I guess that’s right, Tim. But osh, it was thinking of Christmas hat got under my 1. They'll all obody to get the was my job. We always ven in the hardest times. fcm’s a corker to manage. Doesn't stmas get you, too, Tim? Haven't somewhere you'd like to Mebbe, my lad, an’ mebbe I'd be dder to see them, than they me this town, ‘‘Podunk,” didgyou it wa 8 No. it's Mobray, and the dandiest n—not so hot for size, but it has ut everything a fellow needs there | nd the best grid team in the coun- | “Sure ye kin, lad, an’ there’s plenty left for me—an’ yer welcome to it. Ye see, Jimmy, I sort of tuk to ye the day ye walked inter the loggin camp just as they were closin’ down for the winter an’ we tuk the trail together. An’ when ye talked of Christmas, an sich, ye set me think- in’. The gift is not fer you alone, but fer yer folks who misses ye more than ye know. Old Tim’s made many a mistake, I says to myself, but this ain’t one, an' mebbe it will help quare some of the others.” He laid 2 gnarled hand on the boy's shoulder. “There’s only one thing I'm askin’, me lad, an’ that is: ye'll stay off the road. It's mot fer the likes of ye. Go home an finish yer schoolin “You're right, Tim.” Jimmy re- plied soberly. “I've come to realize that. You've helped me to see things differently, Tim. I've got a dandy idea.” His face glowed with eager- T “Go home with me, Mom and dad would make you welcome; and you say you have mon But the old man shook his head. “No, no, lad, 1 bin on the road too long. I know yer folks wud be grand to me; much obliged to ye for thinkin' of it—I'll be gettin’ along where ther’s housin’ quarters, an’ mebbe a bit of work.” The eastbound train came to a stop. THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, SUNDAY, DEC. 22, 1935. }grew fainter in the distance. He rubbed a moist hand across his brow. “An’ he called me:pal. ‘Tis a fine lad he is, and I'll be missin’ him. Three days to Christmas; he'll make it.” By the dim light from the sta- tion window, he pulled a worn purse | from his pocket and emptied the few | remaining coins-into his hand. He shook his head slowly. Reaching | into an inner poeket he drew forth a letter addressed to a small town in Towa; slowly he read: “Dear Tim, I been hankerin’ to st ye an’ the old home agin. comin’ fer Christmas. Yer brother, Tim.” He tore the letter into bits. “He's worth it,” he said. The lad will be home for Christmas.” Old Tim smiled happily as he trudged back to camp. S e ' Mis. Durkee’s By Martha B. Thomas § ; states. BETHLENEN, CHRISTMAS, TOWN NAMES | [ I ‘Whatever the story may have been | behind the selection, Christmas and N‘Beu‘flehem éppegr_ in vaxv'ious states | g armentian church in another I be |88 the names of cities, towns, or mere | o 13 gayg postoffices. Arizona, Florida and Kentucky} have places named Christmas, and Christmas Cove is the name of a town in Maine. | Bethlehem seems to have had an appeal for townsite planners in | Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Ken- | tucky, Maryland, New Hampshire | and Pennsylvania, as there uis i@ | place of that name in each of those Indiana, however, is the enly stat2 | of the Union which has a postoffice named Santaclaus (the postoffice de- partment makes it one word.) It is| at Christmas time that Santaclaus | Jatcains its widest popularity and| |fame, for the daily newspapers al- ways work up a good wire stary about it. At Christmas and the few days pre- | see 90000000 3 CELEBRATIONS Three Christmases are cele- brated every year in the ® Church of the Nativity at « Bethlehem. The first occurs ® in the Roman Catholic sec- ® tion on December 25; 13 days o later the Greek Orthodox e church holds its celebrations ® to be followed by those of the R R N RN receives from all parts of the coun- try asking him to mail enclosed let- sers. which are stamped and ad- dressed, from his postoffice with the Santaclaus postmark upon them. These, running literally into the| thousands, -are algpost invariably to ehildren. -Imagine the excitement when little eyes read right there in plain letters, - Santaclaus!” And coming: through the mail, t00, from away off—maybe.up somewhere 1 the North: Pole! : ¢ Whatever it may he at other sea- ‘ons. of - the .year, tbusiness at the: 3antaclaus posteffice booms at Christmas time, especially just when some packages are beginning to come v. Gee, Tim, you ought to see them | s 5 ine | Mrs. Durkee had a gander, a fine 3 | As the slender youth was climbing | i | led wi taclaus wskies go after that ball and smash | ;. oorq with a last hand clasp, old |Strong bird with-fine strong wings, | ceding, the pt;sfi]aster at Santaclaus ;:tom‘;ikljnfl th the Santaclal : the line—and the crowd roaring like | 1) pressed a crumpled bill into his ‘Wherever Mrs. Durkee went the gan- | X ateiry Ot e A | land when he had eaten he said, |, iy PAsmAS nto the fir e bt " | mad, rooting for their teams.” The|, s " don't | d t, t00. ’ Obarles’| | a B acidivrred ardies |hand. “Ye must eat, lad, an’ don’t |der went, p i ; Yt ¢ clothing showed its negle iuess Tl be turning in. See YOU| riging’ like a gintleman.” The old|been given to:Ms: Durkee. "It Wes| Il go with no trouble. . ne prize. (Assaciated Press Photo) foe 3 i e DR later.” 4 man laughed, but there was an un- |8 Very large egg and ready to hateh,} “No” said Mrs. Durkee. “I will i Sit up, Jimm e must be starv Sure lad.” Tim ignored the break | 4o tone of wistfulness. but a fox had killed thé mother goose. not!” 5 ey 2 o Lt B Sl S e e . after W ! |in the conversation. “Better bank| yio'took the money. “I hadm't|It Would make, when hatched and | Out came his fist and she just|3 3 nem pine boughs under jthat shed |5 0nt of eating. Tim, it is just|8rown up, a fine Christmas dinner!|o .apeq a hard cuff on the head. ver there. This drizzle will likely|ya¢ 1m going home. Home, Tim, |Just as Mrs. Durkee prepared a nest | gn, was angry enough to fight but | »e snow by mornin’. I've an errand | for it, ‘the shell cragked and out i, icaq went to her pantry. “I keep | »f me own to do, but I'll be back in | popped a head with very surprised ey in a jug here,” she said and | {no time. Git yer rest whilst ye kin." | eyes. From that mdmient the g“ling‘jnngl(;d some coins. At the same | An hour later the boy was awak- and Mrs. Durkee BN | {ime she softly raised the window | ened by a hand on his shoulder, and became friends. n R EA whistled | Tim's voice calling. ‘“Wake up, Jxm-‘ e 3 She no more gy [+ “Hey "my 1 want to talk to ye.” | thought of him LR ’ i Jimmy sat up, rubbed his eyes. | in terms of roast- i | Okay, Tim, what’s on your mind? ing than'she | Shoot.” would think of a | Tim fumbled in his pocket and pro- neighbor in that |duced a bit of paper. First, I want | | |to say: “Merry Christmas from y Ryan to Mr. James Madden , Toway. Here it is—a ticks e old home town. An’s the. n will pick ye up in e tly y minutes. We got to get goin’ the figures of a man and boy. The log 2azed moodily | latter seated on PHONE 36 For Prompt Delivery | | . come on with cash!| 7S I'm in a hurry!” | The man shoved out his foot as {if to kick him. In a moment, hiss- ling and nipping, the great bird |seemed to surround the man with {heavy beating wings. The harder | the unwelcome guest tried to escape | ived aluge and the harder he was beaten back. At ;. | the gander grev last, crouching and fending off the | tosmanhood: (s blows, he fled through the door. . . | 4o speak); shede- 4 | scattering coins all the way. The | pended more.anc { wad of bills had merely been a piece | more on him. ‘Sometimes at night | of make-believe. | she would rouse him and he would| The door slammed and the lonely untuck his head from his wing and|widow sat down in a chair and 1|escort ‘her forth under a wintry!laughed and laughed and laughed. A Campfire Brought into Sharp Re- lief the Figures of a man and a Boy.| ‘But, Tim.” Jimmy blinked the last § it of sleep from his eyes. He turned| ‘i pumbled in His Pocket and not once for stealing rides, we pay | the paper over and over until he was |y Produced a Bit of Papér ike gintlemen or walk, eh, lad? convinced it was genuine. “I — I | moon. The gander stood beside her, lookinz The boy started from his reverie. |don’t understand, Tim. How did ,\'m\f(md I owe it to you. T'll.pay.it back| And now, at the Christmas season, |dignified and preening his ruffled **Hiteh hiking beats walking for rap- |get this and where?” |some day—TI'll tell mom and dad Gander was in full plumage and of | feathers. id transit if you're in a hurry, Tim,”| Tim laughed merrily. “One at & | what a good pal you've been—and a stern temper. “I'd rather have you for a friend,” Jimmy grinned Gee, that bacon|time, lad. First: I got it over yon|you promised to write. T'll be'think-| Christmas eve she sat alone by her|cried Mrs. Durkee, “than all the| mells good. I'm as hungry as aat the little railway station where |ing of you Christmas.” | kitchen stove and there came a|roast ducks, turkeys and geese in|" camp robber trey sell tickets. Second, I paid fer| “Thankee, lad ,thankee. Tell yer knock at the door. A man stood |the world. Merry Christmas. . . .. | They-gt= in silence, each busy with |it with money, earned money I laid | folks howdy, an’ merry Christmas,|there and before she could speak‘.md I'll give you some fresh lev.~! his own th When the meal |by when work was good.” | fer me.” | pushed his way in. Seeing no one |tuce this minute.” was finis man produced a “That’s fine of you, Tim, but I| The train roared away in the white |about, he ordered her to bring him The gander’s bright eyes roved temmed pipe from an inner|can’t take your money. You need |fog. Old Tim watched till the red |bread and coffee and meat. She|about the room, and he followed Mrs. of his heavy woodsman coat, |it for yourself.” likht disappeared and the rumbilesbrought the.xhan what he wanted,}Durkee into the pantry. o Zias = i\ i . e it, crowding the tobacco in k& with his thumb; then stooping he £cooped & live coal from the fire and | o o puffed a moment in quiet satisfac- | 4. N4/ ’: 5 /e L4 ¥ N MERRY CHRISTMAS 7 % 5§ his shaggy eyebrows as he added | Uy ! 8 fresh fagots to the blaze. 3 4 The boy, with hands thrust deep \ in his pockets, continued to move| restlessly about. “Gee, Tim, this| weather is getting on my nerves. We have had days of it. I'm beginning to want-to see the sun again.” The old man laid aside his pipe. “Now, lad, suppose ye tell Tim all about it. What's botherin’ ye—TI've missed that whistle of yourn. What's on yer mind?” Jimmy resumed his seat on the log. | “Oh, nothing much, Tim. I guess| "m sort of cuckoo tonight, just| nking-—on shucks! . :' nothing,| —May this be for you a season CHRISTMAS GREETINGS! It's an old Christmas custom to serve the aristocrats among beverages . . . . wines and s o on, lad, I'm listenin’.” ‘ B | (| LA of gladness and good cheer, A sl olor mounte p . . : : : 3 i A rich in the joys of friendship, liqueurs thddt hd\cfie beecli’l PIEOD- Tim. It's on! e days off, and ; y erly distilled and aged. Itis I“z;:.}r:: A‘ ter forget nl'J'“UI“ e 0 GOOd thlnqs our pleasure to have a com- bastly threw a pine bough into th ‘ that make life worth while. plete assortment of the best ire : “Three days, ye say, lad? an’ m ; i : . ... for your forgettin’ it. Now where'd ye say ye come from?’ ; “Iowa, Tim.” “Now, do tell. I been to Ioway meself, lad, but it's a long time ago MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS § [ ! GEORGE ALFORS SHEET METAL PLUMBING and HEATING First Class Work Phone 531 Alaska’s Largest Privately-Owned Hotel Juneau Liquor Store \ 85 ! PERCY REYNOLDS, Manager 155 0 50 S5 0 S S 0 530 5 S S S S 0 S 5 B R, R 50 500 0 507 100 5 0 K50 £ 5 5 Y ot ottt e i e e e