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18 TH
I The Family
THE OLD MAN'S DREAM.
Oh for one hour of youthful joy!
Give back my twentieth spring!
I'd rather laugh a bright-haired boy.
Than reign a gray-haired king!
Off with the wrinkled spoils of age!
Away with learning's crown!
Tear out life's wisdom-written page.
And dash its trophies down!
One moment let my life-blood stream
From boyhood's fount of flame!
Give me one giddy, reeling dream
Of life all love and fame!
My listening angel heard the prayer.
And calmly smiling, said,
"If I but touch thy silvered hair,
Thy hasty wish hath sped.
"But is there nothing in thy track
To bid thee fondly stay,
While the soft seasons hurry back
To find the wished-for day?"
"Ah, truest soul of womankind!
Without thee what were life?
One bliss I can not leave behind:
I'll take?my?precious?wife!"
The angel took a sapphire pen,
And wrote in rainbow dew,
"The man would be a boy again,
And be a husband, too!"
"And is there nothing yet unsaid
Before the change appears?
Remember, all the gifts have fled
With these dissolving years!"
"Why, yes; for memory would recall
My fond paternal Joys;
I could not bear to leave them all;
I'll take?my?girl?and boys!"
The smiling angel dropped his pen?
"Why, this will never do;
The man would be a boy again,
Anri Ho o fothor inn I"
And so I laughed?my laughter woke
The household with its noise?
And wrote my dream, when morning
broke,
To please the gray-hair'd boys.
?Oliver W. Holmes.
JOHN'S LETTER TO SANTA CLAU8,
AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
"Let's tie it to the kite, James, and
send It away up into the sky, and it will
reach Santa Claus before Christmas. It
is two weeks yet till time for him to
come; Mother said so today." So the little
brothers tied the note, to Santa, on
the kite, and sent it up. A strong gust
of wind carried it on and on far out ot
sight. "Now," said John with a big sigh
of relief, "I'm so glad it has gone, and
we will get what I asked for." The chil
dren then ran in, to tell their mothei
how John had sent his letter to Santa
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOI
Claus. Far down the street a young
stranger saw a little piece of paper fluttering
before him. On it came, and
alighted on his breast, held there for an
instant, by a passing gust. He put up
his hand to remove it, and was about to
cast it from him, when the childish
print caugnt nis eye. He read ttiese
words: "Dear Santa Claus: Please bring
Mother and Father, and Brother James
and sister Adalyn lots of things for
Christmas, and me a Shetland pony named
Brownie. That is all I want. John
Lewis." After reading it over, he said
' to himself: "Here is something that will
interest Mother; I'll send it to her. So
he went to the post-office and mailed it,
with a note to his Mother, telling her how
it came into his hands, and that he knew
the child's father, who was a home missionary
to the people of that place, and
was trying his best to do them good, but
Satan had ruled that section for a long
time, and had a mighty hold on the people,
and the minister's work often met
with rebuff and insult His family was
in very poor circumstances, and he had
often wished to help them, but did not
know how to go about it, but thought
perhaps she, who had helped so many,
would know a nice,delicate way, so that
no feelings of pride could be hurt, and
by putting the note into her hands he
would relieve his own conscience, and
give her a piece of work that he knew
she would take delight in doing. The
mother read the notes over and over.
The one from little John, the Home Mis
sionary's boy, and the one from her
John, the millionaire's son. She quickly
made up her mind what she wished to
do and went about it. Before her head
touched the pillow that night, boxes and
barrels packed with good things for the
pleasure and comfort of the minister's
family, and a pretty little Shetland pony
for John, with saddle and bridle, were
on their way, bound for the Home Missionary's
place. They were sent to her
son, with instructions to turn them over
to Santa Claus at the proper time, and
how well he carried out her wishes we
shall see.
** * *0*000 *
w nen Santa started out on bis usual
yearly round, he said to Mrs. Santa, "I'm
so sorry that I did not get to carry John
a Shetland pony last ChriBtmas, you
know he wrote and asked me for one,
but I Just could not get one ready for
him; and he will be dreadfully disappointed
this time, if he awakes on Christmas
morning and finds none. You know
it makes my heart ache not to give my
girls and boys what they ask me for, and
what I know their dear little hearts wish
so much. So I am going over to Mr.
Brown's this morninc fir#} nf oil ?nd ?eo
if he has any nice Shetland ponies, and
get one, that John may have it after
waiting so long." Then the dear old fel
low harnessed up his reindeer, put In
loads of good things, and started out saying:
"Come, Dancer and Prancer and
Dasher and Vixen, and Cupid and Comet
and Dunder and Plitzen, fly over the
hills and over the snow. And And a nice
pony for John, you know." And all the
JTH. December 15, 1909.
pretty reindeer seemed to understand,
and each one nodded his little head as
he bounded forward. Away they went,
over hill and dale, making the crisp snow
snap and flash under their swift flying ?
hoofs. Soon Mrs. Brown's was reached
and Santa Claus drew up with a whoa!
that quickly brought the old gentleman
to the door. "finnH mr?rr>ina Mi- Hmnm "
said Santa Claus. "Good morning Santa
Claus; what can I do for you this morning?"
"Well," said Santa Claus, "I came
over to see if you had any nice Shetland
ponies." "Just lots of them; what kind
do you want?" "Well, let me see
what John did say.*" And he drew a little
crumpled note from his pocket. "He
says he does not want anything for himself
but a Shetland pony, named Brownie.
He asked me to bring his family
lots of nice things, but only this one
thing for himself. A great many children
ask for such a quantity of things
that I get tired before I get through the
list. But when a little fellow like this
asks for but one thing, and he so little
that lie has to print his letter, it nearly
breaks my heart not to give it to him.
And, now, I want your prettiest and fattest
Brownie pony to be ready to take
away in a few minutes." "Yes, sir";
said Mr. Brown, "she shall be ready for
you, and she is fat, too, sir; as fat as
a butter ball." "And Mr. Brown," said
Santa Claus, "I want to look at those
pretty little saddles, bridles and blankets,
that you have for the little ponies.
I want to get a nice 'squeaky' saddle,
and a pretty bridle with red stones at
the ears, and a cute little blanket with
the 'lone star of Texas' on it. John lives
in Texas, and I know that he would like
the star." So they looked over the sad
dies, bridles and blankets, and found one
of each to suit?the little squeaky saddle,
a bridle with red stones at the ears,
and a dear little blanket with a single
golden star, to show outside the saddle.
"BlesB his dear little heart; I know
he will be so pleased with these pretty
things," said Santa, his own eyes beaming
with pleasure. He put a halter on
Brownie, and tied her to the back of
the sleigh; put the bridle, saddle and
blanket inside; drew up the reins; bade
Mr. Brown good-bye, and away they
went, little Brownie's hoofs keeping time
to tbe merry music of the sleigh-bells as
the reindeer skipped lightly over the
snow.
We will now peep into little John's
home, and see what is taking place there.
He had gone to bed early on this Christmas
eve, his eyes sparkling with anticipation?thinking
of his letter to Santa
Claus, and of the Shetland pony, that he
was sure would be there next morning.
"I Vnnw ho mill hrln? I* ??^ 11 ? ?
... ..... miuB ii, 111UIUCI, UB
eald, over and over, many times before
he went to sleep. "I wrote end asked
blm and that la the way Summers did
last Christmas, and he brought him one;
and, mother, you know Summers has all
the pretty things he wants, because his
father is rich; and you know if anybody
as good as Santa *Clays would bring a