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Show . ..Our Bojis and. '(ffirlC i Edited by Aunt Busy, , A COLD. , He has a cold, and life no mora j "is fair and radiant s of yore. ,,'JIe sees no sunset gild the sky, SNo autumn colors greet the eye: ? liFor him the earth is full of shills " r' i jiAnd potions, eapsales, salves r.nd pills, wllot baths and blankets, cough and tears, 0Advlee and sympathy and sneers: ! Red eyes that mark a present plight i "Without the gh-e of yesternight. " cAnd friends declare: " 'Twill Bonn be well COr else 'twill kill you: who can tell?" ? ?Of all the ills life can unfort, 3Iis is tht worst who has a cod: Washington Star. ; 1 : AUNT BUSY HAS HER SAY. I Boar Xieces and Nephew?: Aunt I3u.y liores .Jhat iho beautiful feat. of Christina? was one of perfeet happiness for all her dear Sunbeams. She is hip.v when she thinks of the sunshine dispensed j y the Sunbeams, too. . j Thecsurest way to bo happy is to aid in the I happiness of others, and Aunt Busy hopes that the dear chgdren will always remember her advice, just , I ihe sanft advice that was jriven Aunt Busy many J and many a time when she was younpr. Perhaps had she heeded the advice, she would rjow be a , ! happier woman, so she will give her dear nieces and nephews the benefit of her experience, and hope that they will never know what unhappiness means. May the New Year bring every blessing and. joy to the dear children who write to ;' : VN AUNT BUSY. j i t-'t. T" LETTERS AND .ANSWERS. Ogden, Dee. l.". 5 My Dear Aunt Busy: I hope the boys' have not 3 gotten ahead of us in sending you a little Xmas ; ! , frift. We send you by today's mail a souvenir of Ogden, Utah. I am very glad that a namesake of f mine was fortunate enough to win that great big ? dollar. I am almost as glad as if I had gotten I it myself. We have formed a club. The boys have a president, and so have the girls. I will write ! you about it next time. We are very busy prepay j ing our Xmas tree, so 1 will close by wishing you s iheh compliments of the season. 1 am your lov- ing niece, TEKESA D. O CONNOR. Aunt Busy feels that no words can properly ex- press her appreciation to the dear Ogden nieces for "i so kindly remembering her. The gift you sent, is I pretty, indeed, and Aunt Busy wishes to say that she will always cherish the kindest memories of the I dear girls and' boys of Ogden. Aunt Busy sends 1 her love to her dear niece, Teresa, aiid extends to her the most sincere wishes for a Merry Christ- i mas. i "A . Ogden, Oct. 2'2. j Dear Aunt Busy: This is .my .first '.letter. I t hope you will like it. I just started to St. .To- bcplfs school. 1 like it very well. I -am 12 years ? old and I have six sisters. 1 brought my little sis- i ter to school last Thursday. We had a very nice lime. Do you know our pastor. Father Cushna-, Cushna-, han't I think he is very nice. I take books from the library. Our church is the pride of Utah. I hope to make my first Holy Communion this year. i I study very hard. We have had many contests against the boys. T will tell you who beats the next time, if it is the girls. Your niece, f " EDXA HEALY. j A glad welcome to the little Ogden niece! You are fortunate to have so many sisters, dear. Aunt Busy had two sisters once, but they. went to heaven j many years ago. She would not want them back, I . because they are happy, but she feels lonely for them very often. Yes, Aunt Busy has the honor of knowing your pastor, who is a grand and noble - priest.' Write soon again, dear. . Ogden, Nov. 17. j My Dear Aunt Busy: ''The Club that Cover? j Cod's Children with the Mantle of Charity"' would be a good name for your new club. I am siudy- I ing hard, preparing to make my first Holy Com- t raunion. had a grand trip to Ireland last year, i T visited all the important places there .and came back with a heart full of love and veneration for I the Irish people. I had a big time. The people , there thought I was a wonderful Yankee. ' Comn to Ogden and see the beautiful cement walks all around the new church. Yes, I forgot to tell you T brought Father Cushuahan many pretty souvenirs souve-nirs from the. land of his birth. My brother Ed-. Ed-. ward is writing you. lie is the baby of the fam- c ily. I hope I will win the prize. Tell the Dorseys 1 want them to" write you; also the Clam Diggers. 1 e Are thev dead I Your roviim, rambling nephew, WALTER SMITH. . i Such a bright, newsy letter from Nephew Wal- ter! Aunt Busy would like to hear more about j -the grand trip to Ireland. The Irish people cor- I 1a inly are the most lovable people in the world, only ihe Americans, of course. Aunt Busy hopes that I the Dorseys and the little Clam Diggers are not "dead, but she really knows nothing about them roiy more, to her great regret. Write soon again, I ' Walter. Omaha, Neb.. Dec. y. ! . c Dear Aunt Busy: I think the 'name that was chosen for the club was a very good one. I was : going to send a name in, but didn't get around to it in time. I have a cousin in the St. Mary's academy. 1 hope Santa Claus will remember all ihe poor this year. Mae will enclose a Christmas sforv. Your loving niece. VIOLA MOREARTY. Such a "long tune, dear little niece, since you ' wrote to Aunt Busy! She is very glad that you did not forget her. Give Aunt Busy's love to your talented sister. Her story is very well written. Aunt Busy hopes that Santa Claus was good to the little Sunbeam who thought about the ioor. f . CHRISTMAS, if' (By May Morearty, Omaflia. Neb.) If we could have looked in a certain house one beautiful Christmas eve we would have seen mamma preparing the turkey for next day, and many happy little children dancing around, all eager to help, - for they are unusually good tonight, as they ex- poet old Santa to make his annual visit there tonight. to-night. . In this home Christmas would not seem to be Christmas if ihe holy candle was not there, and if ihey did not all gather around to see papa light it before they scampered upstairs to, bed, where they tried so hard to go sleep. They had to resist a great temptation on their way to bed, by not taking a sly peep into the parlor, par-lor, for sister had trimmed a large tree, and it was j not to be seen until Christmas day. j ; You piay be sure that no one slept after day- l light Christmas morning. And you could hear l ihe merry laughter and shouts of joy ringiug through every room. Old Santa Claus was very generous and had filled their stockings with candy,-j candy,-j nuts and many toys. A large tree stood in the cor- n r of one room. The parlor was decorated with holly, and tiny l-ed and green bells were suspended from the chandeliers, which were trimmed in red I and green. The library floor was soon covered with' books, games, dolls, wagons, horses, trunks, blocks, Mugs, baskets, candy, dishes, nuts, oranges, rings, brushes, combs, bracelets, statues, pictures, toy'ani- nials, a magic lantern and endless other things, for ' i ihere were a great many little tots there to enjoy i I ih.-m. ... v The baby was running up and down the dining . fooom pushing a music roller, pulling a horse and wagon, and blowing a horn. Another little tot was following him; a red wagon was tied to his belt,- and "ho was beating a drum, and both of the children were tramping time to the music. Another little boy had a large' castle built of blocks. Still another an-other boy was trying to show his magic lautern pictures by daylight. The ljttle girls were proudly exhibiting their beautiful dolls. If you could have seen those happy children yoi would realize the joys of a large family and heard the praises 'of Santa When they were tired of their toys, came the feast, which of course was. ihe crowning event of the day. The old table fairly groaned with its weight. They were sleepy at sunset, but when the tree was lit they were wide awake, and sang and danced until late in the evning, then said their prayers and tumbled into fbed, and tir.d eyelids closed on tired eyes ere their heads touched the inllows. , 'Twas the night after Christmas and all through the house ' Not a creature was stirring excepting S mouse. The stockings were carelessly thrown on a chair; . Thoughts of St. Nicholas were no longer there. The children were restlessly tossing .'in bed. For the candv and nuts were as heavy as lead." I THE TALE OF A VAGABOND CAT. (By Daisy Maginnis,05, Sacred III-art Academy. ii i , She had come into 'the .household under the innocent in-nocent title of uKitty Whiskers" a tiny ball of grey a yd ..white fur with the most fascinatingly in- i quisitive green eyes that ever kitteu possessed, or so the girl, who liked kittens had said and she was a connoisseur. In Tiappier days, she had had a twin brother, and a mother a great," ungainly creature whose dirty white .coat suggested nights spent in the coal-bin; in fact, an outcast from re-' spectable society, scorned by the girl who -liked kittens, teased by the boy who hatedthem, chased by the dog who was' her sworn enemy. And then one mght the twin brother had strayed away, and the mother had abandoned her remaining 'offspring, seemingly to look for the lost one. Then it was Miat the girl who liked kittens found Kitty. Whis- leers, and straightway adopted her. It was a pleasant'. home into which she had " dropped this little waif". First, there was the sa'u- cer of. milk, morning, noon and night; and then there was so much to do all day long!- If one felt 'sleepy one could bask .in the .warm sunlight in some grassy fiollow, blinking lazily at the birds and bees and flowers. Or one could chase butterflies, which was exciting sport, and required much running. run-ning. Or. in very exhuberance of joy, one could chase one's own fail, which, if not so profitable, was quite as exciting. . .Soon one discovered and learned many things, for instance, never to go near water, as it is damp, and unpleasant; never to answer the soft, beguiling beguil-ing call of that thing in pants known as a boy; never to venture too close to dogs, especially smaU brown ones .'of an investigating turn of mind, for' they arc full of immeasurable guile. If a dog of this description, or a small boy, came suddenly around the corner of the house, the best plan was 1o make a straight run to the little holo under the barn, discovered at some previous time. But of anything in short skirts one need never ' bo afraid, as it was s-ure to be quits harmless and, indeed, very kind hearted. In a very short time-one time-one learned to climb tfees-at first laboriously, Utile Ut-ile by little, then in jumps to the first branch, and . at last in one clear run to the top. After this, one made the acquaintance of some neighborhood cats and learned to sing a nightly solo, consisting, with variations, of first a measure meas-ure in a low, grumbling bass, then in a high, inquiring in-quiring treble. And how o.ould one know that the mother of the girl who liked kittens had risen in wrath and a night-robe, and threatened the prompt "removal of that provoking cat, if something were not done immediately, or that the girl had wept bitterly for fully five minutes. j ". But all this is the experience of every young kitten. .When Kitty Whiskers had learned to catch mice and birds, and even cruelly to devour themi, then came the important epoch in her life, its turning turn-ing point, as it were. For one day there was brought to the girl who liked kittens a new pet, a tiny, plqyful creature, white as the driven snow, and in the most entrancing stage of kittenhood. With the fickleness peculiar to small maidens, she at once forgot the very existence of poor Kitty ' Whiskers poor indeed, then, and again a waif, an outcast left to the tender mercies of boyvillc and the attacks of pitiless dogs. No more was the kitchen door left hospitably open, for winter had come, colder than ever, it seemejl, and there was no place behind the stove for vagabond cats. Kitty's coat 'became, badly roughened and spoiled her appearance, and she became be-came wilder and wilder as the days went by. All 'day long she wandered from doorstep to doorstep, living on stray scraps, and occasionally being fortunate for-tunate enough to catch a tiny bird. Then at night she returned to her old home, to creep through a broken window, and sleep in a cold, damp cellar. Terhaps she. realized what was the cause of all her misfortunes. For one day, when the white kitten came slowly out into the snow with daintily lifted paws, she sprang upon her with sudden fury, tore her soft white coat, and left her, mangled and bloody, for the girl to weep over. Her punishment for this, however, was swift and ' sure, for only a few nights after she herself was chased by big black Rover, and ; only, after a j breathless flight escaped, minus a tail and half a leg. But her troubles seemed to end here, for she was found .thus, 'maimed and sorely depressed in spirit, by a kind-hearted boy and nursed back to life. Today she is. round and plump again, and a little lit-tle of the." hunted look has gone f rom her eyes. Her devotion to the boy is quite touching. No, she has never made up to the girl, and the sight of white kitten still fills her with fury. She is getting pretty pret-ty old now I think she must be in her ninth life but she still limps about on the three legs, and sometimes catches a mouse. A ITANXY BOY. It was a crowded railway station, and a raw December De-cember day. Every few minutes the street cars emptied their loads at the door, and guests of cold wind came. in with the crowd. All hurried as they entered. All were laden with bag, basket, box or bundle. Shivering groups stood about the great round stove in the center of the room. A small boy called, "Tillygram and Broken Needle," which last meant the Brooklyn Eagle. Another boy shouted, "'Cough candy and lozenges, ." cents a paper." Every five minutes a stream of people flowed out through a door, near which a young man stood and yelled, "Rapid transit for East New York!" The gate was kept open but a moment, and closed again when enough person had passed . through to fill the two cars upon each train. Those so unfortunate as to be farthest from the door must wait until next time. Among those unfortunate unfortu-nate ones was an old Swedish woman, in the heavy shoes and short frock of her native Northland. She had heavy bundles, and, though she had a place so near the door that many pushed against her, could not scramble out. Her burden was too heavy for her to hold as she stood, and when the rush came and she seized one package from the floor by her. side, she dropped the other, and, in trying to get it, some one crowded and pushed her aside. The bundle was in the way; an impatient foot kicked ! it beyond her reach, and before she could recover it the door was shut. Thefkin old. face looked piti-i'ullv piti-i'ullv troubled.. ,., v i ' Suddenly, as she bowed her old gray head to lift the abused bundle from the floor, a bright, hoy Mi face came between her and her treasure' and a pair of strong young hands lifted it into her arm?1. Surprise and delight struggled in the old, wrinkled countenance, and a loud laugh came from two boys, whose faces were pressed against the window outside out-side the gate. . "See there, Harry; see Fred, that is what he dashed back for!" 'No; you don't say so; I thought ho went for peanuts." 'No; not for peanuts or popcorn, but to pick up an old woman's bundle. Isn't he a goose j" "Yes; what business'has she to be right in the way with her budget I I gave it a good kick.". "Hero comes the train. Shall we wait for him. Harry T And they pounded the window and motioned mo-tioned for' Fred to come out. But he shook his head.' and nodded toward the little old woman at his side.. He had her bundles, and her face had lost its anxious look, and was as placid as t he. round fa ec of a holiday. Duch doll. "Come .along, Fred. .Come along! You'll be left again." " ' . "Never min'l. boys; off with you; I'm go'yig to seedier through."' . . And they went And .Harry.repeatcd. to Dick, as they .seated themselves in the "tran. "Isn't he a goose ?"'. . ( "No," was the .in'digiiiint ansver; "he's a man. and I know another fellow "who's a goose, ad that's me. and Fred makes me ashamed of myself." "Pooh; you djdn't -mean anything. You only gave it push." "I know it ; but I feel as mean as" .if Fred had caught me picking hor pocket." " .The train whirled away. The next one ca'me. "Rapid transit for East New" York ; all aboard!" shouted the. mau 'at t-he. dooV. ' ' The gate was opeir. There was another ru?h. In the crowd was the old -Swede woman, but by her . side was Fred Monroe. He carried the. heavy burden; bur-den; he put his lithe younjs figuro between her and the pre"ss. With the same air he would have shown his own.mother, he "saw her through."' And when" the gate was. shut I turned to my book with grate-' f til" warmth fju't my heart that, amid m.uclt that is rude, chivab'y still lives as the crowning charm of a manly boyS -Pittsburg Observer. BABY'S TENDER .HEART. The carlwas jiggliiift along on a South-'Side street, whenja young mother, evidently the wife of . a- workingriin, entered the car carrying. a little girl just.bttlrining to'talk. The child was so dainty and pretty that she lfeld the attention of all the passengers 'with the exception of one an old woman wo-man bearing every, evidence of dissipation and " personal neglect. The little girl fastened her big eyes, alight with cordial interest, on this face.". The woman scowled, but the. baby, not understanding rebuff or disapproval, smiled most cordially. The young mother, distressed by the woman's expres- i sion. tried- to divert the baby, but it was useless; j her interest was centered, in the old woman who j was the perfect opposite-of herself. Suddenly she jerked herself free from her -mother's hand and made a lunging dash across the car. Putting her mittened hands on . the knee of the woman, she lifted her face wijh a most cordial invitation for a kiss. The woman colored, and ,putting her hand gingerly on the baby's shoulder, said: "Go" back, . honey; you'll soil your pretty white coat; I'm not fit for you to touch," . The voice, very musical, gave evidence of refinement. re-finement. The mother took her baby by the elbow to draw her back, but the baby shook herself free from her mother's grasp again, and. leaning more enfidingly against the woman, said: "I love gran'mas; I have gran'ma heme." The woman stared a. moment, then bowed her head. The baby's lip quivered, while her eyes never left the woman's face. Raising both' hands, she said plaintively: "Please take baby up' 'The woman looked at the mother, whose face, like her baby's responded to the woman's suffering, and nodded a cordial assent. as-sent. The woman took the baby in her lap; the little lit-tle one laid her cheek against the heaving breast in perfect content. When the mother left the car, the woman for' the rest of the journey sat with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, nor once raised her head. FLOWER LEGENDS. There are some very pretty flower legends woven about the history of the Christ child. Here arc a few of them : v " The peasantry of Spain say that rosemary brings happiness witjh its perfume on Christmas eve, because the Blessed Virgiu hung 'Ihe little frocks of .Testis to dry upon the rosemary bushes. The snowdrop or "fair" flower of February blooms in memory of the time when the Virgin presented Jesus in the temple. The pretty little wayside flower known as "Lady's Bedstead" was so called because Mary made the manger bed of it.' The sycamore attains its great vitality and verdure ver-dure because, the Mahommedans say, it is the tree of Joseph and Mary and sheltered them in their flight to Egypt. The Rose of Jericho is also called Mary's Rose. It sprung up wherever the Blessed Virgin's feet touched the earth on her way. to Egypt. "Once as our Savior walked with men below His path of mercy through a forest lay; And mark how all the dropping branches show What homage lest a silent tree may pay. Only the aspen stood erect and free. Scorning to join the Voiceless worship pure, But see! He cast one look upon the tree Struck to the heart, she trembles evermore." An old legend tells that by the fountain where Mary washed the swaddling clothes of the Holy Child beautiful flowers and bushes sprang up. j POPE PIUS X WAS THE CHILDREN'S CHOICE. ! From the Antipoors comes an authentic and interesting account of what some might term the i unconscious prescience of childhood, and what others would probably call the wonderful attraction which a kindly face possesses for the little ones. After noting the recent confirmation of the saying say-ing of the Romans to the effect that "he who enters en-ters the conclave a pope comes out a cardinal," the New Zealand Tablet says: "While the Holy See was vacant our valued friend, the Rev. G. Doyle, pastor of St. Arnaud's (Victoria), placed the published portraits of all the leading cardinals before the children of his parish school an.l asked them to pick from among them the one that was to be the next occupant of the chair of St. Peter. The children selected Cardinal Car-dinal Sai'to." . . i |