Show I The Transformation of Old Nick By S E RISER 4tt LD NICK BRADSHAW was tho ICI richest man In Jonosburg and 1 for 30 years ho had also been the most hated There was a tradl Lion that n girl whom he was to havo married one Christmas day had eloped with another man n few hours before the time sot for the wedding Whether tho story was true or not Old NIck as everybody called him had become 110 recluse Nobody ever had n kind word tor him It had long been agreed that tho death of Old Nick would bo the luck lost think which could happen to Jonosburg wherefore there was general gen-eral surprise when it was announced ono year that Nicholas Ilrndshaw intended in-tended to have a Christmas tree for all Ttr d 4 no t7 a U Jt r t r I Y t I o u illlllllil µ I h I I f 71V I 1 The Christmas Tree Loomed Before Them the children In the town and that ho would on the great day give a dinner to the people Three weeks before Christmas he began his preparations Ho rented the biggest hall in the place had an Immense Im-mense evergreen tree net up in it and hired carpenters to fill it with long tables The people could hardly be hove that their eyes did not deceive them when they saw him getting things ready a Ho made many mysterious visits to the great city in which the Jonesburg merchants bought their goods and he always returned bearing many boxes And packages Sometimes they were too big or too numerous to bo carried by him and he hired expressmen to take them to tho hall while the people stood on the sidewalks and made regretful re-gretful remarks about tho way they had wronged Mr Dradahaw or Insisted Insist-ed that they had suspected all along that beneath a stern exterior ho possessed pos-sessed a kind heart After tho tree and the tables had been set up nobody but Old Nick him eelt was permitted to enter tho hall He explained that ho wanted every one to bo surprised lie carried the boxes and packages up tho stairs alone and he had tho windows carefully curtained cur-tained so that nobody could see from the outside what was being done within On the day before Christmas the last assignment of Nicholas Brad shaws boxes and packages arrived from tho city There was a wagon load of them and the excitement of the people as they saw them being transferred from the railway station to tho hall whore tho feast was to beheld be-held became Intenso Old Nick saw tho wonder in the faces of the citizens and he smiled with keen satisfaction The day was very cold but he apparently appar-ently was oblivious of the fact The people said it was tho warmth of his heart that kept him from feeling the blto of tho Icy winds Christmas day dawned clear and the town was astir earlier than usual Expectancy I was on tiptoe Tho hall was to bo opened at 1230 sharp so that people who wished to go to church could do BO and still bo In time for tho beginning of tho ceremonies over which Old Nick was to preside The crowd began to assemble an hour before the tlmo set for tho opening open-ing of tho doors People danced on tho sidewalk slapped their hands acnlnst themselves to keep from freezing and every little while there were cheers for Mr Uradshaw At last tho hands on the courthouse clock Indicated that It was 1230 and then one of Old Nicks hired men appeared ap-peared with the key to tho door of tho big hall With a wild rush and a loud whoop tho people crowded inside and hUrrc Mpfetalra Tho Christmas tree I loomed gloriously before them Its branches were laden with packages all neatly tied with ribbons and edch bearing a card on which was written the name of the person who was to receive re-ceive it The tables wero set and ready for the feasters Thoro were big brown turkeys with drumsticks pointing upward there were huge cakes there wore filled wineglasses at I the plates and there wero many vases with brightcolored flowers But It was quickly discovered that tho turkeys were made of papier macho such as are used in makebe hove banquets on the stago the cakes were nothing but painted blocks of wood tho wineglasses contained only vinegar and the flowers were artificial When the packages that had been cut I from the tree were opened they were found to bo filled with sawdust except that In each of them was a slip of paper such as lay beside each of tho plate and on which was print ud this statement I have for a long time believed that the people of this town celebrated Christmas not for the purpose of exhibiting ex-hibiting tho truo Christmas spirit but simply to outdo one another In making a big show If you are true to the faith you possess you will forgive me for what I have done and thank me for teaching you a valuable lesson It Is not what you give or what you receive but tho spirit In which It Is given and received I give you all these things with tho heartiest good wishes and with the hope that joy will be yours In fullest measure How will you receive them 1 NICHOLAS DHADSHAW For a moment there was painful silence Tbnn tho Baptist minister mounted a rtmlr and said I tllnk Mr Bradshow has as hey he-y g aught us a profitable lesson We have been drtlng away from the true Christian faith We have made Christmas a tlmo not of joy but of dread to tho people who have to pay tho bills Wo give not for the Joy of giving but with tho hope of receiving something just as good In return I propose a vote of thanks to Mr Brad shaw for opening our eyes Some of the children and a few of the women were Inclined to be sullen but the vote of thanks was given with a good deal of enthusiasm and then Old Nick opened tho door of an adjoining < ad-joining room which was filled with real things to eat and fine presents for all the people and when everybody was seatedand the feast was at its height he stood up saying in tones that wero rather husky Friends I have for a good many years been a skeptic I havo not believed be-lieved In God and I have regarded all people as being Inherently mean and selfish You havo shown me that I was mistaken My old faith has comeback come-back to mo you have made mo the happiest man In the world God bless you allChlcago RecordHerald nn n moo t 0 4 Tw 9 ayvt b rue 1 6i Yt r u WJ e bp 4 Hid 09 7271 C 7WF |