Show a 1 r h I H hud hull n been few tew In ID Ins s the Hie house The hou house e was ver very old uld but bul It was wIll 4 he mellow dignity of ot age oge It II hull hud hii J seen so BO tooth It II lint hud heard mi su much Unit that It felt not only old but bul wise Ise understanding ng crimp I II was not nol even that It felt telL With en su much youth and romance an 1 coining Into the bouse house from time to 10 time II it felt tell young and ond roman romann romantic tic nod gu gay cay Itself slut year It II was worried Ilie flie house hOIle believed Pd In tradition In memory memory mem mem- lII- lII ory Iry In In anniversary Pur- Pur the house believed belle In Christas Christ III mas as os I Every very r Christmas li It had hod been deco deco- rated Green wreaths had hod been hung In every very window Great branches of at pine had Imd hung over the ancestral portraits por traits which were heavy enough to lil bear r them Smaller pictures were sere given smaller sprays of ot green Red candles were lighted In to the candle candle- sticks on the every Christ Christ- urns 1185 eve 1 Every eve there had always been some members of ot the finally family who hull bud moved and und had hod come buck bucl The house houlle listened silent silently ly ty ex expectantly 0 1111 for tor the whistle ol of the Ih train on eve Then for the noise of ot sleigh tolls bells toil and the crackle of the tho sleigh stopping slopping In front of ot the house to let out Its fatally family members oho Mho ho hud Jou journeyed YlI b buck back rk home for Christinas Of or recent It tied hall been yearn an un nu- nu that shut had hud hooked honked and stopped before the house housu The house liked n a sleigh better But Out It still III It kept up with the times It liked having on en bile lo in tr trout front ut of Its dour door during the summer llull and and It liked the II arrival I of the automobile at Christmas time It was nut not this modern Invention that Imd lied bothered the house this year It was Vos something else cisI I For or years and oud years end years there had hod been becu u II II little tile piece of ot mistletoe mistletoe toe hung bung under the old Jilt lump In the front hull It was a funny tunny old lamp It lied hull pictures on Its tour four glass sides and It was really the lamp letup holder hollier for tor every evening e just at ot dusk one of ot the members of the family would come rome out and pull the letup lamp holder down on oti Its lIB chat chain und aid tip the lighted haul lamp just enough und and most must carefully eo so It would lit III Then back hork up UI the lamp letup was pulled again From this hind had always hung the mistletoe was I sometimes hard to get lint hut a a little e piece had always beep been obtained One year there hud had been only illy Iy two 1110 white while berries on the ml mistletoe lIc- lIc toe hut but this In spite of ot a gren grew predominance e of given there re were live e eI I white h barytes r So Sn It II was us not this hits that worried the house It II was US because there blare 1 us 1111 nu longer a lamp lump The lamp holder was there tin bunging In III the front hull but It had been blen fastened u i sn su that II 11 stayed up all ull the time line now II It 1 have to la be bo pulled There was sus us an electric globe In ho It II anc It 1111 turned on by a U button bulto on the bid bide I of the wall Ivull It was IUS this electric light that both bolh red prod the Somehow It 1 y il it I f 1111 l Particularly the House Houle Believed In Christmas as ita thou though h the mistletoe hung from the electric light would not be he so roman tic It II was such a cho change And romance ro ru mance time the house felt was not something some sUllie tilIng thing to 10 he be changed In a t twinkling Inthe In Inthe the Ihl turning of ot the button However towe the mistletoe hung there hung there as 81 best It could with Its red rId ribbon attachment Its large larg amount of pale green leaves Irl Its lis flue white berries TIm The train Iraln was OS a minute ahead of ol time Trains were pre not apt to be he ahl ahead ld of time line nut tut this tile time lIme It was for the clock clork had hod said Bald and the train was not due lo to arrive arrhe until 7 11 And AnI he tie clock could not nut snake make a mistake Not now after It had Just been up the street 1 so sn recently to visit the very best besl and 11 oldest clock doc mender r In tO town 11 Down Oo came ramI the automobile In ill cc mile time tile people Gayety laughter to nt ment rung rang out I through li rough the old house up 1111 und and hack back from the Ihl great high ceiling resounded through the IIII army rooms II IL IIII w ty wonderfully lIo the It house Is U decorated t lee dec orated 1 It 11 never lukei lovelier U it mimics dors this his year nr rj year the lie house had Imd third heard Illume thIp words I I Every I very r year Ilir Ih the Ihl l Iu homo s was ds more Irl mul and morn pleased III d with Ih he the compliment II nl cur r 1 this m II I Ing from away nw y felt that they had bad never ne seen the house bouse look so 80 loel lovely Every year r those who had decorated It felt they bad had never done dooe so 80 fine a Job The presents were opened In front of ot the fire Then the candles were put putout out out for for fhe they must be lighted again on Christ Christmas nl night ht The They must not all burn out la to one ODe evening That WAS WI the custom There was a slight lull after atter the excitement ex el of ot the opening of ot the pres prea enta And then come came a ring at the theold theold old door bell Sometimes the old doorbell door doorbell bell beU stayed out when It U wo was pulled out but bul on the whole It was a very good door bell In spite of ot Its great age ORe Besides didn't the time members of the family always look after atter the door doorbell doorbell doorbell bell Didn't they always push It In If It they found It out when they were coming home and didn't they announce announce an ao as os they got Inside That That was only my ray pushing the bell In tn I found round It out Oh most of the time time the door bell worked beautifully This time It fairly fair I ly burst Itself with the lau laughing ring that It gave gO A caller coller sold said the house to Itself A caller sold said the family to one another Its pretty late lote Who can It be Hut But let U us see Our lights are all nil lighted Whoever It was couldn't help but bul see that we are up and people pee peo pie Ill know how late we sit up Christmas Christ pies mas eve The door was 1 opened One of the young youngest st members of ot the family opened the door Not one of ot the chill U t y M Joans Joan's Heart Sang Sane a Quiet Happy Little Song Sine dren they dren-they they were In bed But ut one of ot the youngest members just the some same It was Joan who had holl opened the thedoor door Joan Joon with her bright color and nud blond hair and blue eyes and jolly skipping little laugh You thought of water skipping over o pebbles In a brook 1 when nhen you ou heard Joan lou laugh hOh h. h Oh Joan JOlin said sold Oh she said sold again The family Inside were wondering why Joan Joon didn't bring the caller coller In In- side Or was It Just a message per Imps haps IS Or was It a late package Or was It a mistake Or what Oh Jon Joun said sold still holding open the door Oh said sold Joan Jonn again Joan Merry Christmas Do lets let's make moke up I 1 cant can't see a future without without with with- out I 1 love hove you you so much Oh how Joans Joan's heart sang song a quiet happy little tittle song sung nil to Itself It was ros wonderful to think he would never ne be happy without her The thought of ot his unhappIness without her made her rejoice rejoices I It had been beeD a stupid quarrel quarrel quarrel-It It tied Imd been hard bard saying such each mean menn things when both of ot theme them knew they didn't mesa mean It IL Joan l I lie caught sight of ot the mistletoe And the house fairly creaked cloud aloud with excitement The I electric globe Iobe In the old lamp holder made no difference Nothing made any difference Here was youth routh and ro ro- mauve and gayety there Here was the mistletoe mistletoe mis Oils tI loe Inspiring what every true mistletoe lUll mis should inspire Joan Joun called the family from with with- in III Who Vho Is there therel Burry Barry she answered Hes Hee tat talc log Ins off orr his coat Harry Barry took off his bis coat coot then and went Inside They Timey were clasping bands The mistletoe looked quite elated I did a good Job Jub the mistletoe said said sald patched up a quarrel and renewed renewed re re- newell II a Good work said the house I 1 approve of ot you Merry ferry Christmas the mistletoe ended Id WI Western Newspaper Union |