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Merry Christmas

It was snowing hard when Jud left Ascog, but he bundled himself up in his big knitted scarf and huddled down between the blankets and with the old horse jogging along at a steady pace, the boy gave himself over to thoughts of "Jud Santa Claus," an idea that made him laugh outright all to himself there in the storm; but he just couldn't keep out of mind glittering skates, snow-shoes and similar things which he longed for but could not get.

His mother was waiting for him when he arrived, and the look on her care-worn face when he took bundle after bundle out of the cutter and gave them into her arms brought back all of the holiday spirit that had thrilled him when he was in the stores, and after he had unhitched and made the horse comfortable for the night he hurried indoors.

In the front room the big tree he had cut a few days before was waiting to be trimmed and on the table were all the ornaments which his mother had kept hidden since the Christmas before. Hastily Jud threw off his coat and cap, and one by one the glittering and fragile ornaments were hung into the evergreen. They gave the old tree a very merry look. Strings of popcorn, which his mother had made while he was in town, were added, along with tinsel and candy balls. Jud's mother was just as eager as he to see the tree look attractive and she handed each ornament to him with the utmost care.

Soon the task was done. Then the mother and son stood off and admired their creation. It was indeed a fine tree, and they both felt certain that the children would be well pleased.

From the tree their thoughts turned to the presents for the little ones, and with eager fingers they began to unwrap each package. But Jud was careful to keep two bundles well in the background and

out of the way of his mother. The doll and the drum were placed in conspicuous places under the tree, just as the children would expect Santa Claus to leave them. So were the books and the games and the rest of the toys. Then candy was brought forth and the two lean black stockings that hung by the mantel were made fat and lumpy with nuts and sweets and great big oranges.

"Well," said Mrs. Brainard when all was ready, "this is going to be a very happy Christmas for the children after all, thanks to you my fine, manly son," and she gave the boy a motherly hug and such an affectionate kiss that Jud felt brimming over with happiness.

"Shucks, mother, it isn't much; not half as much as I'd like to do, but-but-I didn't forget you, mother. Here-here's a little something from 'Jud Santa Claus,' and he produced the big and the little bundle.

The happy woman's face was radiant as she took them and her fingers trembled so that she could scarcely unknot the cord.

"Why-why-oh, bless your heart, Jud. The jacket I wanted so badly. And a darling little pin cushion-oh, dear, oh, dear, what a son I have!" and tears filled her eyes as she hugged and kissed him again. And as for Jud, a lump climbed into his throat and stuck there, and his eyes felt moist, too.

"I thought it would keep you warm, Muddy dear," he said very affectionately. Then as if to conceal his sentiment he went on, "Say, Mom, I'm awfully hungry. Think we could roast a few apples on top of the kitchen stove and have some of that left-over popcorn before we turn in?"

"Sure as you live," said the little woman, and with their arms about each other they started for the kitchen.

Christmas morning was indeed a happy

occasion at the Brainard home; at least it was for the two kiddies, who insisted upon coming downstairs only half dressed, in their eagerness to see if Santa Claus had paid a visit to the cottage on the river bank. And what a shout of pleasure went up when they beheld the tree in its glittering finery and the toys spread about beneath. Tiny Jenny caught up the doll with one swoop of her arms and then rushed off to pull down her bulging stocking, while little Dick, unable to restrain his itching fingers, seized the drum sticks and beat a loud tattoo to the accompaniment of whoops of delight. For Jud there was a new pair of red knit mittens-his mother's work, he knew, and he kissed her for the remembrance. And Mrs. Brainard looked on the whole gay scene with pleasure radiating from her usually care-worn face.

Of course Jud was happy too; tremendously happy. But somehow down deep in his heart there was a peculiar lonesome feeling somehow he experienced a sense of disappointment when he thought of the skates and the snow-shoes he had seen the night before, and realized that in many, many homes throughout the country, boys his age were receiving presents of this kind, while he had to go without. To be sure, he hid his feeling from his mother as much as possible, and she in her happiness at seeing the children's joy never noticed that Jud was not quite himself.

It was some time before the children. could be persuaded to eat breakfast, they were so merry. But Jud felt grateful for this for it covered up the fact that he ate very little. He was really too blue to enjoy the steaming pancakes and golden brown syrup, and he left the table as soon as possible on the pretense of getting some wood from the shed. For some time he busied himself about his chores trying very hard to fight off his depressed feeling, but

strangely enough he could not master it. Finally, not caring to go back into the house until he could present a cheerier countenance, he trudged off through the

snow.

Out across the bestubbled cornfield he wandered and on into the woodlot which stretched for half a mile back of the house. The snow was deep and powdery here, for several inches had fallen during the night. But Jud waded through it doggedly. "It isn't right, I know; but I can't help it." He kicked the snow viciously and plowed on. His mind was so busy with thoughts of skates and sleds and of the things that he did not get for Christmas that he scarcely observed where he was going. On he walked until suddenly a shower of snow from a well-laden spruce plunked down upon his head and deluged him with soft, silvery-white flakes. This aroused him from his meditations for a moment and he noted that he was in the vicinity of the old sugar house which his father had built at the far edge of the maple woods near the top of a long hill that fell away toward Ascog.

It

This was a favorite retreat for Jud whenever he found time to be in the woods. He had slept there many a night in sap time and during the hunting season. was also his refuge in time of trouble. More than once he had gone into the little house and sat before the fireplace while he worked out problems that confronted him. He had not been to the cabin in weeks now, but he felt that perhaps if he spent a little while there he could make himself forget about his blues.

So he turned his footsteps in that direction and presently he had his hand upon the latchstring. He gave this a hard tug and bumped the door with his knee, and with a creak of rusted hinges it swung open.

Merry Christmas

But he did not go in. Instead he stood on the door sill and blinked. Then he passed his hand over his eyes and grinned.

"Aw, what's the matter with me-I must be going daffy about skates and snowshoes and things. I-I-Say, are they real? Nope, I'm dreaming they-theyWhy, goodness, they are real! And that sled-wow-big enough for four. Why what on earth-how-where? Why I can't believe my eyes."

For a moment the always rational Jud mistrusted his senses. But it was not a vision. There hanging on the walls of the sugar house was a pair of snow-shoes, and beside them the bulliest pair of hockey skates he had ever seen, fastened on regular skating shoes. And there, too, was a big sled, brand new, with paint and varnish shining.

Jud looked at them all and his face was a study. But as he realized the wealth of boys' things that were spread before him he became all excited. He pulled down the snow-shoes and examined them, and then he looked at the skates.

"Crackey," he exclaimed, "just my size, why-why-well, they must be for me. They are in my sugar house and-and-I wonder who's been playing Santa Claus to me! This is the finest ever!"

And as if he hoped to discover the person who left them there he hurried to the door with the skates in one hand and the snow-shoes in the other. But last night's virgin snow was unmarked by a single footprint, and Jud was thoroughly mystified. He turned back to the sled again.

"Look at that flyer. Why it's the dandiest I ever saw. What a Christmas present-wow-I'm going to try it."

And dragging the big sled out of doors he took it to the top of the hill and with a shout of joy he flung himself onto it. Down the hill he flew like the wind. On

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there are some Scouts from Ascog." Then he shouted:

"Hi-Hello!-Come on over -over here and try my sled. It's bully."

Four lads in scout attire had swung out of the woods at the foot of the hill and at Jud's invitation they started toward him. But the eager Jud couldn't wait.

"Oh, I wish you fellows had sleds here," he shouted enthusiastically as he hurried toward them. "This is the finest hill to coast on you ever saw." All of his blues were forgotten now and he was just a bundle of enthusiasm.

"Look! look!" he shouted.

"Look at

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"Yes, surely. The funniest thing you ever heard of," exclaimed the highly excited Jud, glad of a chance to tell someone of his good fortune. "Yes, this sled and skates and snow-shoes-and-andoh, they are the finest you ever saw. I can hardly believe it. You see it—ah—er, shucks, I'm all excited-well, we're sort of poor up at our house and I've been working like the dickens to get some Christmas presents for the kiddies. Of course I couldn't get anything for myself, and mother is too poor to get me any fancy things, and-and-well, it made me sort of blue. But I didn't dare show mother how I felt 'cause that would spoil her Christmas, so I just left the house and tried to walk my troubles off. I came out to our sugar house up there on the hill to think things over and, jingoes, I found the bulliest lot of presents waiting for me there that any boy ever put eyes on. The most mysterious thing I ever saw. But they must have been left for me by some sure-enough Santa Claus because this is

Christmas morning and-and-well, they were in my sugar house and no one ever goes there."

Jud finished all out of breath. And as for the Scouts, they looked at each other in the most surprised sort of a way.

"Yes, I was puzzled, too," went on Jud. "I can't hardly believe it, yet- Say, you fellows don't know anything about them, do you?"

For a moment the Scouts were silent. Two of them cleared their throats but did not speak. Then finally the tallest of them, the Patrol Leader, stepped forward. "It's the strangest thing I ever heard," he said.

"I can't make it out, either-say, won't you fellows take a coast?" exclaimed Jud, all enthusiasm again. "See, the sled is big enough for you four. Try it. I'll wait down at the bottom of the hill."

But the Patrol Leader smiled and shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, "but we can't stop. We're part of the Black Bear Patrol of Troop 1 from Ascog and we're out on a long hike. We'll see you some other time. Come on, fellows, fall in! Well, so long -Merry Christmas to you."

"Merry Christmas to you," answered Judd, and each member of the patrol acknowledged it with a peculiar smile.

On marched the Scouts, and Jud watched them until they turned down the valley toward Black River. But he did not see them pause when they were well hidden in the woods, nor did he know that when they were out of sight the big Patrol Leader turned and faced his three followers and said:

"I'm mighty glad none of you fellows balked when I said what I did. If you had said a word you would have spoiled the happiest Christmas that chap has ever had. And if I ever hear that any of you

Our Flag and Our National Anthem

tell him that we made his deserted sugar house our camp last Saturday, and that we left those things there so we could use them today, I'll-I'll-why, I'll just naturally beat up anyone of you who does it. We can all chip in for a new sled just as we did for that one, and I don't mind losing my skates, even though they are brand new."

"Jimminy," said another member of the patrol, "I sort of hate to part with my snow-shoes right now, 'cause I haven't

even had them on yet, but I guess dad will get me a new pair when I tell him what happened to these. Anyway, if he doesn't I'm glad that fellow got 'em."

"That's the bully spirit," said the other fellows.

"Let's wish him a Merry Christmas and keep right on hiking," said the smallest of the four.

"Ready!" shouted the Patrol Leader. "Fall in!" And off moved the unintentional Santa Clauses.

Our Flag and Our National Anthem ALL Scouts fly our national flag, but many of them, like many uninformed adults, do not lower it at sunset. It is considered a mark of disrespect

to allow the flag to fly throughout the night.

Flags hung against a wall should be straight or flat, not draped, and the union, or star field, should be in the upper left-hand corner to the observer if the stripes are horizontal, or in the upper right-hand corner if the stripes are perpendicular.

The hymn "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem; not by act of Congress, but by the recognition given it by the army and navy. Whenever it is played listeners should stand. Rise always for "The Star-Spangled

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