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That was about as far as Christm- hml progressed in the rural portione of northeast New England at that time, although we had begun to hear= of Christmas-trees in the cities. We had been meditating and preparing that trip to Begdad for a week or more, and we set 03" ‘3 secretly with a horse and pang. In the pang was a bushel basket containing not less than twenty old socks and stockings, many of them much darned, but all clean, and all stuffed with candies, rolls of lozenges, maple sugar and rab- ine. These and many more ofi'eringp: in the name of St. Nicholas were not all intended, as may be guessed, to be of a. complimentary nature. The pung moved vexy quietly, for the bells had been removed lrom the shafts and the snow was soft. We drove by a roundabout route for about five miles, until we entered a. tract of hemlock woods, on the far that border of which stood a small schoolhouse. Not far from the schoolhoase, on. the side of our approach, a lumber road diverged from the highway. It- was used for drawing hemlock logs to a neighbning sawmill. Here we turned 06', and after proceeding ten or twelve rods into the woods, hitched our horse and carefully blanketed him, for the night was frosty and shat-r. Then we took our baskets on our shoulders, walked back to the road, and after listening a moment and giving a careful glance up and down, nude for the Bagdsd schoolhouse. IV- 80 mutiied up were we that it would not have been easy by star» lightto make out what or who we ‘ were; but the larger boy was ed- deeted as “ Add,” another as 'Willie; I wee the third. Each of no wore two grentcontl, fur cups pulled down over our __ ears, and knit comforters to keep? warm on our night ride. Add hnd nieo decanted himself with n long whit. berthâ€"quite n primitive nfl‘eir, only the tnil of n white hornâ€"which hung down in front of his cont. '1th hie idea of St. Nick. At tint time we hove never teen the ohnrecter pol-Ion. utod. wwâ€"u The fact. we: duet there were old more: to be eettled between us end the Bagdad boys.“ _ ‘ ‘ . “1..."- h, __ A deep valley and wooded mountain separated the two school districts, and although the distance acrou wua not. more than two miles to travel from one schoolhouse to the other, the jargon $183205 them me nearly five miles. We used that in the winter only. During the rest of the year we crossed on foot by a path over the We knew all the boys in Begded very well; they outnumbered us, and were unfriendly; but the girls were pleasant acquaintances. We had hung May; baskets to a number of them the previous spring, and had been hotly chased over the mountain by a strong party of the boys, who threatened un- pleesnnt proceedings if they caught us. ,L'At Ln-L :1. r61? gall-groun‘aed belief Em it would be better not to be caught led to the caution in our movements above noted. J. H. SOOTHERAN. Esaafignadsa Nevertheless, two days previously, Add had visited the Banded school one afternoon for an hour for motives of his own; but he took mete enter after echoolhadbeencalledto order,a.nd to‘ tokeleave beforetheboyehadbeen .12, ”m°°“m“’ '°"°°"'°m“'““ ‘ in m It fit; We ate-ed without Meaty. A flint III-e fl vet-nth um lingered Eh; Gunman gm, maxim TO LOAN CATCHING SANTA CLAUS. LINDSAY, FRIDAY, DEC. 21, __â€"â€" Id sons nmoomzq IOBNAG“ 031.031). J. E Sootnarm moo mt, Bunker sud Bank“. 9‘ Kent WLLW- _ far as Christmas W} Portions of this advice were not wholly bed, but the spirit in which it we offered was certainly not to be com mended. If we had limited our attentions that night to the Bugdad schoolhouse, we might heve escaped undetected; but there were three girls, sisters, named Thomu,â€"-Myrtle, Edith and Leela,â€" very attractive the boys thought them, -- ,_,-- -_ “Better skip those hard words, Mer- rick. I’ve been lurking to you for some time. Remember there’s a land where the candy is all hard and yellow, Merrick. Here’s a stick of it for you. Take a sniff ut it now and then.” J “Quit ofi‘ tobacco, Tim Jackson. Takeabite off this turnip once in a while; it will sweeten your breath.” The roll of brimtone was for a. some- what profane youth named America. Robbins. It was wrapped in a piece of pgper on_which was written : ,,___.I- It..- “Here’seifiig’s tail for you; Rufus Eastman. That is all you will get from me this year, for they say you were saucy at the schoolmistreas last summer. Try and behave yourself better next yamâ€"St. Nick.” - “Pray do build a. bigger chimney at yourhouse, Minnie Wilkins. I’m gett- ing too stout tocmwl down such a nar- row armâ€"Your afl'ectionste Sc. Nick. "he old bâ€"oet; were for the boys, and the notes were not intended to please. - Iflease burn out your chimney, M yrs Edes. All full of soot. Couldn’t get: down at all.” He was just lowering the first stock- ing when we hesrd sleigh bells, and saw a team oomingslongtheroed from the direction of the schoolhouse. In the sleigh, as we learned afterward, were Tim Jackson and‘Roeooe Psrmenter, on their way home from a. young folks’ party a. few miles distant. I Willissnd Ilsylowon theellroof, and-easily escaped observation. Add sheltered himself behind the big chim- ney, andwasnot seen_till after they “Tried to get. down your chimney, and couldn’t, Amy Euunm. Fire was too hot. Had to come to the school Imus-n N'mmr should keep a. fire house. Neva should keep Christmas night.â€"St. N i‘c-k." who lived Ibout o quot-her of o from the schoolhouse in 5 huge, ono‘ltony hour, flanked by bums seven! outbqjjgipga. Add snd Willis conceived the bold scheme of henging three of the best tilled stocking; down the chimney of this house. he nrrungement of sheds end roofs we: such as toinvite e boy to climb to the top. The chimney did not rise much above the ridge-pole, end it would be easy to let down the stockings into the fire-piece of the sitting-room, where they would be discovered on kindling a fire the following morning. We accordingly started for the Thomas plsce. It was now about two o’clock in the morning. No one was astir. The house was dark. We climbed on the roof of a shed. where Willisnnd I stopped and passed up the stockings and lines to Add, who had mounted to the roof of the house. shout the stove. snd opening the door, we rsked fotwsrd s few bright oosls snd wsnned our fingers. Add then lighted the lsntern which wehsd brought, sad we proceeded to deoorste Begdsd. The seste were benches, with long, breed desks behind the beaks, snd shelves undernesth (or the books. Add hsd obeerved during his call when sll the older boys snd girls sst. Benesth the ehelves of their respective seats plump etockinge of con- fectionnry were hung to many of the girls, with befitting notes attached. Add wse s good bend at each efforts. I still remember some of them. had Mvhen onoofthgm Inppeneii *0 look husband espied St. Nick stand- invesihfihfihifllwi . ' “inhay hsdhsiledereslled out, we might perhaps have escaped; but they and nothing, and we supposed that theyhsdsesnnothing. In fact, they didnotkné’wwhattothinkof theoir- Wstwfim but as they drove ‘olitheymismmtsdthat some misohmf vusnfoot â€"â€"â€"â€"' '1uniniuuutuuxim11.1mm“minimum-Lu: of s mile They were msking good time, too, but Willis and I lost none of our lead. We reached the schoolhouse, and with- out stopping to get the baskets, dashed around a bend into the woods. In the shadows of the hemlock-twee we passed out of sight of our pursuers, and turning in at the lumber road, hsd The pursuing party saw us an we emerged upon the road, and chased m. Then Merrick Robbins called out, “Here aint all of them!” and with some of llm others turned back tosearch the Thomas premises, while Rufus Eastman and three others continued to run aft r us. At length the boys wemt awayfand as soon as Add deemed it sate he made his escape and hurried down the road. He supposed that the whole party had been chasing him, and that we had es- caped to the pung and were waiting for him in the woods, On aearching the schoolhouse, he went in to see if we had taken the bukets and found that we had not. He set them together, and was on the point of coming out at the door with them when he heard voices, and caught sight of Rufus and the others now just returning along the road from their chaseafterus. They had run outer beyond the lumber road, and when they gaveup the pursuit"h_ad rested to re- cover breath. They were now return- the sotisfuotion of heoring them run put us. We sat down in the pnng to suit for Add. - Meantime Merrick and the others, with the Thomuee, were searching the sheds end buns. Early in the hubhub, however, Myrtle Thoma discovered the stockings in the tire- laoe. and both she and the others imm istely guessed that their nocturnsl yisitors were not dangerous. -- II 1 ".<H‘ - â€" w- The alarm terminated in much laugh- ter, but they continued searching; and Add, lying flat on the woodpile, heard 3 great many comicul remarks. Once they came into the woodhouse with n lantern, and one of the boys threw several billets of wood on top of the tiers where Add lay, but he did not stir and they presently went out again. into the woodhouse, and hastily took refuge on the well piled tiers of stove- REV. R. TROTTER. with Ben and Merrick Robbins, at once turned out, and as Add was msking fast the last of the strings to s brick on the chimney-top, the whole party and- denly appeared up the road, and shout- ed st the top of their voices. We were caught. The road was the only avenue of escspe, for the fields were covered with a foot and a. half of snow. "Run for the pung !” whispered Willis; and we dropped off the ell roof into a drift of snow in front of it and ran. Add did not follow us, but darted â€"'â€"V‘ Afier a glance to make sure that. they were the enemy, and not his com- panions, Add drew back into the little shed or porch of the echoolhouee. and gently cloned the outer door. He then PASTOR BAPTIST CHURCH. ’ " $11$$1fi$1111$1.\1\1m\‘L‘u'L‘Lxx‘LI‘t‘LI'L1311\‘L' Q . .'.TL‘. . . Add told us 3" shout. it thermal. Ho m a prilonor in the duh little loft. His jlileu kindled t fire in the stove md kept mesh from the vind ow, expecting the owner- of the baskets to come back and he ought. They unused themulmâ€"und Add â€"tolling whut they would do with the ma. By the duylight the! were ell hungry, 3nd leeving one of that nnmber to keep the fire sud sweep the room they went home to breakfast. ‘ One of the boys we: to bring the solitary watcher eomething to net et school timeâ€"for et thet time, Christ men was not e school holidey with us. Add now considered if he would not come down from the loft. overpower the guard and eecepe, but he won afraid he would be recognized end shendoned Shortly before nine o'clock the scholars assembled. When the girls begsntofindtho stocking: 0t confec- tionery under their dash, sad the boys to read the advice 'm then in the old boots. there was a. hubbnb, but Add hard enough to repoy him for being where he was. I "n; ‘12-}. n But he we not home when ween-iv- ed, nor did he appear later in the morn- ing. Willis Ind I wene obliged to explain his absence u beet. we could, and some little nnxiety begun to be felt. concerning him. “fie ErTs'anIfiI-‘iaed “St. Nick,” whom some of them declued they knew to be Add. Tim Thomng girls “'W'b; linid‘lieoomo 0t Add we had little idea, but we surmised tliut. he might. have escaped by wine was called the “north roud,” lending ground from Bugdad to our district. Add heard every word. He m trapped and he knew it. Mealtime, Willis and I 4nrned the team, and drove slowly out of the lumber road to the highway. After waiting awhile,Wi|lin went. on foot along themed to the bend near the schoolhouse, and while watching then, saw Merrick and four or live 0 her: coming, at. a run, along the read. Thinking that. another Inn-unit. we: to be made, he ran to the pun: and we drove ofi'us fast. as we could. They “8th Hutches IV we alluvu and examined the baskets, end then looked in the woodshed and in the dark corners of the room, “We've scared ’em 03,” said Rufus, “but they will be back after their baskets before morning1 _We must lay Add namely 'dmd move :11 than time. Be 183‘ on two boards which were phoed across the sending- to which thehths sud plaster of the coil- "Um“ Wu"; u.- â€"â€" ___- :1 feet. he bud barely time to dnw himself up when they entered, noisily, and discovered the when. Excite- ment reigned agmn. They lighted mtches at the stove and examined the baskets, and then Imlmd in the woodshed and in the dark ing were afixed. It. became very nun up there, for throw a. hotfire in the above below. The best undo the boy drowsy in its whim-9113i: m du-k tndhohul ufirfll nighu He I)“. vqu n .â€" baskets before morning. We must lny a plan to catch ’em. Luke, you run back and get Merrick and the other-g. We’ll stay here and watch. ‘ u- _- uvv- . So the perils of the night were not ended. Add stepped quickly on one of the benches, reaching n little scuttle in the ceiling of the room, pushed it open and raised himself by mnin etnogth through the hole. He knew the boys would come in and strike n light. door. 7 ~ ' So the perils of the night we ended. Add stepped qxgekly on Genet-my Add mogood Wt. buthilvriuhodbeon upgha flashlight. Ho Ind Med porch door, and just a the wrong mo- ment it [runs portly open. AI Rufus sud the other boys were pom; they noticed that it was aju- _ -. 8‘4 E 78" “How camo‘ tint duo them aid. “I’ll bet th been in the ochoolhou” firmed mg“? @‘fi'm' ”“ M LERS I -â€" v-Jâ€"vâ€" tint door open 1" one 0f ’11 but than MP 1"" nine o'clock the FRIDAY. DECEMBER 21, 1894. THE P08 T from now to January [‘6' for £1.00 Don’t waste your time chasing from store h store. but God direct to GOUGH BROS. for a feast of Bargains. We sell three times more than :3qu house, have the best styles of the most prominent makers, and if you have been looking for something which you have failed to get elsewhere, come to GOUGI'I'emand a; g. OUR HALF PRICE, OVER-PRODUCTION SALE, has been left behind and the price-peg goes down a notch lower. “Let Bygones be Bygones.” The very climax of successiul buying has been attained by stupendous Mone -Saving chances ofi'ered us, until now, with an establishment filled to overflowing with an assortment unequalled by any retail house in the Dominionâ€"BARRING NON Eâ€"we emphatically predict for the next Thirty days the heaviest sale ever known in Always straining every effort to merit most liberal business methods 5 NOW WE GO ONE BETTER! - doz. WhiEe Embroidered mu: :1 dkerchiefs aqgh’ngrIQBeater All W901 Soc Ribbed TOD .. u-o_-| r-_4l.~._ I--I_.n.. “I. (I OVEBCOATS, ULSTERS, DRIVING COATS, WINTER UNDER- WEAR, GENTS’ FURNISHINGS, GENTB' Men's Heavy Twill Cotton Night Robes, Men's Silk and Satin Ties. {our-in-hand add Knots, were Men's Fancy Ringwood Gloves. worth 40c, Men's Linen Hendkerchiefs hem-stitched . Men's Heavy Underwear. were 25c, . Men's Heavy All Wool Underwear. were 50c, . Men’s Heavy O. K. Wool Underwear - so (102.? ongee Silk Handkerchiefs, hem stitched. 25 doz. White Embroidereg _Sil_k Hapdkgehiefs. . Men’s Men’s Men's Men’s Men’s Men's Men’s Boys' Boys’ Boys’ Boys’ 4o doz. Dominion Seaiette Caps, - - . aoo Imitation Caps, - - - iron 2 doz. Persian Lamb Caps. were $5, - . - r. 50 Victoria Wedges, were $4.50, - n FURNISHI .NG-S. G'ough xo doz. Men ’3 WorldBeater All Woo: socks. Ribbed '1 o '5 All Wool Cudignn Jackets. warp: $1.25. 25 Wombat Fur Coats. were $19.50, 30 Black Goat, were $17.50. - 25 (102. §ealette Calms, qukeys. Men’s Auburn Mills Worsted Suits, were $9.50, Men's Auburn Mills All Wool Suits, were $8.00, Men's Yorkshire Tweed Suits, were $7.50, - Men’s Canadian Tweed Suits, were $6.50, - Boys' Auburn Mills Suits, were 97, . - Boys' Blue Serge Suits, were 36, - - Boys' Scotch Tweed Suits, were $9, - Boys’ Canadian Tweed Suits, were $3.50, - ANOTHER OUT, ANOTHER SLASH, ANOTHER SACRIFICE, “LET BYGONES BE BYGONES.” DOWN 00 THE PRIGES! -mrvâ€" -v- Cape Overcoats, were $10. Tweed Ulsters, were $10, - Beaver Overcoats, were $10.50, Frieze Ulsters were $8.50, - Worsted Overcoats, were $9.50 Nap Overcoats, were $7.50, Frieze Ulsters, were $2, - Elape 'OQefcoais, were $5. - Tweed Overcoats, were $4.50, , Tweed Cape Overcoats, were. $2.90, Imported UlstAcrs. weri $15, CAPS AN’D FURS- The Ceaseless Toilets for the People, To Stimulate the Holiday Trade. OVEBGO._A.'I'S- “LET BYGONES BE BYGONES." FUR AND FELT HATS. ”(TITS- your patronageâ€"forcing down prices am so as to bring contort within the reach of :25C “Ch: 5-10 3 (1 using the 2. E. r- now $9 00 now 5 5° now 5 00 now $5 00 now $4 9° now $4 5° now $3 5° now $4 00 now $3 9° now $2 75 now now now npw nbw 110wa ‘25 now for 25¢ for 15:: now 19: now 35C 40 and 60c 35C $5 90 $5 00 $4 75 $3 90 0 M Mt qual D lnohhutqnali 63., for. . . 'ahllfi. team ‘ Inn Ming lat Qlfllty Cr: Flick Linen. hm Linens [Ace Varmint. hoe Carmina, Luce Curtnlnn. Lace Curtain.- Luce Curtain-I. : Qufllty Chenille yard: by 1 i yard! ‘fi Boat (2'1 Insular x OMETHIN PECIAL moo: nun-uni W‘nmoat given by the I Ops. on Tuesday evening 14 success. Thu uohool n ydooonued wiche r: with here and there . bnu "Grey Wool Flam "GmWool Flaunt ”n Wool Gr. y Flux: first .11 Wool Grey 1 ' Bout Qutllty A1 Guys ............ “and beat 2'54 lm Mo] ..... -. - mtm _\' FlannPI-u iqnucy 40 Inch : Ho Inch Vesta Di 3 Bunch and Gem min 81 00 atu III: 891!) Dress 1" Potorboro E Winter Drags was and Sex * told Heavy S: Irina French Se SAY. I IKE TS DRESS d CURTAIN“ PLAD N ELS. CAB PETS TWEED an RIM reduced