Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-02-04
Uncle Jolly.
BY FANNY FERN.

=.. BY FANNY FERN.
aWell, declared here it is, New Years
morning again, and cold as Greenland, too, y
said uncle Jolly, as he poked his cotton
night.cap out Of bed frost an inch thick
on the windows, water all frozen in the
pitcher, and l an old bachelor. Heigho! no
body to give any presents to-no little feet
"A Happy New Year, Miserable piece OF
business! Wonder what ever became of that
sister Of mine who ran off with the poor
artist? Wish she'd turn up some where with
two or three children for me 10 love and pet
Heigh-ho! It's miserable piece OF busl-
ness to be an old bachelor"
And Uncle jolly broke the ice in his basin
with his frost-nipped fingers, and buttoned
his dressing-gown tightly to his chin; then
he went down stairs, swallowed cup OF
coffee, an egg, and slice of toast. Then he
buttoned his surtout snugly up over them,
street.
Such crowd as there was buying New
Years presents. The toy-shops were filled
with grandpas and grandmas, and aunts and
uncles and cousins. AS to the shopkeepers,
what with telling prices, answering forty
questions in minute, and doing up parcels,
they were as crazy as bachelor tending a
crying baby.
Uncle Jolly slipped along over the icy
pavements: and finally halted in front OF
Tim Nonesuch's toy-shop. Yoa should have
seen his show-windows! Beautiful English
dolls at five dollars apiece, dressed like
Queen Vic's babies, with such plump little
shoulders and arms that one longed to pinch
'em; and tea-se,s, and dinner-sets, cunning
enough for fairy to keep house with. Then,
there were dancing Jacks, and jumping
Jennys, and "Topsys,r and "uncle Toms, '
as black as the chimney back, with wool
made of raveed black stocking. Then,
there were little work. boxes, with gold
thimbles and bodkins, and scissors in Grim.
son velvet cases, and snakes that squirmed
so naturally as TO make you hop up on the
table to get out of the way, and little inno-
cent looking boxes, that contained splry
little mouse, that jumped into your face the
moment you raised the lid, and music boxes
to place under your pillows when you had
drunk too strong a cup of green tea, and
viniagrettes that you could hold to your nose
to keep you from fainting when you saw a
dandy. Oh! can tell you that Mr.. None
such understood keeping toy-shop; there
were plenty of carriages always in front OF
it, plenty Of taper fingers pulling over his
wares, and plenty of husbands and fathers
who returned thanks that New Years didn't
come euery day!
g Don't stay here, dear Susy, if it makes
you cry" said the elder of two little girls
thought you said it would make you happy
TO come out and look at the New Years
presents, though we couldn't haue any" =
II did think so," said Susy "but it
makes me think of last New Years, when
you and lay cludded together in our little
bed, and papa came creeping up in his
slippers, thinking we were asleep, and laid
our presents on the table, and then kissed US
both and said "God bless the darlingsw
Oh! Katy-all the little girls in that shop
have their papas with them. / want my
papa" and little Susy laid her head on
Katy's shoulder and sobbed as if her heart
were breaking.
"Don't dear Susy," said Katy, wiping
away her own tears with her little pinafore;
"don't cry-mamma will see how red your
eyes are-poor, sick, tired mamma-don't
cry, Susy.n
"Oh, Katy, can't help it. See that tall
man with the black whiskers, (don't he look
like papa 2 kissing that little girl. Oh !
Katy" and Susy's tears flowed afIesh.
Uncle jolly couldn't stand it any longer;
he rushed into the toy-shop, bought an arm
full Of playthings heter-skelter, and ran after
the TWO little girls.
"Here, Susy! here Katy said he, "here
are some New Years presents from Uncle
Jolly"
"Who is Uncle Jolly?"
.Well, he's uncle to all the poor little
children who have no kind papa"
Nov, where do you live. little pigeons?
got far to go?-toesall out of your shoes
here in January? Don't like it-my toes
amt out my shoes;-come in here and let's
see if we can find any thing to CO, er them.
There, now, fitting them both to pair,)
that's something like; it will puzzle Jack
Frost to find your toes now Cotton clothes
on? / don't wear cotton clothes come in
here and get some wooden shawls. Which
do you like best, red, green, or blue e-plaids
or stripes, hey? t.s
"Mother won't like il %
"Don't talk to me ;-mothers don't gen.
orally scratch peoples eyes out for being
kind to their little ones I'll take care Of
that, little puss. Uncle Jolly's going home
with you. How do know whether you
have got any dinner or not? Ihave got a
dinner-you shall have dinner, too. Pity
if l can't have my own way-New Years
aIAat your home? p-h-e-w! I dom.
know about trusting my old bones up those
rickety stairs-old bones are hard to mend !;
did you know that %
Little Susy opened the door, and Uncle
jolly walked in,-their mamma turned her
head, then with one wild cry of joy threw
her arms about his neck, while Susy and
Katy stood in the doorway, uncertain
whether to laugh or cry.
sCome here, come here" said Uncle
Jolly; ~ didn't know was near the truth
this morning when called myself your
Unele Jolly; didn't know what made my
hear. leap 80 when saw you there in the
street. Come here, l say; don't you ever
shed another tear You see DON'T" and
Uncle Jolly tried 10 smile, As he drew his
coat sleeve across his eyes. s. ia.e.
.Wasnt that merry New Years night
in Uncle Jolly's little parlof Wasn't the
fire warm and bright! Were not the tea
cakes nice! Didn't Uncle Jolly make them
eat till they had tightened their apron
strings! Were there toes ever ont of their
shoes again? Did they wear cotton shawis