East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-12-21
PETER PEPPER.
a CHRISTMAS STORY FOR YOUNG yrorrr.

1t was Christmas Eve, and the dfivs
ing snow-storm without promised
plenty Of nice sleighing for the next
day. A dozen young people, boys and
girls, of all ages from four TO tlIir.
teen, were seated around gorgeous
blazing log-fire, in IN old-fashioned
country fire place, telling stories,
cracking Gckory-nuts, eating raisins,
and drinking sweet cider, and, to use
their own language, they were having
ga jolly good time"
"Now, then, Archie, it's your turn"
they all exclaimed together; "wgve
every one told our story, and we've
left yours to the last, because we ex-
moot Il will be tls Le.&., -------------- ---------
.A--<s-A1l l. 4s----:l- -A--l-i- D1-...l-~-.s,
the oldest and biggest boy present
"I can tell you true story that hap
pened about five years ago; and amt
afraid to bet it's just as marvellous as
the strangest fairy story that's been
told tonight"
"a true story! o, Archie, begin!"
exclaimed q chorus Of voices and
taking good drink of cider, Archie
settled himself back in his chair with
the air Of veteran tale-teller, and
thus began:
"Well, you must know, when ]
was nine years old, went to spend
the Christmas holidays with an old
friend of fathers who lived in tho city.
His name was Clarke; and they had
boy about my age named Charles,
and another little fellow about three
or four. who could just speak plain,
named Frankie; he was as sweet n
child as ever was seen, and just as
cunning and full of fun as Kitten
And hadn't they splendid house,
though! What carpets, and beautiful
marble mantel shelves, and marble
topped tables, and such things for the
Christmas dinner. I'd seen lots of
turkeys, but / never saw such jolly
big fellow as was brought home there
for Christmas dinner; and more raj
sins and currants and sweetmeats than
would last us for month. Well, we
were allowed in the back parlor to
play on Christmas Eve, and there was
a great many of us--we were having
q party all to ourselves just like now
and Mr.. Clarke let us do Just as wo
had a mind, and Mrs. Clarke she was
very good to us, and didn't care how
much noise we made After we had
tired ourselves with raking things out
Of the ashes, and eating nuts and raj
sins, some one said, I" Suppose We play
hide-and- d-seek!" and away we all ran
to hide some up stairs and some
down stairs-all to make more fun in
finding us. At last the search began,
and it was more than half an hour
before we were all found. Then We
looked around and about to sec If we
oil were there, when suddenly Charlie
screamed out: Ha
"O, frankie! Where's Frankie?"
and sure enough, frankie was no.
where to be seen, and we had been
everywhere, up and down and in the
basement.
." He's gone to his mother and got
her TO hide him, me~here,' said one;
and then we all ran to Mrs Clarke,
and said we knew she was hiding him,
and she might as well give him up.
"He's not here said Mrs Clarke.
Charlie, where's your brother2'
Now, mother, don't you be mali
ing believe answered Charlie, laugh
ing We know you have him.
"But haven't seen him, Charlie;
he's hid somewhere, and we must find
him. Frankie-Frankie, dear, come
to mamma ; and Mrs Clarke ran out
of the room. mn and down stairs and
all ovcr the house calling him. frankie
didn't answer; Mrs Clarke screamed
for the servants, and she looked so
white and scared that / trembled all
over.
"Susan, have you got frankie
down stairs? Bring him to me-
He's not down stairs, maam. I
haven't seen him since he went into
the room with tire young gentlemen
Mrs Clarke fell right down on the
chair she was standing by; and it
made me shiver oil over to see her.
"'Mr. Clarke came into the room,
then, and ran up to her.
"What is it, Mary? Don't be
dear. Nothing could have
to the child he's in the
house somewhere. The little rogue
knows how to leck the doors, and he's
locked himself in some room,' and,
Mr.. Clarke, though he spoke so, look
cd almost as scared as his wife. He
ran up and down stairs, into every
room in the house, calling frankie.
and so did we all and thero wasn't
closet, or wardrobe, or corner in the
whole house, from the attic down to
the basement cellar, that we did not
look into, but no frankie anywhere.
Mrs Clarke sat shivering and shaking,
just for oil the world like person
with the ague, and hor face was as
white MS that wall and Mr.. Clarke
came in the room, and had to hold on
a chair to keep himself from falling.
hc stretched out his arm
towards an open window in the hall
that looked right over the yard, and
he said in an awful voice shall mover
forget:
so Godl My darling ohillp
" Mrs Clarke locked the way his
arm pointed, and her eyes seemed to
come clear out Of her head, they stared
SO then she gave scream that / often
dream at nights 1 hear again, and fell
down like dead. Before we could tell
what he was going to do Mr. Clarke
was out in the back yard, and several
of us followed him; but there was no
signs of frankie as we had been afraid
Of. He hadn't fallen out of that win
dow, and there wasn't another window
in the house open So we knew he
hadn't been killed that way, and he