The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-22
SANTA CLAUSS COUSIN.
1iY MISS CAMILLA WILLIAM.

SI00u at the Gu5G VI tu0 BlcdSdub
town of Bingen, IN the State Of
well, no matter what. But, 1t was a
beautiful State, and Bingen was
beautiful town. Moreover, so ex-
cesdingly fine and pleasant IS every
thing connected with this story, the
house l have mentioned was one of
the most delightful houses that could
possibly be lived In, with square
rooms all over it, and not single
little Granny side-roOm from top to
bottom. 1t had big chimneys, and
freplaees, and great entries from side
to side of the house, and a porticO at
one end, and piazza at the other.
TO cap the climax, there was the
prettiest pair of twins In that house
that ever lived in any house, | don't
care wnere it may be.
the names of these twins were
Lutte aid Sadie Ellis. There were
other children in the family, six older
ones, almost grown up, and baby
younger; but we don't care r4uch
about them now. Our business is
with the twins.
Lutte and Sadie were eight years
old. and a month and a day beside, at
the time | shall tell Of; and the next
day was going to be Christmas.
It was a beautiful afternoon, If it
was cold: and our little girls had been
out Sliding. They had such a delight
full tine, sitting on the heels of their
boots, and sliding down over the hard
crust Of the snow on a little hill at
the back of the house, and tumbling
heels over head at the bottom, that
they forgot all about supper. The
sun was setting, and the red light it
threw made the snow-erust look pink,
and set the windows of all the houses
glittering like fire, and made the
yane at che top of the church spire
near By so bright that it was like
another sun up ihere in the shape of
a haIf-folded fen, dazzling your eyes
to look at. Nor did the two children
escape the rosy light. Their red
cheeks were redder, the lovely brown
hair that ESCAPED from their crimson
hoods shone In every wave and turn;
and as to the crimson hoods them
selves, they we're as bright as Goals of
FIRE, If the children had but known
it.
So. with all this fun and shine,
they would have lost their supper if
their Uncle Tom had not come out to
the back door. an, putting his hands
up about his mouth to round the
sound out loud, shouted to them at
the very top of his voice to come in.
They went Immediately; not be-
cause they wanted to, but because
Uncle Tom had just come from far
away to make them q visit, and it
wouldn't do to be impolite to him.
So in they went, rosy and glowing,
and breathless, but with cold toes
and fingers; only they didn't mind
that. The whole family gathered
around the supper-table, and the sun
set looked in and turned everything
red. Even the delicious white bread
looked as if it had been STEPPED in
strawberry juice; and as to the chill
dren's cheeks, cherries were nothing
to them
They didn't say much during sup
per, They let the older folks talk,
and they, ate, finding themselves
hungry, low they came to think of it.
Besides. they liked to hear Uncle
Tom tell stories; for he was a sailor,
and had been everywhere on earth.
l don't know but he had been to the
moon. His face looked like the man
in the moon, round, bright and laugh
ing. | shouldn't be surprised if he
21eFe the man Ia the moon, only he
didn't come down bit too soon. He
came ut the right time to q I.
[ say that the twins didn't talk
much during supper. Ln fact, they
said only one word, at the very end
of supper. Then they both started,
looked up from their plates, cried out,
"0l" and, jumping out of their
chairs, ran to the window.
And there, Just outside, aud facing
them, stood a man with hand-organ.
and a little girl with a tambourine
They made the most splendid music,
those two; though the hand organ
seemed to have a bad cold, and missed
note here and there, and once in a
while made an awful squeal by mis-
take. But for all that the music was
glorious, and the twins almost looked
their eyes out of their heads, and
listened their ears off. You see,
hand-org2ns didn't come that way
very often.
After a while, the little girl outside
came up to the window, and held out
her tambourine; and Uncle Tom ran
the window up and threw some money
into it.
Wont you give US some support?
asked the little girl, in pititul tones
Yes, come right int said Mrs
Ellis.
They came in, a tired-looking old
man, aud tired, thin little girl; and
they got good supper for nothing.
Then the man said:
- Haven't you a shed where we can
sleep? 1 am tired and poor, and
don't know where to CO."
Mr.. Ellis spoke up at that, anC
said that the organ-player could sleep
in the loft Of the wOodshed, where
there was a good bed. But thai
poor little girl can't sleep there, he
. Every room in the house is full,
said Mrs. Ellis,
Lutte thought a moment, then whls.
pered to her mother that the child
might have q bed made up on the
floor Of hers and Sadie's room.
Are you willing to have hel
there?" their mother asked, smllingly
and they said yes"
So after a while they had some
more music, then some cider and
apples, then the little ones went to bed
and were presently fast asleep, frs
having hung up their stockings, since
Santa Claus might come, and making
their visitor hang hers up too. Inc
little stranger-Marie, her name wa
had nice bed close to the twins
aud they gave her one OF their pillows
and laid their two heads on the other
with their pretty faces close together
and the blankets drawn up to thel
very noses.
By-and By all the house was ASLEEP