Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-12-23
SANTA CLAUS, COUSIN.
BIZ MISS CAMILLA WILLIAM.

square, OLD fashioned uouso tn"e osooa a.
the edge of the pleasant town of Blngen.
in the State of-well, no matter what !.
But, it was beautiful State, and Blngen
was beautiful town. Moreover, so ex-
ceed;ngly fine and pleasant is everything
connected with this story. the house L
have mentioned was ono of the most de-
lightful houses that could possibly be
lived in, with square rooms all over it.
and not single little crampy side room
from top to bottom. 1t had big CHM
neys, and ireplaces, and great entries
flom 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
where it may be.
The names of these twins were Lutte
and Sadie Ellis. There were other child
rem in the family, six older ones, almost
grown up, and baby younger; but we
don't care much about them now. Our
business is with the twins.
Lutte and Sadie were eight years old,
and a month and dav besides, at the
time l shall tell Of; and the next day
was going to be Christmas.
1t was beautiful afternoon, If it was
cold; and our little girls had been out
sliding. They had such delightful
time, sitting on the heels OF their boots.
and sliding down over the hard crust of
the snow on little bill at the back of
the house, and tumbling heels over head
at the bottom, that they forgot all about
supper. The san was settirg, and the
red light it threw made the snow crust
look pink, and set the windows of all
the houses gIittering like fire, and made
the vane at the top of the church spire
near by SO bright that it was like anoth
err sun up there in the shape of a half
folded fan, dazzling your eyes to look at,
Nor did the two children escape that
rosy light. Their red cheeks were red
der, the lovely brown hair that escaped
from their crimson hoods shone 10 every
wave and turn; and as to the crimson
hoods themselves, they were 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 I'm
Gle Tom had not come out to the back
door, and, 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 because
they wanted TO, but because Uncle Tom
had Just come from far away to make
them visit, and it wouldn't do TO be
impolits to him.
So in they went, rosy AMI glowing,
and breathless, but with cold toes and
fingers; only they didn't mind that.
The whole family gathered around the
er.table, and the sunset looked in
and turned everything red. Even the
delicious white bread looked as if il had
been stepped in strawberry juice; and as
to the chldren's cheeks, cherries were
nothing TO them.
They didn't say much during supper.
They let the older folks talk. and they
ate, finding themselves hungry, now they
came to think of it. Besides, they liked
to hear Uncle Tom tell stories; for he
was sailor. and had been everywhere
on earth. don't know but he had been
to the moon. His face looked like the
man in the moon, round, bright and
laughing. | shouldn't be surprised if
he were the man in the moon, only he
didn't come down a bit too soon. He
came at the right time to I.
say that the twins didn't talk much
during supper. In fact, they said only
one word, at the very end of supper.
Then they both started, looked up from
their plates, cried out cor and jump
ing out of their chairs, ran to the win
dow.
And there, just outside, and facing
them, stood man with a hand-organ,
and little girl with a tambou rine-
They made the most splendid music,
those two; though the hand organ SEEM
ed TO have bad cold, ard missed note
here aud there, and once in while
made an awful squeal by mistake. 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-organs didn't come that
way very often.
After while, the little girl outside
came up to the window, and held out
her tambourine; and Uncle Tom ran
the window up aud threw some money
into it.
Wont you give us some supper"
asked the little girl, IN pitiful tones.
"Yes, come right inr' said Mrs. FL
lis.
They came n, tired Hooking old
man, and a tired, thin little girl; and
they got good supper for nothing.
Then the man said:
Haven't you shed where we can
sleep? | am tired and poor, and don't
know where 10 GO"
Mr.. Ellis spoke up at that. and said
that the organ-player could sleep in the
loft of the woodshed, where there was a
good bed. "But that poor little girl
can't sleep there" he said.
Every room in the house is full"
says Mrs. Ellis.
Lutte thought q moment, then wills.
pered to her mother that the child might
have bed made up on the floor of her