Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-22
A NIGHT WITH SANTA CLAUS.

Nor very long ago, and not very far
from here, lived a little boy named Robby
Morgan. Now I must tell at once how
Robby looked, else how will you know
him if you meet him in the street? And
/ assure you that the boy-to whom such a
wonderful thing happenedi is soortR know
ing. Blue-eyed was Rob, and fair-haired,
and pug-nosed,-just the sweetest tribe,
his mamma said but that small nose had
a story of its own to tell 81 know I'm
only q mite of a nose on a mite of a boy,
but l won't be snubbed by any of you
long sharp fellows" If ever nose meant
to do its whole duty through thick and
thin, that little turn-up of Robs did.
There you nave my hero's face, N as
faces are but pictures of hearts,-untn peo-
pie grow up and teach their eyes n lips
to tell wrong stories,-you may know
about what kind of a boy Rob was. There
was a world of mischief and pluck, of
goodness and naughtiness, jumbled togeth-
er in that little heart; but after all there
was more t0ce than anything else,-love for
mamma and papa, Uncle George and
Santa Clausl Ali now we v come to
the story indeedl You know you often
nibble away at the crust of a piece of cake,
thinking ut isn't so very good after all"
until all at once you bite into a raisin so
we nave nibbled off the crust of my story,
and here we are among the Taisinsl Santa
Claus, childhood's blessed saint, to begin
With
Well, the day before Christmas, Rob
thought it would be Q fine thing to u
down Main Street and see what was going
on; so after dinner mamma put on his fun
cap and bright scarf, and filled his pockets
with crackers and cookies, telling him to
be very polite to Santa Claus if he should
happen to meet him.
Off he trotted, merry as a cricket, now q
skip, now a slide, longing to turn a somer-
set in the snow, yet fearing that the Re.
cording Angel, who keeps a sharp lookout
on little boys at Christmas time, might pop
out from a tree-box and convict him on
the spot. At every corner he held his
breath, half expecting to run into Santa
himself; but nothing of the sort happened,
and he soon found himself before the gay
windows of a o y-shop.
There he saw a spring hobby-horse, as
large as Shetland pony, all saddled and
bridled, too-lacking nothing, in fact, but
q rider. Robepressed his nose against the
glass, and tried to imagine the feelings OF
a boy in that saddle. He might have stood
there all day trying to conceive that bliss
had not a ragged little fellow pulled his
coat, piping out, +" Wouldn't you jist like
that pop-gun, mebbeP'
Catch me looking at pop-guns," said
Rob, shortly, feeling that their very men
ton was an insult to the hobby-horse but
when he saw how tattered the boys JACKIE
was, he said more softly, "P'raps you'd
like a cooky."
"Try me wunst,', said the shrin little
voice.
There was a queer lump in Rob's throa
as he emptied one pocketof its cakes and
thrust them into the dirty, eager hands
Then he marched down b street withou1
so much as glancing at that glorious steeC
again.
Brighter and brighter grew the windows
more and more full of toys, till at last GU
boy stood, with open eyes and mouth, be
fore a great store lighted from top to bot
tom, for it wa growing dark. Rob cam
near taking off his cap and saying, "Hov
do you do, sir?"
To whom? you ask why, to an imag
of Santa Claus, the size of life, holding
Christmas-tree filed with wonderful fruit
1t would nave puzzled a painter to fin,
colors as bright as Rob's eyes and cheek
were e Soon a happy thought strucl
him "Surely this must be Santa Claus
own store, where he comes to fill his bas
ket with toysI Whatzif 1 were to hid
there and wait for hfm?" As / said, b
was a brave little chap, so he walke
straight into the store with the stream o
big people. Everybody was busy; man
mas were looking at playthings, papa
were pulling u their purses, clerks wer
tying up parcels, and errand-boys wer
Scamp6r10g 10 anu lFO ASH tnCy nHu lOS
their wits, and were bent on finding then
No one had time to look at our mite of
Rob. He tried in vain to find a quiet CO
ner, till he caught sight of some windin
stairs that led up to the next story. ii
crept up, scarcely daring to breathe till b
reached the top.
What a fairy-landi Toys everywhere
Oceans of toysl Nothing but toysl e1
cepting one happy little boyl This wa
the wholesale department.
Rob came nearer losing his wits tina
ever in his life before and indeed l thin
such a playroom excuse enough. Thin
of fifty great rockiRg-horses in a pile; {
whole flOcks of woolly sheep and curl
dogs, with the real bark in them stack
of drums; regiments of soldiers armed t
the teeth; companies of firemen drawin
their hose-carts no end of w~heelbarroW
and velocipedes!
Rob screwed his knuckles into his eye
as a gentle hint that they had not bette
play him any tricks, and then stared wit
might and main.
The room was lighted just bright
enough to show-its treasures, yet the fl
corners were so dim as to give quite a my
FERROUS air to the b~',J>iumpers and gre,