Worcester daily spy., 1872-12-28

/ UN sea or iaDQ. IN Tue preSeOce OI idlilu8 COdi
supplies, this consideration will one day assume
| first rate importance London Spectator
The Trials of Santa Claus.
AS TOLD BY HIMSELF.
| know | am considered a Jolly old fellow,
| with nothing 10 do but drive down chimneyS
| with a broad grin on my face, but have my
trials like all other saints aud sinners Is itnot
Christmas eve the whole year aroundi ihere is
| before and after, and if you think have jolly
| times then, YOU are mistaken. just now, it is
before, that worries me; / must have, before the
| 25th Of December, private consultations with at
least five millions of fathers and mothers, broth
ers and sisters, unces and aunts and cousins, TO
say nothing of husbands and wives, lovers and
friends; and this is no trife, assure YOU, when
you look at it seriously, as have 10 do.
Take as an example, the Rub6s-about an
average family. There is grandpa and grandma
Rubb 10 begin with, and aunt Melinda; then
there is papa and mamma Rubb, and Minnie
and Tom and Lottie and Harry and the baby,
besides Nora, the nurse, and Bridget, the COOK.
1t is easy enough to manage tue baby and the
two four and six wear ODDS; there are candies
and dolls, and block and picture books, and
Jumping jacks and Things OF that SOFT for them;
but think of grandpa RIbb! and Of aunt Melinda
How can know what viii! suit an old maid oil
fifty who can't have caps because she dies her
hair, and don't care ior bows and hooks, nor
pictures, nor portfolios, nor sugar plnms, nor
pin cushions, and who would he mortaly OF
Tended il | carried her a new dress or shawl, 'as
ii size was too poor TO clothe herselF' Papa
Rubb is almost as bad; he's had shaving paper
and slippers and dressing gown and family
Bible and penknile, and portm0naie, and
photograph album-lnd | should like TO know
what more you can do for man who never
reads, and cares nothing for pictures and pretty
things? 10 TACT, men are trying, both old and
Young ones; there are hosts of things 10 give
pretty wide awake young girls, but the men do
hoth mo most unapruuntaDlV A nd
| suppose there are at least fifteen thousand 10
be looked after this very minute! AMI an easy
time | have of it, forSooth! | should like 10
have you try it just for one year and see-thats
all!
Another trouble is, people hurry me so. Half
of my customers will Got do a single thing till
ten days before / am to load up, and then how
they do drive round, aud what hurries and wor-
ries and furries they do get iuto! want
little time to asSOrt my wares and get things
packed away INTO my bundle orderly and com
iortaby, and though can move as swiftly as
most people, ! should be good deal more
Saint like in my temper and department if | was
not knocked and nurried about so on the 23l
and oath Of December every year.
Agalu, ], beng a SAINT, am of high moral
principles. Judge then how l hang my head
and blush when some bright eyed young girl
brings me a cigar case, or brandy flask, or
pack of cards to take to some young man whom
| know--hough she doesn't--ls on the very
verge of ruinlng himself by smoking, drinking
or gambling2 Shall her tair hands help 10
push him over the precipice on which he stands
totterinep By law of my nature can never
refuse 10 deliver what is entrusted TO me, but
often long to cry out, "Forhearl you know not
what you do" More than once have | taken
case of "genuine Hollands" to man breaking
down by drink, or box Of "choice Havana TO
a youth whose nerves were air, ady all unstrung
bv excessive smoking, or set OF costly jewery
to a vile whose womauy purity was already
snled, if not destroyed by a 100 great love of
dress Yes, even CHRISTMAS gilt may bring
ruin to some poor soul.
Another terribly irving thing to a tender
hearted saint is to be compe led TO carry loads
of things 10 persons who don't want tbem-whO
are rather ANNOYED than pleased by their arrival,
and to go straight by many poor mans door
without leaving so much as single Stick OF
candy for the baby. Last wear, carried a solid
silver urn to rich Mrs, Fuller who, the moment
she saw it, turned up her nose and said: Gas il
| w8uted 10 he plagued with the care OF such
thing as thain How hate to be under obliga-
tions 10 that woman! and in going there had
to pass right by Mary Mnturn's door, and sue,
poor thing, lying there year in and year out,
with her curved spine, and not single pretty
thing in her room TO m AXE it cLeerul! If
could have only left her some warm flnuels, or
even dish of oranges! Yes, merry as am,
and beautiful and holy as is the work mostly
do, | have manv heartache when 20 empty
could be carried into sick rooms, such lovely
pictures and refreshing fruits, such dainty little
contrivances for ease and comfort, if only the
money, worse than wasted in some directions,
could be transferred to these!
And there is an after TO me, who stand be-
hind the scsnes. To go to the RabbS; last year,
we all chuckled over what we regarded as
the happiest day for grandpa-a beautiful,
gold headed ebony cane which was presented by
the younger members of the family forming a
procession, headed by Tom, and brought up by
baby tumhlinT round promiScuouSlv, yet vat.
antly holding on to the cane by his chubby
hands; the old man smiled and said: "Thankee,
thankee," good-naturedy enough, and we fan
cied we had for once achieved entire success !;
but as | am a living man, and | hope nobody
doubts that, that lovely CANE has been standing
IN the darkest, iurthest corner of the bed room
closet from that day to thus! After walking
nut 10 the gate with il, he said 10 grandma
Rubb ut don't feel natural, and went back
again to his old, knotty walnut stick and grand
| ma Rubb'S cap, which we all thought so pretty
and becoming, and which Minnie sat up TILL
midnight to finish eff, didn't feel "nalteral"
| either; so she shut it up in box and carried 1t
INTO the spare chamner bureau drawer, and
| has never locked at it since. Now, when have
Deen at the trouble of finding aud carrying
| things to people, / want they should be enjoved
| and used, and it hurts nv feelings to have them
| treated in this way Or course Ii docs.
As this is but sample OF what occurred in
one family, you may judge that ia million |
| have my trials. However am a happy fellow,
IN the main most of my patrons are loving
| and true hearted; most of my gifts are well
coined as offsprngs of genuine affection; and
| the children-God bless their merry hearts--are
| enough to keep a harder hearted saint than
| am in good humor from one end of the year to
| tue other
Only let me ask you TO make me always a
| blessing and never bane by giving to my
charge only precious things, hallowed by love
and sympathy, aud may each OF you dear
readers, find in your stockings just the thing
| may YOU lind also how much better ii Is 10 give
\ than 10 receive; and best of all, may He who
was born on Christmas day, draw near 10 each
aud every soul with choir of white robed
angels, chanting the old, yet ever new song
''Glory TO God in the highest; and on earth
peace good will toward meu"