Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-01-04


on whole row of dolls
for she had the latest fashions for them,
if not for herself--a bright idea occur
red to him. What he wanted to do
was to go with his father Christmas
eve to carry the presents to the child
rem but be knew this would not be
permitted. The year before he had
accomplished it, for he hid himself
among the bags and buffalo robes in
the sledge, and his father never found
him until they reached Vermont, and
there was no hope for HIM this Christ
mas, for he knew the sledge would be
well searched before his father started.
Still he did not despair; and as he lay
In his bed this night it flashed across
his mind that he might take the deer
and sleigh some night before Christ
mas and have a little trip of his own.
tie was now acting upon this idea and
and so, when he had finished
packing the bags, and PIE
pairing every thing necessary, he
smelled seal steaks cooking, and, com
ing out of the stable, went to the house.
His mother was now busy making a
walrus hash-for they always had two
dishes of meat on the table and only
glanced up to see that he was all safe
and right. Soon supper was ready, and
the father called in; but although Kriss
had bnt little appetite, he managed,
between what he ate and what he
stealthily put in his pocket for a mid
night lunch, to satisfy his mother. AZ
ter supper was over his father delight
ed him by saying that the work was
now SO nearly done that he thought
they might all 60 to bed early and
take o good nights rest. Mrs. Claus
rubbed her ewes, and said she would be
very glad to do so and Kriss hypocrit-
ically rubbed his also, but truthiully
remarked that the sooner they all went
to bed the better he would like it
1t was, however, ten o'clock before
they were all in bed, and almost eleven
before Kriss thought it safe to start.
He had some trouble, too, with the
deer; for Vixen, the off-deer, would
not let him harness her for some time,
and then, just as he was ready to start,
he found that Dancers harness was too
tight. However, after some work, he
made everything ready, lugged down
the bags, packed them safely with the
tops up, buttoned up his little seal
skin oyercoat, drew on his fur gloves,
and was off. He drove directly south
east for time, then turned south, and
passed close by the shore of Hudson
Bay, and crossed the St. Lawrence, and
stopped in Troy, New York. Here he
selected house with a good wide
chimney, took ont WAX doll, a curly
dog, and a candy tiger, and jumped out
of the sleigh. 1t occurred to him at
that moment that perhaps there were
no children in that house. His father
always knew, but how he knew
Kriss could not think. Suddenly he
remembered that his mother had said
that there was warmth in the house
where children dwelt so he laid down
the toys, took off his glove, and felt the
roof, but it was icy cold He then
jumped into the sledge and drove on,
stopping on several roofs to try them,
but they were all cold This, it was
plain, was not the way TO find ont. He
then thought he would go down the
chimneys and look for the children.
At the next house he accordingly left
his toys in the sledge, jumped out,
sprang down the chimney, and found
himself in large room, where little
baby lay asleep IN crib, and her moth
err near her IN big bed. He then went
back, and getting the toys, laid them
beside her. But he soon found that
going on such exploring expeditions
first was rather tedious work. His
father always strapped bag on his
back, as every one knows, but they
were I'll to big for Kriss to carry; so he
filed his pockets with little things,
stuck as many as possible in his belt,
strung some around his neck, and so
dressed up, jumped down many and
many chimney.
He was just going to step into his
sledge, after many hours of busy work,
when he happened to glance MP at the
Sky, and saw that it was nearly day
He had intended going farther, but now
had no time He took ont all his TOYS
but they were almost all gone
placed what he had on a good straight
roof, close to the chimney, whipped up
his deer, and galloped home. He had
expected to have reached home before
his parents had awakened, but although
he took a shortcut home, he saw the
smoke curling up through the keen
morning air before he saw the house
and so knew that his mother certainly
was up. He managed to drive quietly
into the stable, and mad just unharness-
ed the deer, and was about to give them
some moss, when a shadow darkened
the door he looked up, and there
stood his father Kriss did not feel very
comfortable, but his only course was
plain; he followed the never
forgotten example of George