Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-12-27

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be as big as ever. Chubby never grew
tired OF watching these changes, and Often
laughed outright to see what looked like
wooden mosquito suddenly swell out into
wooden OK or an elephant.
The number and richness of the presents
surprised him very much; and Santa HIM
sell admitted that he never had a finer
stock. Of course, there were thousands
upon thousands of cheap toys and trinkets !:
Dut tnere were also presents of great value.
There were, for instance, one hundred and
seven gold watches, and seven hundred and
one silver ones, ninety-three sets of turs.
over forty diamond rings, and earrings and
breastpins by the bushel.
sometimes, as Santa was loading his
pack, he would tell Chubby who the differ
ent gifts were for, and what sort of people
they were. And Chubby was greatly per-
picked to find that many Of the incest
things were for very naughty children, and
that many OF the most costly things were
Tor the rich, who did not need them, while
good boys and girls were often put off with
a very meagre gift, and the poor, too, often
with nothing at all. But when he asked
Santa about it, the old man shook his head.
and said that he couldn't go into that qlies-
ton then; that it had perplexed wiser
folks than Chubby; and that he did not
rightly understand it himself. The good
Lord, he said, had seen fit to make some
rich and some poor; and it was not for an
old saint like him to try to undo his Mas
ter's work.
Besides" added he, g you must under
stand that the true worth of these things is
not the store-price of them, but the amount
Of happiness which they bring and have
seen many poor Lad more pleased with
two-penny toy watch than many a rich
mans son was with gold one. Once,n
continued Santa, "when was quite young
and inexperienced-I think it was ON nv
four hundredth or four hundred and first
Christmas trip-I thought it would be a
bright idea to equalize things little. So
gave diamond ring to an old apple
woman's son, and penny-whistle to a
young millionaire. The police found the
poor boy trying to sell the ring, and be-
Ileving that he must have stolen it, put
him in prison. The young millionaire was
so enraged at the meanness of his gift, that
he got black in the face, fell down in fit,
and became an idiot. After that" said
Santa, Il never meddle with folks cir
cumstances, butjust adapt myselfto them."
There Is one other question / should
like to ask" said Chubby.
"What is it?''
81 should like to know why your pack
seems sometimes to be very light when
there are heavy things in it, and very heavy
when there are light things in it."
Now you have hit upon my greatest
secret" said Santa.
"Oh, don't tell me if you would rather
not" said Chubby.
9! don't mind telling you," Santa re-
piled, though never mentioned it before.
You see our sort of people have different
weights and measures from what your sort
of people have. Things are light and
heavy to us, according to how much they
are good for. Now, here is package
marked Sam Rothschild. 1t contains a
chest of tools, a pair of skates, croquet
set, and so on-all what you would call
heavy articles. But to me the whole con-
Germ doesn't weigh as much as good-sized
goose-quill, because they will do that I'M
happy, discontented, unreasonable Sam no
good at all. But here is bundle marked
Tommy Jones, containing tippet and
pair of mittens knit by his grandmother, a
new knife from his mother, and sugar
heart from his little sister Meg-all what
you would call light things, you see; yet
they are so heavy to me that | fairly stag
ger under them, for know they'll make
Tom so happy that he can hardly contain
himself Why, it seems to me Pm carry
ing about five tons of happiness in that
bundle"
And sure enough Santa had all that he
could do to Lift TOmmy's presents into the
pack, but tossed Sam's in as if they were
hard work, Santa finished his task Just be-
fore day-break. Chubby was glad to see
the last load taken from the magic box, for
he was getting tired and cold. Santa felt
a little tired, too, as well he might and the
last load was pretty heavy one, for they
were in aneighborhood now where great
deal of happiness went with a present.
Chubby noticed something more than IA
tigue in the old mans look as he came
slowly back with his empty pack. He was
about something, that was plain.
a"Did we take everything out of the
magic box, Chubby ?' he asked.
Everything but my sled," said Club
by. "Don't you know we picked violin
and pair of cOpper-toed boots out of the
crack in the left-hand corner?'
$50 we did," said Santa: sand fished
that microscope out of the nail-hole on the
right"
Yet he looked the box all over again,
holding his lantern close down, and hunt
ing every corner. There was nothing there
Dut CnuDDy'S sleu.
{" Have you lost anythingr' said Chubby.
"No; but there's poor Phil, the lame
boy in the next house. Il wish l had
something for him."
II suppose he couldn't use a sled, if he's
lamc?" said Chubby.
"Just the thing he wants. Then his big
brother Jack could draw him to school.
But we haven't one for him, that's clear"
''There's mine," said Chubby.
what are you thinking Off" said Santa
Claus.
81 was thinking" said Chubby, "of
what Mr.. Marsh said when he was so kind
to me in the store. He said it was a time
to do good for jesus birthday: and /
should ike to do some good for His sake;
and think he would like to have me give
Phil the sled and would like to, too. 1t
would be real Christmas present, then I;
and should like to see how it would be
them"
Santa looked at Chubby for a moment
with glistening eyes. Then he stopped
and took the sled from the magic box. 1t
was the heaviest load he had carried that
night, and Chubby saw how he staggered
under it as he walked off with it toward
Dh;l,S bouaa When he came hack he |