Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-12-31
letter from Santa Clnns.


Iy in my. fur-coat, and mufiled up to my
eyes to keep out the cold? Two little
boys, crouched up under she shelter of
some rickety old steps that led into a
wretched tenement-house. They were
shivering with cold, barefoot, hungry and
big tears were rolling down their cheeks.
Their mother was dead, and five minutes
before their drunken father had kicked
them out doors, and told them to go and
hunt up some breakfast If they wanted
any.
AS came near 1 heard one Of them say
20, Jimmy! It's almost Christmas! How
l wish old Santa Claus would come down
our chimney and bring us a big fire. and
some shoes aud stockings. and oceans and
oceans of bread and milk :"
why, Bob, amt you greeny now!
There amt no Santa Claus it's all gam
mon.n
Jimmy's eyes flew wide open.
A"No Santa Claus"
mo; it's all stuff
Jimmy's head went down like flash,
and he set up such a perfect howl of dis
appointment 1t brought the tears to my
eyes. But / walked straight up to them
and said:
YOU'RE wrong. Jimmy, Santa is alive
and well as ever. You Just come along
with me and see if he isn't.n Then / took
the poor shivering little things into the
first warm, bright spot we could find, and
set plate of smoking hot soup before each
one, and it did my heart good to see them
eat. When they had finished, soon put
them where they will be kindly cared for
and went on my way. But what an idea
no Santa Claus, hey! 1t Is all stuff and
CANNON about my riding up and down,
and over peoples houses, and going down
chimneys to fill children's stockings. That
story would do for the time when the
chimney and the fireplace were half as big
as the house, but for these days of narrow
tlues and air-tight stoves, we couldn't
think of such thing. And beside, there
are so many children now. / have had to
take in great many partners, or could
leVer carry on the business as it should be
done. L have a great army of assistants,
who enjoy filling the little red, and white,
and blue, and brown stockings full to the
5rim, after the dear little ones who wear
them are fast asleep in their beds. And /
have another small army who help Won
derfully in another department of the
work. They have warm, loving, tender
hearts, and they go about among the poor
and suffering ones of earth, and report
what they see to me, ald soon after the
very help and comfort which the poor
souls needed most CON es to them in some
lnaccountable way.
Just take peep into my note book,
dear children, and see how it reads:
Poor old granny Griggs, not child or
friend to look after comfort; sick, lonely
and poor. Dear little Mollie Brown will
run in Christmas morning and kiss her
wrinkled cheek, brighten up the poor little
room, make her cup of tea and bit of
toast, and give her pair of new specta-
Giles and Bible with large print.n
jamie Martini little cripple, who has
30 lie on hard bed all day long alone,
while his mother goes out to wash, shall
nave q wonderful chair that will Just fit
his poor crooked back, so he can wheel
himself up to the window and see what is
going on in the world. And he shall have
the Youths Companion every week for a
year"
Lefty Gray, who works in the factory
20 support herself and little sister, shall
have great bundle of things, warm stock
ings and tlannels, new dress and shawl
for each.n
Mike Donovan, who got is laid up haid
I'D for the winter, while his poor wife is
trying to support the family, shall have a
1ifty-dollar greenback to help them along"
IA mininters family in small parish,
away out West shall have wonderful
Christmas-boX that will make their hearts
sing for joy"
"There will be a pair of chickens, a fat
turkey, or can of oysters, left at the door
of many parsonage. Many and many q
poor widow will find cord of wood, or a
ton of coal dumped down in her back yard
on Christmas morning. Many and many
Il poor soul, who doesn't know where to
turn for work to earn his daily bread, will
find something to do that will keep the
wolf from the door. Little girls that never
had doll before are going to have one
now. Boys that never have had pop
gun or whistle will pop and whistle to
their hearts content this Christmas time"
There you see it isn't all bosh and gam
mon about Santa after all. He is alive
and well, and buster than ever before, and
he wants more help, or else somebody
may be forgotten. Will you go into part
nership with me? The business pays well.
Just sit down and put your thinking-ca cap
on, and see what you can do to help me-
Think what you can do to make some poor
soul happier, how you can help some poor
child to q merry Christmas day Look
over your old toys and books, fix them up
as nice as you can, and give them to some
poor mothers who can not afford to buy
new ones for their children. If there is
nothing else you can do, give a pleasant
word, II kind smile, little loving sympa-
thy to those who need them, and you will
be surprised to see how happy it will make
them, and you, too.
If all the rich and happy ones of earth
would only take hold of this blessed work
in earnest Joy and gladness, peace and
good will, would fiji every heart and home,
and the angels would sing as never but
once before, "Glory 10 GOdin the highest,
npace on earth good will To men ~