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

gratefully, as he turned to 60.
II don't know as l am, >" said Mr.. Marsh
though it's time to show kindness
now; Do you know what Christmas is
"Oh, yes, sir. learned that at the Mis-.
sion. It's jesus birthday
Yes, yes. Well we must be kind fol
his sake. Where do you live, Chubby p
''But where do you stay? Where dc
you sleep"
"Well, sir, generally sleep down at the
hall. We pay five cents for bed there
But when l haven't any five cents, / know
where there's big crockery. crate full OF
straw, and crawl in there.'
"How about tonight? ?'
"Well, you see paid all my money for
my sled, so L shall sleep in the crate"
mot by considerable, my brave fellow
Here's half dime for your lodging. No,
stop. you shall sleep here. Mikei'' he
called to the watchman, "put rug down
by the stove for this boy to sleep on, and
hnd something to throw over him. Good
night, Chubby"
Goodnight, Mr.. Marsh."
I" Take good care of him, Nike"
GAN right, zur."
Chubby Ruff had a dream as he lay
asleep on the rug before the stove. If he
had not dreamed, my story would have
been shorter; or perhaps | should never
have told it at all. Chubby dreamed that
he was wandering about the streets at
night with six papers under his arm, and
drawing his new sled. 1t was very late !;
the shops were all shut; and there was not
a soul in the streets-notevena watchman.
Chubby was trying to find the crockery-
crate, but he could not; and the more he
looked for it the further off he got, and
the more bewildered and tired he grew.
At last he sat down on his sled i'm despair,
and feeling good deal more like crying
than anything else he could think of. That,
however, he determined not to do, come
what would.
Just then he heard sleigh-bells-t tint
est, dreamiest little tinkle that ever he
heard in his life-and i'm moment up can
tered eight reindeer, just like the one on
his sled, only no bigger than grayhounds,
drawing sleigh made Of pearl and tor
toise-shell, with silver thills and gold rum
ners, in which sat Santa Claus himself,
funny old fellow, dressed from head to foot
in shaggy gray far, and looking fat and
stumpy enough to be Chubby's own
brother. As he dashed by Chubby called
out,
"Hello, you! cay, Mister, gil me a
hitchr'
whish-sh-sh!' said Santa; and the
eight reindeer stopped as quick as wink,
and stood stamping and knocking their
horns together in the most impatient man.
ner. who's that calling?" said the little
man, standing up and looking all about.
"Idid," said Chubby, little frightened,
stepping out into the moonlight.
"Oh, you did? Yes, a boy, of course
I might have known it was boy. Can't
stop to talk. Got miles and miles to ride.
Call round day after to-morrowif you want
II only wanted to ask you"
"Yes, yes; know. You want to ask
about presents. It's all right, all right.
List all made out. Goods packed and la
beled. Couldn't change anything now.
Run right home and go to bed; that's a
good lad"
81 haven't any home," said Chubby;
4" I'm going to sleep in the crate, back o.
the lamp-store, and l just wanted hitch;
that's all, SIR"
"a hitchl That's fine ideal Why
your sled would be smashed to pieces, and
your neck broken, in no time. What's
your name"
Chubby Ruff"
"Tisn't ON my list; that's fact. Haven't
any home, hey?"
"No, SIR"
"Wish I'd brought one or two along, i
declare. I'd give you one in minute.
Well, jump in here. I'll give you ride,
any way" :,
"what shall do with my sled?" asked
Chubby.
Put it in the magic box, And Santa
lifted up the velvet cushion of the seat.
(" See there ~ said he. Chubby looked in,
and saw deep box full of miniature Christ
mas presents. There were rocking-horses
of the size Of baby's thumb; and dolls
no bigger than pin-heads; and tops, Dalls,
books, games, candies, suits of clothes
everything you could think of-but all so
very little! "That's the way carry my
load" said Santa. "When Iput anything
in there it shrinks right up. When | take
it out again it is as big as ever" And sure
enough, he dropped in Chubby's sled, and
it changed in an instant to the size Of your
little finger-nail. "Now we're Off" said
he. "Tsit ~
The reindeer gave a bound, and up they
went, sleigh, Santa, Chubby and all, to the
roof of the nearest house. Santa filled his
pack from the magic box, and disappeared
uOWu u CflltiuCys III tci Va
out he popped again, like juDping.jack
out of his box, leaped into the sleigh,
hissed to his team, and with one spring
they had cleared the street and landed in
the next block. Again Santa filled his
pack and skipped through scuttle.
And so he went on with his work-now
here, now there, now on the roofs, now
down in the streets; now entering by the
chimneys or scuttles, now climbing
the windows. The reindeer did
wonders. They seemed to understand the
whole thing as well as Santa himself, and
made the widest leaps without hesitation
or mistake. Sometimes, when they were
flying through the air, Chubby would
think they were surely going to be dashed
to pieces, and would shut his eyes i'm terror
but they always came out right. 1t made
no difference what sort of roofs they had
to climb-flat-roofs, hip-roofs, gables, or
was one to them. And
what amazed Chubby was that they never
slipped on the iciest places, and never
made track in the snow. This proves. of
course. that Chubby only dreamed all this:
for we all know that our reindeer do make
tracks.
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