Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-25

His sake, Where do you live, Chubby?'
but where do you stay? Where do
you sleep?"
well, sir, generally 1 sleep down at the
Hall. We pay five cents for bed there.
But when l haven't any five cents, |
know where there's a big crOckery- crate
full of straw, and | crawl in there"
How about to-night?"
"Well, you see paid all my money for
my sled, so shall sleep in the crate''
"Not by considerable, my brave fellowl
Here's half dime for your lodging. No,
stop you shall sleep here. Mike!" he
called to the Waterman, put rug down
| by the stove for this boy to sleep on, and
find something to throw over him. Good
| night, Chubby"
Goodnight, Mr. Marsh
"Take good care of him, Mike"
Cali right, Zur'' -
Cubby 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 soul in the streets, not even a watch
man: 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
| in 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-the tin
lest, dreamiest little tinkle that he ever
heard in his life-and in moment I'D can
tered eight reindeer, just like the one on
his sled, only no bigger than grayhounds,
drawing sleigh made OF pearl and tortoise
shell, with silver thills and gold runners,
in which sat Santa Claus himself, funny
| old fellow, dressed from head to foot in
shaggy gray fur, and looking fat and
stumpy enough to be Chubbys own
brother. AS he dashed by Chubby called
out,
Hello, you! I say, Mister, gil me a
hitchi"
"Whish shr' said Santa; and the
| eight RENDERS stopped as quick as a wink,
and stood stamping and knocking their
horns together i'll the most impatient man
ner. "Who's that calling?" cried the lit
tie man, standing up and looking all
about.
4 did" said Chubby, little frighten-
ed, stepping out into the moonlight.
ooh, you did? Yes, boy, of course .
might have known it was boy Can't
stop to talk. Got miles and miles to ride.
Call round day after tomorrow if you
| want anything"
II only wanted to ask you
eyes, yes; I 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"
Il haven't any home" said Chubby ;
I'm going to sleep in the crate back o.
| the lamp-store, and | just wanted hitch
| that's all, sir"
"a hitch That's fine idea! 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 a fact. Haven t
any home, hey:"
mo, sir"
"Wish I'd brought one or two along, l
declare. I'd give you one in a minute.
Well, jump in here. I'll give you ride,
| any way"
what shall l do with my sled?" asked
Chubby.
Put it in the magic box" And Santa
lifted up the velvet cushion of the seat.
by 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, balls,
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 l put any thing
in there it shrinks right up. When l 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 ''Tsitr'
The reindeers 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 down chimney. In quar-
ter of a minute out he popped again, like
a jumping, jack out of his box, leaped
into the sleigh, Kissed 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
a 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
through the windows The reindeer did
wonders. They seemed to understand the
whole thing as we'll 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 in ter
ror; but they always came out right. 1t
made no difference what sort of roofs they
had to climb-fatroots, hip-roofs, gables,
or Mansards-all 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.
The magic box seemed 10 be ineXhaust-
ible Santa Claus filled his pack from it
| hundreds of times, until, as he told Chubby,
he had taken forty seven carloads of pres
ents from it, He would reach in and pick
up little mite of thing-a tip-cart,
| perhaps, or drum-that he could hold