The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-19


And she always has thought from that self-same
night,
That crickets can hear when little girls speak,
And mean great deal by their ereakity, creak.'
santa Claus Court Of Complaints.
Two little stockings hung by the man
tel shelf. Two little figures in long
white night-gowns kneeling at mamma S
knee. Two little voices softly saying.
Nov l lay me down to sleep"
Two pair of cinging plump arms
about mammals neck. Two sweet, loving
kisses-and then Artie and Daisy nestled
down in pretty crib bed IN cosy room
next to mammals.
1t was the same old might before
Christmas that has come around near
" two thousand times already and never
yet missed its hearty welcome. The
longest, dearest, most tedious and
most delightful OF all the nights in the
year.
In moment mamma had said good
night and gone, and the children were
left alone with their happy thoughts.
The two curly heads were filled with
visions of Santa Claus, but pretty soon
little Daisy's sweet blue eyes dropped
fast shut, and with her rosy cheek pill
lowed on her dimpled hand, she went far
away into the beautiful fairy dream-land,
leaving Artie behind. The little fellow
wanted with all his heart TO follow her,
but the more he tried to go to sleep, the
more he could not. His round, wide
open black eyes grew rounder and wider
open the more he strove to keep them
shut.
Just then he thought some one spoke
his name. He listened. Iwonder if he
knew about what " listeners never hear.
Any way, he soon proved the truth Of
the saying. 1t was mammals voic,
speaking. Perhaps she did not know
" Artie is very destructive /; he has not
single toy left that is whole. He has
pulled them all to pieces to see how they
were made, and he treats Daisy's thu
same as his own. She has sad trials il
this way and hard cry every few day
over some new breaknge. l think IL
one but Santa Claus himself will be abb,
to cure Artie of this habit he forget
what / say before | have done speaking
[ believe If Santa Claus takes one lool
into our play-room, he will go straigh
on to the next house Mamma ceased
and there was a silence. Artie coul,
scarcely believe his ears So then
after all this waiting and longing, Their
might be no stockings full ; no new play
things no Santa Claus; no Christmas
no anything; and all just because h
had broken those ugly old toys II
tried to think he was very angry and i'll
used, but somehow he seemed to hea
again the pitiful pleading of poor Dais
when some new treasure came under hi
hammer, and it made him feel yer
sorry instead. He wondered how h
could have done it, Tears filed hi
bright eyes, and his poor little heal
grew sore and heavy. He did not care
now, how long the night was, nor hoy
long he lay awake. There was nothin
to go to sleep for, if there was nothin
to waken for. Poor little Daisy, b
pitied her because she would have II
Christmas. Suddenly sound caugl
his ear He listened eagerly-it Wa
certainly footsteps in the play-room
Could it be possible that after all SAINT
Claus was coming once more, just
give him trial He slipped quietl
ont of bed and crept up the stairs
shivering in his little night-gowl
Noiselessly he pushed the door ais
and put in his pillow tossed curly heaC
Such sight as met his astounde
black eyes The gas was not lightet
but great glowing red fire blazed
the CRATE and roaring yellow fam
swept up the chimney, making evel
corner of the room es bright as day.
the middle of the floor stood a wei
known figure There was no mista
ing the high-peaked sealskin cap, Il
long mantle of fur, made up of poke
everywhere, crammed full and runnii
over with all that childs heart could
sire. There was the tremendous pa,
on his generous shoulders. There W
the silvery-white hair, and beard fros
and shining. There was the same o
stump of pipe in his mouth, but q
fire had gone out of it, and only dei
gray and ashes remained. There W
plainly something wrong, for instead
his own jolly laugh and merry twinklil
eyes, there was grave, sorry look
his broad, kindly face, as he stood Ii
tening. Now Artie's cold little DO,
followed his head well into the rool
forgetting everything else in his breat
less wonder. No one noticed the sma
bare-footed, crouching figure in t
corner, with round staring eyes. TIL
he heard the strangest tiny voices, spea
ing sometimes in tune and sometim
all piping mt once, shrill and confused
Then he saw, to his horror, all the