American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-12-25
MERRY CHRISTMAS. !.

I. TWAS Christmas Eve, and four, little
children were running round the nursery
in their night gowns, hanging up theii
Z stockings for St. Nicholas, and chatterine
in great glee about their expected pres
ents.
II think shall have heaps enough, OF
presents to break old Santa Claus back, ~
toe to hang up the tiny stocking of her
doll, Belle Nahant Newport.
| C POh, Bess Bronson" said Rose, deft-
/ ly braiding her golden hair into massive
I" pig tail :, g think Santa Claus will
just die coming down the chimney with
! such load of my things" 49,.
90 dee, DEER walled little Madge,
heart broken at the mere mention of a
dead Santa Claus; let him come down
| first, please, Wose, and fluff out my little
'tockins.''
Jamie was wiping on his night-gOwn
| his scratched and bleeding little fingers,
| torn in his awkward attempt with pins and
tacks to suspend his own chubby sock.
Tired with the coasting, and sliding,
! and esson-getting, and hurrahing and
trotting of the day, Jamie now knelt down
the other little white robed figures dropped
down beside the little co.'s, and with
folded hands murmured their evening
thanks and petitions.
'And please, dear Father" asked
Madge, "send Santa Claus to all the lit
tie ragged girls and boys, and let him
bring good deal of things. too. Please.
Amen. "'l7 ~
Amen" echoed all the little rosy
mouths.
Then each cuddled down in her own
little bed and was soon fast asleep, while
the snow-fairies and the frost fairies, in
their tiny swan's-down cloaks and boots,
sal. outside the nursery window and wove
u lovely curtain to keep out the light of
the star-lamps, and the kind fairies sang
in the tree-top all the night long.
2 Very different from this cosy nursery
was the old garnet in Flag Alley. where
sister, Mamie, lay curled up under a
ragged old quilt, with one end of il
pulled over theirs faces to keep off the
snow that drifted in through the rafting
window. There was neither chair nor
table in the room, but over the bed,
dangling from a rafter, tiuttered torn
stocking se1..F "a e-.,.4
about Santa Claus. 1t was Tins opinion
that - Santa Claus loved most all sorts of
children, 'cept bad oHes.n He'd like TO do
better by poor children, but they had such |
announcement chimlys to come. down. |
Anyhows, hope he'll be along.'
These two grimy mites, hid under the |
quilt, slept on, while the frost fairies and |
SNOW fairies, in their soft fur cloaks and |
boots, tiuttered in through the chinks and |
danced and made merry in the garnet all |
through the night Danced and made |
merry in the very face and eyes of queer, I
kind, old Mrs. Mic, who came in softly |
after the children were asleep and felt for |
the ghnstly stocking that was pirouetting |
in the night drafts. k
She emptied her pocket of the ginger
bread boy and girl, two picture books,
tin trumpet and two pennies, thrust |lem
into the stocking with chuckles of delight,
and then skipped, shivering and chuck
ling back to her own little bed.
Just about the same time that Mrs. Vic
stole into the garnet with her Christmas
gifts the door of the cosy nursery was
gently opened and a noiseless procession
gllded in. First came mamma, With her
arms full of packages and papers, then
papa, with his arms full, then Aunt
Helen, with her hands full, and lastly
Nurse Tucker, with her neck festoonel
with jump-ropes ana knitted reins, her
shoulders strung with cups, and balls,
and jointed snakes and tippets, her apron
laden down and soldiers cap on her
head.
The little stockings, dolly's and all, +
were filled and pressed down and running
over to the floor. But the children slept
on, and the snow fairies wove away out
side the window, and the wind fairies sang
on in the tree-top. t.
When the glad Christmas morning came
at last Jamie was the first out of bed
"Rub-a dub dub, rub-a-dub-dub," beat
pleased little jamie on Santa Claus new
drum, and all the three little sleepers
started up, rubbed their eyes and bounded
Ia the floor in twinkling.
"Such beautiful things.' shouted Rose,
cmptying her stocking.
- The very beautitulest doll in all this
world" shrieked Bess, hugging the new
doll and dancing it till its little WAX eyes
stuck fast in its head.
Madge seated herself on the floor,
speechless with delight. In her excite
ment she pulled off the little woody dogs
ail She broke three doll's chairs and
smashed four cups while admiring them.
She threw down the pretty little Dolly
Warden, for which she had so longcd,
right into Jamie's molasses- candy, thus
cracking its head and spelling its dress.
Unconscious of this last mischief, she
hoped up at Bessie's call and the four
went dancing round the nursery, hand-in-
hand. singing Merry Christmas" at the
top of their glad little voices.
Meanwhile, up in the old garnet Tim
sat up in bed, stared at the stocking, and
then punched Nancy.