The Van Buren press., 1875-02-09
MISCELLANY.
His Turn.
BY MARY n. PRESCOTT.


1t was the afternoon Of the oath of
December. and John wrapped up in his
new overcoat, was going down town with
a hop and jump to spend his last cop
pers for Christmas present. He was
six wears old, and as he went along he
tried to whistle "Shoo Fly like the
big boys; and he wondered to himself
why Christmas didn't come more than
once year, and if they'd ever get to
coming oftener, and if they'd been going
on just like this before he was born, as
he lodged the mothers, hurrying home
with dolls heads peeying out of newspa-
pgper parcels, and fathers with fat tur-
keys by the legs, and market women
carrying green Christmas trees, aud STOP.
ped to loak into gay shop windows and
at the crowd of good humored buyers
and sellers. He was bound for the sill
versmith's himself, to buy his mother q
real silver thimble, to save her gold one,
and because he had smeilcd the other in
the shovel over the dining room fire, in
order to turn it into plowsharcs and pru
ninghooks, with the aid of bowl Of
cold water, thinkinGfs ae didn't need two
thimblcs and a scc ra,rng.,yy:shmc. He was
going to put q, relnSse a1Tse FRS, her stock
ing: and when't was @, pin tine moe
ming, wouldn't she. tit prised and laugh
to find another silvc ~uhimhle there Just
where her toe ought to be. After he
he had bought his present, the confusion
Of street-lamps and early twilight. and
iostling, hurrying crowd bewildercd him,
and he struck out, by mistake, into mar
row alley, where he stopped, attracted
by ragged urchin, who was gazing
wis,fuly in at a bakers holiday display
of smoking loaves and tarts.
Il say, don't you almost taste EN- y
said the urchin, capering first on one
foot, and then Oh tbe other, to keep him
self warm.
"Thev aren't anything to mothers
tarts," answered John, remembering The
pantry at home
:" You amt hungry, I'll bet"
" No, / am going home to supper
"Wsh was"
why don't you go, then ?"
"Cause there amt any to go to-"
" No supper! Why, everybody has
supper, It's Christmas Eve, you know"
'Christmas Eve? What's that ?"
why, don't you know
THE night before Christmas,
When all through the house,
Net creature was stirring.
Not cvcna mouse, ~
quoted John laughingly. "Whcn you
hang up your stocking and Santa Claus
comes riding over the housctops, when
you're asleep, and puts presents in it (!
Christmas Eve, when the bells all ring,
when--when-
a. When shepherds watched their Hocks by night,
All seated on tho ground,
The angel Of the Lord came down,
And glory shOne around!
"Whv, you know it, of course. Every
body knows it. It's in the papers It's
been ever since--evcr sincc-l was born
Last year had top and drum, and a
horn of candy!'
II say. where'd you get 'cm p asked
the other. eagerly.
"Why, Santa Claus, he brought 'em.
What did he bring your"
mot red! Where does he live ?
He's the chap for my money"
"On he lives way off somewhere,
'mong the icebcrgs and things"
"Oh. I spose he's an uncle Of yourn.
jim, in our alley, had an uncle who
brought him a guinea pig onct"
don't you know who Santa Claus is ?"
laughed John, not quite clear in his own
mind about the matter, but anxious to
enlighten the darkcned mind Of his
neighbor. "IIe isn't my uncle any more
than he's yours or anybody's."
He amt nothing to me, no way said
the other. amt never put my eyes
on him"
Neither have l." said John. mo
body sees him He always comes after
dark, when the children are in bed and
the lamps are out and nobody's looking
But he always pnt something into your
stockings, Christmas nights, doesn't he p
81 dunno. | never found any thing
there-but a hole"
"Never found anything in your stock
ingp' cried John. Perhaps you don't
hang it up in the right place.
81 never hung it up at all
ooh couldn't you reach why didn t
you get your mother to do it for your?
IL amt got no mother. Nothing but
a Granny Patch--who amt no granny
Of mine, neither--whcre ! sleep in the
garret" !,
mo motherY How do you get alongp
Who tucks you iuto bed, and hears your
prayers, aud puts out the light for you,
and gets your Sunday clothes out Of the