Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-17
on wondering if there was a Christmas in


the great window filled with wonderful
things. This was great delight to her;
she would sometimes quite forget herself
and imagine them all hers. Mamma and
she had said nothing about dollies this
time; they felt there was no hope. This
day Maggie had gone to the big window
to SEQ the splendid Christmas toys and oh,
those dolliesl how she lCnged just Tor the
least, the poorest and meanest of all those
many beauties. AS she stood looking so
eagerly, so wistfully, her father came by.
He spoke sharply, Mag, what are you
doing hereT"
She started. "Ohl the beautiful doll
les, father seei"
"Go home," said he sternly, "and
don't be staring in the street."
So she fled again to the loving mothers
arms, even this pleasure denied her! Poor
little girl, she was sorely troubled that
day. After dinner she was in the shop;
the door was pushed open and peddler
with a basket on his arm filed with toys
came in. He held out gay little doll
and said: "Buy a nice pretty doll for lee
tie meese?" She sprang forward with
outstretched hands and eager eyes, say
ing;
"Oh, fatherp'
Snip turned angrily TO the man and
shouted; Away with you; get out of my
shop with your trashl" and then he said
harshly to the little girl standing with the
light all gone out of her face and with
quivering lip; Hand me the goose and
60"
You know the iron used by tailors for
pressing their seams is called goose. l
suppose because it used to be inade with
a crooked handle looking s.mething like
the neck and head of a goose. Mag hand
cd up the iron with trembling hands to her
father and ran quickly out, with her little
soul full of grief and disappointment.
She handed up the goose and something
more, for on the hot iron had fallen
great tear and was kissing there. Snip
heard it and saw it. The goose was very
hot; he set it down for awhile, when OH
such a ao0ndeuM thing happened. Sud
denly it began to stretch up a long neck
and huge bill. There was no mistake
higher and higher it came. A great body
began to grow, and huge gray wings TO
spread out, and ugly red legs and feet
stretched down. What could it mean
Would it never stop? 1t grew more
and more and larger and larger; it
fairly lowered above him; he felt gid
dy and frightened; he tried to push
it away, but could not move it; he was
trembling from head to foot; he tried to
scream, but could make no sound The
great gray thing completely overpowered
him. two shining eyes seemed piercing
him through; then the awful mouth
opened and gave terrible hiss right in
his ear. 1t seemed he would go mad; but
it went on hiss-hiss- louder and loud
er, right through his brain; never such q
sound before. 1t opened its mouth wider
NIyi6n n M Of
swallow him, but it only Missed forth ::
"Shame, shame, shame, selfish wretch I;
hiss, wretch, hiss-hiss! Why don't you
make your wife and child happy?-hiss-
hiss -HIss!'' and there poured forth from the
| great, red mouth flames of living fire, all
upon him. He gave himself up to die.
He cried aloud, "Ohl oh! Obi" and woke
up. You see, while he waited, Mr.. Snip
stitchet had leaned his head against the
wall and took a short nap. He had bit
of a nightmare, too, only it was in the
daytime. | suppose he had not slopt two
minutes; you know it takes but a very
short time for a very long dream.
| There was some reason for this dream
! First was guilty conscience, next that
sad tear of reproach Kissing on the iron,
and next the coat he was making for Dea-
con Jones had slipped down upon the hot
| =
ruinous manner. So that was the reason
the dream goose hissed and spit forth fire.
Snip did not like it, and he liked it
| less as the time went on. Do what he
would he could not keep that gray thing
out of his mind; it kept Kissing in his
ear, "Shame, shame, shamew all the time
he heard the horrible voice shrieking
"wretchp He tried to forget it-tried to
think of something else-in vain. The
hiss-hiss, shame-shame, wr9tch.wretch
made the guilty conscience say, a good
many times: "Why don't you make your
wife and child happy"
When evening came and he went into
the back rooms it was still the same. The
sounds seemed singing in his soul, and
the Kissing of that sorrowful tear. He
sat gloomily over the fire as usual out
side all was joy, tramping feet jolly
laughter, tingling bells; all the world
happy but the Snipstitchets. But he
wasn't going to give in to any such non
sense" Once he passed by Mag's little
bed and heard a long sigh, and saw q
clothes-pin doll hugged up in her arms
hiss hiss'-and in the corner sat silent
ly his sad, tired wife, looking wearily
into the fire. How rosy and cheerful and
well she had been when he brought hel
to those small rooms" shame, shamep
He could endure it no longer he started
up. ~ am going out, Mary" he said
81 may be late" He was late-so late
she grew anxious.
When he came she was still bending
over the fire. She had been thinking o
happy old days at home with brothers anC
sisters; there were tears on her faded face
Snip walked straight up to her and laid 8
: package ON her lap. She looked up il
great surprise and eXclaimed "Why
, why! What, what"
"Mary," he said, kindly, Z" am goinl
, to try nonsense and see what comes of it
, 1t IS only a little Christmas present TO
. you, dear wife" Was she dreaming
She neither moved nor spoke. He tool
+ her hand and said: " Unite it; let us Sc
if we, too, can have a little of the fun.
Slowly, wonderingly she undid the string
and the wrappings; then she unlolded
soft, warm shawl which she so mucl
, needed. She held it up and examined il
7 and reaching out to her husband said:
ooh, John, how good and kindp' Ian,
! her head down ON his shoulder and had
! good, happy cry, very different from thos
a other tears. Then she went on unrollin
, the papers, and there was a handsom
! doll dressed in the very latest fashion
j She could hardly believe it; it seemed To-
: good to be true. l do believe the poo
? woman was as rejoiced over that doll
a baby as any child in all the land. Oh
this is best of ALL" she said; 4" it is $
!, beautiful, and she will be so glad, and
i am so happy"
g "Well, WE'LL" thought Snip, as h
S looked at her face, already so different, S
I smiling and animated He was begir
] ming TO find out the good of "nonsense,
1; The next morning they took away tn
I dressed-up clothes-pin and laid the me-
e dolly in its place, then watched wh'
v she would do. When she first opened ht
J, eyes she started back, rubbed them an
}. did not believe. Then she slowly reache
y her hand and touched il and, all tremblin
: with excitement, she called out:
y 90 mother, mother, come quick!
h They ran to her; her face was quite pail
c her eyes wild; ii was really painful
s see her. 80 mother, see, see! Who,
e | is IL ~