The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-12-22
Mis- ella n q O u 8.


of December, and John, wrapped up in
his new overcoat, was going down town.
with hop and jump, to spend his last
coppers for Christmas present. He was
six years old, and as he went along lie tried
to whistle "Shoo-Fly," like the big boys
and wondered to himself why Christmas
didn't conc more than once n year, and if
they'd ever get to coming ottener, and if
they'd been going on just like this before lie
was born, as he lodged the mothers hurry
ing home with dolls heads. peeping out of
the newspaper parcels, and fathers with
fat turkeys by the legs, and market women
haggling over their poultry, and workmen
carrying green Christmas trees, and stopped
to look into the gay shopwindows and at
the crowd of goodhumored buyers and
sellers. He was bound for the silversmiths
himself, to buy his mother real silver
thimble, to save her gold one, and because
he had melted the other in the shovel over
the dining room fire, in order to turn it
into plowshares and pruning hooks, with
the aid of bowl Of cold water, thinking
she didn't need two tbimbles and sewing
machine. He was going to put his pur
chase in her stocking and when she walked
up in the morning wouldn't she be sur
prised, and laugh to find another silver
thimble there, Just where her toe ought to
be After he had bought his present, the
confusion of street lamps and early twi
light and the jostling, huwying crowd be-
wildered him, andhe struck out,b mistake,
into narrow alley, where he stopped, at
tracted by ragged urchin, who was gaz-
ing wistfully in ut a bakers holiday dis
play Of smoking loaves and tarts.
II say, don't you almost taste 'em ~
said the urchin, capering first on one foot
and then on the other, to keep himself
warm.
"They aren't anything to my mothers
tarts," answered John, remembering the
pantry at home.
You ain't hungry, I'll bet!"
mo; but I'm going home 10 supper"
"Wish was !"
"Why don't you go, then3"
"'Cause there amt any to 60 to-
"No supper! Why everybody has sup
per. It's Christmas eve you know :"
"Christmas eve2 What's that?"
"Why don't you know 2"
"The night before Christmas
When all through the house
Not creature was stirring,
Not even mousse"
quoted John, halting. "Whcn you hang
up your stocking and Santa Claus comes
riding over the housetops, when you're
asleep, and puts presents in it Christmas
eve, when the bells all ring, when-when--
"When shepherds watch their fiocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
| The angel Of the Lord came down,
And glory shome around "
"Why, you know it, of course. Every
| body knows it, It's in the papers. It's
been ever since-ever slnce-I was BORN
Last year had top and drum and horn
of candy !"
81 say, where'd you get 'em 2" asked the
other, eagerly.
"Why, Santa Claus, he brought 'em.-
What did he bring youi"
"Not red Where does he live? He's
the chap for my money"
ooh! he lives way of somewhere,
'mong the icebergs and things"
"Oh Ispose he's an uncle of yourn.-
jim, in our alley, had an uncle who brought
him guinea pig once"
Don't you know who Santa Claus is 2
laughed John, not quite clear in his own
mind about the matter, but anxious to en-
Tighten the darkened mind of his neighbor
" He 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 eyes on him.
"Neither have l." said John, -" Nobod,
sees him. He always comes after dark
when the children are in bed and thu
lamps are out and nobody's looking. Blu
he always puts something into your stock
ing Christmas nights doesn't he ~
Il dunno, l never found anything Their
but hole"
Never found anything in your stock
ing 2" cried John. Perhaps you didn'
hang it up in the right place"
81 never hung it up at alI.'
"O.h! Couldn't you reach VIII,
didn't you get yeur mother to do it 70
you4'
II amt got mother. Nothing but I
Granny Patch-who amt no granny 0