New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-30
Sans Four Bits.


ing in the dining room chimney. looked up
the tine TO see If dar YVES anything IN dar
TO stop Santa Claus from comm down"
ard then tro..ed away to the kitchen garnet
70 bed. Whether he dreamed OF Santa
Claus, and, # so, how his imagination pic
tured the little Dutch SAINT, 1t is Impossible
to say; but one thing Is certain, he got up
unusually early the next morning. The
day had scarcely begun to break when
sans father. Uncle Henry, and old Aunt
Phillis, his mother, were aroused by shout
OF "Cnris'mus gift, pappy Christmas git,
nanny. Chris'mus git l done cotch you
bofe !" Then Sam hurried on his clothes,
and fastened over to the house TO examine
his stocking.
There it was, just as he had left it. ex-
cept that it was tnll instead OF empty. Full
OF what
"Lord.ee! what big awinge! What's die!
A nudder awinge, spec'-nO, dis yer's an
apple. Whoo! Just look at the candy What
else n darl' Sam thought tina: was all:
but he took the stocking by the toe and
shook i. and on. dropped a silver coin.
"Money. Wonder how much uls is' Bout
leOenteen dollars, may te-ls gwi1e to AK
nanny
So Sam ran 70 show he father and mother
what Santa Clans had brought him.
'FC' bits IN siIbeI' said Aunt Fh:ills
since reb times! Gimme DAT money, Sam,
an let me put it away in the big chiss"
Now this didn't suit Sam at all. He had
seen great many things go into ode big
chst' that never came out again, and he
was BY no means disposed to let his shining
-four bit piece" meet with such a destiny
mo, NANNY" said he; please just let me
keep it. l ain't gwine to lose it. Sides
that chist sets right up by the chimbey, an
OF Sanity might come down an open it, and
take his money out gin
Let de chile hab de money, Phillis," said
Uncle Henry; ct ne loses ii, t amt much,
an it'll learn him to be keerful Let him
keep it,"
So Sam kept his money. Baron Roths-
child never felt as rich rs he did. He
would sit about N corners, talking to him
self and looking at his -four bits" If he
went across the yard he would stop every
was still there. Indeed, never before did
fifty cents seem 80 important to any one
since the time when
David and Goliath went out fur to fight
Fur muffin but a silber half-a- dollar
David up wild Il brick. and nit Goliath such lick
Dat de people over Jordan heerd him hcller'
Sam enjoyed his "awinge,' his apple, his
'puckawns," and his candy: but the charms
of all these-and they had many-paled be-
fore the brightness Of the silver. He was
never tired of examining it. He wondered
whether the bird On one side was hawk, or
a buzzard, or turkey. He tried TO count
the nOtehes on the rim, but, as he didn't
know what came after i've, he was obliged
to give up the attempt in despair.
When dinner time came Aunt Phillis
made Sam little cake, and she pressed
the coin down on the dough so as to leave
a very beautiful impression. The cake was
ho nd q ha Of a.
dollar became much distorted in the cook
ing, still, if you looked very hard, YOU
could see what it had been. Sam thought
it a wonderful work Of art He carried r.
off to the back gallery steps and sat down
and ate it; beginning at the edges and eat
ing up the mark, until he had a round niece
just the size of the coin, with the impress
sion on one side. Then he played with
that awhile, and finished by eating it, also.
He began to think, or study" as he would
have expressed it, about what to do next.
What he did next was to lay his -four
bits" down on the ground near the stems.
and then walk of around the corner of the
house. Directly he came back, walking
slowly, and looking about as if he had Loaf
something. He kicked among the grass
with bic feet, shaded his eyes with his hand.
and appeared to be very anxious
oAUo ooO, cdlu A6, II come long dis
way yestiddy, an reckon los dat money
somewhat bout dis place. l mus cone
dropped it out my pocket. Wonder if anv.
body picked it up. Lawsy! done found
1t. Right under my eyes! Ell it had been a
snake 1t would ha' bit me. nebber see de-
like ,sence OF Hecky was pup!' So saw.
ing, he picked up the money with great de-.
monstrstions Of joy. Then he laid it down
IN another place and marched off as before
Ihls time, however, the play turned ont
differently. There was venerable Shanu.
hal rooster that stayed in the ward that
every body called "Old Jack" Ia was
very old and very cross, and he and Sam
were deadly enemies. MANY a fight had
they had, and, although Sam peneralIv co.,
the best OF it, Old Jack used to give him 80 q
great deal of trouble. e'0 LII"
NOW, just as Sam went arOnnd ono INV
ner OF the house, Old Jack stalked aronod
Sne other, closely examining the ground in
quest OF beetle, or a worm. or soma othar
agreeable delicscy of that sort. The bright
piece OF sllver attracted his eve. and he al.
vanced toward it. He had rot vet de-
termlned whether or not it was good to
eat. and was about to begin a closer exam.
nation, when back came the owner. A.
slght OF his foe, Old Jack seized the coin
ana ran, intending to carry it of and in
spect it at his leisure. -
oam set up tremendous yell, and pava
chase, Old Jack ran frat in 0ro 1;-...