The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1877-12-22
elbow can Santa Claus come down if

mamma IN QeSpalr). II QOn
know, dear. He jumps down"
80 yes SO he does. Else hesquuez
es Pm going to tell him to bring mi
great big drum. . 0 mamma -
"Wht child -
"The fireboard's in dreadful tight
How can he get in the room?'
elbow can he get in the -"
go, l know, mamma! He'll knocl
it out with his great big foot ; and that'l
wake Bobby and me right up, and III
jump out of bed and catch hold of his
funny red nose. I'll say, Halo, YOU
old Santa Claus, give me whole lot o.
presents. Won't |, ma ?"
Something calls the mother from the
room at this moment, and the little fel
low is left alone-all alone with the
chimney. He looks towards it, and,
not knowing exactly why, scampers out
OF the room as fast as he can.
"And, papa" says a little girl on
Christmas eve, elf we put the tree in
the parlor tonight, will the Christ-child
come and put on the candies and toys
and light the candles ?"
80 they say, my child.
"Say yes, papa, cause he does. He
comes every Christmas regular to light
up the trees, and bring things for good
children, mamma says. Amt a good
children, papa ?"
Eyes, my little girl, very good kiss
ing herr when you're not naughty.
''Yes (cheerily), l mean when I'm not
naughty. No childrens are good when
they re naughty. What makes the Christ
child come, papa !"
because it's His birthday, my little
girl. The Saviour was born on Christ
mas day; and SO, every year He comes
as the Christ-child to bless all little chill
dren, and make them glad. He enters
everybody's heart, if they will let Him,
and whispers, Love little children
Make them happy for my sake. .
go, papa, Pm SO glad | guess |
won't never be naughty any more. Pa
pa, do yon think there IL be little pump
on the tree for me that pumps real wa
ter?"
81 shouldn't be surprised if there
were"
"And a trunk for my dolly"
81 don't know about that, little wo-
man."
Joe says he bets there II be Noah's
ark for him. But nobody don't know
anything at all about it. Do they, pa
pa"
'.Not word," says papa, solemnly,
as he takes out his notebook and jots
down three items.
Oh, the blessed, real Christmas To
bring it about, father may humbug, and
mother cheat, anl the parSon wink at
little family lies, but the children are
honest. They, at least, bare their little
hearts before 1.-THE wonderful, won
derful day when they would take itquite
as a matter of course for an angel to
bring them a penny whistle. Many
child breaches in the temple on that day,
saying wiser things with its glad eyes
than ever priest has uttered. Some
truths can come to us only SO, when our
gratitude swells in the unthanking de-
light of our little ones.
Shut your eyes and go back to
Christmas eve of long ago. Already |
hear the creaking of the kitchen stairs.
We children are going down to bid old
Eliza Garnet ''good night, a ceremony
never at any bedtime omitted. There
she sits by the kitchen stove as we go
in. Her days work is done. The can
die has made long wick for itself, and
sends up goodly shaft of blaze. One
lid of the stove is off, and ruddy glow
darts from it, lighting her shining brown
face and brihgt bandanna head-gear.-
We notice that everything is, if posi-
bic, neater and more cheerful than usu-
al and yet she has been SO very busy
all day. The roses of the old oil-cloth
seem to have been mysteriously revived
they almost nod to us. The tins,
hanging in rows, look like silver; cups
and platters on the dresser throw funny
little flashes of light at the candle,
Everything is bright, even the strip of
rag carpet by the little table where she
sometimes sits and sews and on one
end of the big kitchen table are things
covered over with cloth.
l run eagerly toward the spot.
"Done go thar, honey -
ooh, yes, Lizer-please let me look. "
"No, no them's things for to-mor
rows dinner. Come way from thar.
Tha's good chile, Miss Lizzie. Now
Miss Sophie, what you gwine to do?
Let go that ar cat now. She's like ole
Lizer. She likes to cruddle up by de
fire when night comes. Massa Charley,
boy, fotch dat bench yere and sit down
by ole Lzer, Use gwine to tell you sum-
fin. :"
So we all crowd around her, dread
ing, meanwhile, to hear voice calling
us from the head of the stair.
"Tha's right. Ole Lizer likes to see
little ladies and gem'men circumspectu-
Gus. This ramskitering around isn't no
way to do. Did you know what night
this ere was ~
Know what night it was We am
swered the question with buzz and a
rustic that made the old cat blink.
'It's scrumptuous night for de rich
folks, honeys, who's got bountyfllious
supplies O. lard, an raisins, an turkeys.
But how is it wild de poor folks? OATS
what ole Lizer like to be informed. y
ssEo.la. III o,;,,a 'a,,, +bo,,1a ,,,ona,, -