The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-29
A PAIR OF CRUTCHES.
A Good and Proper Way to Celebrate
Christmas.

Christmas.
Guesswheretown was in state of
great excitement one afternoon last
winter-the afternoon of the day before
Christmas. Copies of wonderful proc
lamation had been posted up at the cor
ners of the principal streets, flung down
areas, showed under doors and distrib-
uted in all the public-schools; and this
is how they read:
To my beloved children, Greeting:
/, Santa Claus, otherwise known as ST.
Nicholas and Kriss Kringle, having on Christ
mas Eve, for more years than you would care
to count, filled little stockings and shoes with
goodies, and left in all convenient places many
gifts for small people, now call upon all who
remember my visits in years gone by for some
return of the favors / have bestowed. From
every child who loves me, expect, tonight,
a present. | care not how small it may be, or
what it may be. In my wide kingdom can be
found use for anything and everything And
knowing that my dear children will respond
quickly and cheerfully, and that the gifts
will be many more than would fill both my
stockings, | request that each church of this
town receive and retain them until further
orders from me. With much love, | hereby
atfiX my hand and seal. SANTA CLAUS.
Such hurrying to and fro of eager,
bright-eyed children as there was that
Christmas Eve, though the streets were
filled with snow and the snow still fall
ing! Babies toddling along with toys
some of them sadly battered and
broken, it must be confessed-for ''dood
old Zanty Caws'; boys with books and
balls, and cast-off jackets, and coats,
and hats and a hundred other things
girls with more books, and dolls, and
little aprons, and mittens, and dresses
and hundred and fifty other things;
bakers children with loaves of bread
and cake; shoemakers' children with
shoes; toy merchants children with
toys; confectioners' children with can
dies and fruits; grocers' children with
tea, sugar, raisins, figs, rice and pota-
toes. On they all trooped, laughing
and singing, carrying anything and
everything" as the proclamation read.
How jolly it was to see them pressing
into the different churches with their
offerings and laying them up on long
tables, over each of which was hung
the inscription, printed in fat letters,
made of evergreens and bright red ber-
ries: christmas Gifts from the Chill
dren to Santa Claus"
But one poor little boy, in poor little
room of poor little house, in poor
little street of Guesswheretown, sat by
the side of poor little widow, his
poor little mother, disconsolate and for
lorn. ':'In yearths gone by" he said
he was an old-fashioned chap, and
spoke with lisp when father wath
alive, Thante Clauth wath very good to
me. He didn't give me anything lath
Chrithmath, but l thuppothe it wath be-
cauthe he didn't know where we d
move-tho' that walnut hith fault.
And here" looking wistfully at copy
of the proclamation which lay on the
table before him, 81 can't give him a
thing, we're tho extremely poor"
Then a sudden thought struck him:
my crutcheth-they're nithe pair;
and now that I'm all well, eXthept a
extremely little limp, can ther-tain-
ly do without them. Mother, do you
think he'd laugh at them, or it'll it poth-
i-ble that he hath a little boy or girl
who it'll lame?"
at is just possible, my darling said
the poor little mother, looking into the
serious, dark eyes with fond smile.
Anyhow, I'm sure he wouldn't laugh
at them"
"Then hurry up, mother, or Wen be
late, he said, eagerly jumping from
his chair, and running quickly, in spite
of his limp, to the corner where hung
his hat. "It's near nine o. clock. Well
take them to the church around the
corner-not the big one, but the little
one-where poor folks can go"
Wrapping the little fellow in an old
shawl-he had no overcoat, and his
jacket was summer one-the poor
little mother took him by the hand, and
away they trudged through the cold
street, with the tiny pair OF crutches.
Behold! Christmas morning, another
proclamation:
Santa Claus, otherwise known as Kriss Kringle
| and st. Nicholas, to his thrice-belOved children
| Greeting:
| Thanks for the many useful and beautiful
things you have brought me, and now, | beg
| YOU grant me one more wish, and then fare
well for another year. Go, all you happy
| little ones who have never known want and
sorrow, into the poor streets and alleys, and
with kind words and bright smiles, ask the
| thin, half-clad, half-starved children, who live
| there in novels and tenement houses, and who