The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25

| breath. Up there the wind blew keenly, the
CHASTITY CLEAN OF ice could be seen IN the riv-
or winding Tar below. The wood was dark
ened by many slender pines and stunted hem
| lock trees--a Wintrv scene-and Holland
thrust his hands deep in his pockets and turn
ed to retrace his steps, when sound broke
the silence NIL about him--a sound that set his
heart a-throbbing, sound that drew his feet
from the beaten road and sent them striding
through the dead brown leaves until they
brought him to the very spot where little
Ruth sat sobbing.
A strange place to find a child, yet there she
sat, flat on the ground, her well-worn, copper
toed shoes stretched out before her, enc little
hand doubled under her arm, as a bird draws
its foot under It's wing, the other hand grasp
ing with all its childish might a branch OF one
of the many small hemlock trees growing
about her. So notified with cold were her face,
her hands, and her little bare knees, she might
have passed for figure carved in good old
| astlle soap.
John Hollands sudden appearance did not
startle her in the least. She seemed to accept
him as one accepts things in dreams, withou
surprise or fear.
"Whati is the matter?" he asked.
"rm cold"
How strange the childish voice sounded up
there in that chill, bleak place!
! "What are you doing here?"
"Pm waiting"
"Poor baby!' thought John Holland, "you
are learning the great lesson early. l should
| like to know the brute who left you sitting
| here while ne or she drinks or gossips in the
| town below" ''" s5 .
"Who are you waiting for, childm
The chill, tear-stained little face broke into
smiles as she whispered: -...
Pm waiting for Santa Claus"
The answer smote him with establishment.
| As 4 boy he had heard much of the genial old
| man for whom little Ruth was waiting, but
he had never heard Of his paying a visit
or transacting any business in the day time.
So he told her; but She looking sorrowfully
wise answered.:
Eyes, knows he goes down the chimneys
at night, Aunty says so, and Santa Claus
must come here to-day to get his trees"
'TO get his trees?' echoed Holland, sitting
down by the side of that bit Of childish gray
"Why, yes; his trees like this, you know"
and after slow, numb sort of search for
something in the depths of her pocket, her
cold little hand drew out a leaf of a child's
story book, torn and soied, but bearing on
one side highly -colored picture Of the good
Santa Claus.
"Thcre," she continued, eagerly, "see the
tree he has on his arm-they don't grow in
THE city; see, he must come up here to get
them"
II understood; but why wait here in the
cold for him when tonight he will come
down your chimney with all sorts OF prett'
toyss?'', ,,
house is here; he thinks all the boys AID girls
live down there in the city; so when lie comes
to get this tree Pm going to say, PHASE Santa
Claus, live here on the hill. Aunty says Pm
pretty good: Can't have doll-baby and a
picture hoOk?"
John Hollands voice was very tender when
he spoke again to ask her name, and then he
lifted her to her feet and said:
| "pll tell you what we will do, Ruth. You
| go home before Aunty misses you and thinks
! you are lost, and I'll stay here and watch for
Santa Claus"
She shook her head
you'll get tired and go away
| ''NO, won't; I'll wait until I see him."
"Trulyr'
"Truly.''
| Lit lie Ruth raised her face and Holland
kissed her baby mouth.
| "Where do you live, child?
"Only little ways back in the woods;-
| there is the path" And running across the
dead leaves she struck into faint, narrow
path, and following it disappeared behind the
trees. Holland watched her out of sight,
| then tying his handkerchief to the top branch
| of that tree which Ruth had selected as the
very one Santa Claus most wanted, turned
his face cityward and strobe down the hill.
| Low down in the west he noticed long
golen rift in the dull gray sky, and it evinced
/
jbonds and flooded all the scenes with wintry
| sunlight Even so had the childish faith of
| little Ruth forced its way through clouds of
loneliness and grief to fill his heart with SUM-
| light More than one woman smiled that
J night at John Holland as ne stood in crowd
ed store, examining with supernatural gravity
dolls dressed and undressed. A light wagon
carried him and his books and toys out from
the city and up the woody hill to Ruth's poor
! home. After peering into the window like
an amiable burglar he summoned Ruths
aunt. A few words outside the door, gentle
| little laugh, a tear Or two, great rustlng of
paper, and then the door was closed, and Hol-
| way to the tree from which waved white
! handkerchief,and, after much hacking,pulling
and digging, succeeded in removing it. Driv-
ing home under the starry sky great tears
filed file ,., his eyes as he thought
OF the wife and baby boy
only tremulous smile, as he thought Of the
| joyous av akening for little Ruth tomorrow
Next day John Holland gave dinner; there
were four at the table.-Holland himself, Ruth
! Ruth's aunt, and Ruth's doll Rosey, who ate
| nothing, but looked lovely and smiled indefati-
gably. 1t would be hard to tell how many
times Ruth laid her doll on Hollands knee,
where upon her waxy eyelids instantly would
close and she fell into most profound sleep.
aIwould be harder still to tell how eagerly she
questioned him as to the exact appearance OF
Santa Claus when he came for that tree-the
very tree she sat beside when she was wait
| ing. ssz. ~.
And John Holland telling stories to the lit
| tie Ruth, hugging her precious Rosey, had in
deed a Merry Christma& forson making the
happiness Of an other lie haSlsfound his OWL
Clara Norris IN N. Y. Graphic ss
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| ponnor;cvo o,,d EvtJ o.o ,,on