The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-12-26
miscellaneous.
Christmas Ghosts.

81 don't believe it ever will be morning."
said Lily, as she lay, with her eyes wide open,
by the side of her twin sister Fanny, who TAX
ing the more sensible view of the case, that
she should need all her energies on the NOR
row, had already gone to sleep.
I'm sure it must be past midnight, and |
don't believe Santa Claus means to come at
all. I've made up my mind to see just what
he is like this year; but, oh dear! I've stayed
awake about a hundred hours, and it must be
most morning, and lie hasn't come yet, and |
don't believe he means to come ut all"
Now, it was really only about eight o'clock,
and Lily's papa and mamma were out follow
ing Santa Claus in and out of all the shops,
telling him just what they knew their little
girls would like to have him put in their stock
ings, and taking measures that his gifts should
be liberal ones.
To Fanny who always believed in every
one, Santa Claus included, and as a conse-
quence, always obeyed every one, and had
gone right to sleep the moment she was put
to bed the time did not seem long at all but
to distrustful people like Lily, who think
things won't go right unless they superintend
Them the watching hours are very long in
deed.
Suddenly Lily heard rustling sound at the
door of the room, and felt as if something was
pressed tight down over her eyelids. They
felt so heavy that she would gladly have let
them stay down, but, afraid that she should
miss the sight of Santa Claus, she made a
great effort, opened them very wide--and what
do you think she saw?
A train of ghosts Yes, just as real ghosts
as anybody ever saw and yet she did not feel
frightened. They did not speak, for if they
had Lily would not have understood the dead
languages; but, as they passed slowly by from
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| hung, each one pointed solemnly to label on
| his back, which told her just whose ghost he
was.
First came tall fellow with very bright,
promising face. On one hand was stamped
| the letter 0, for obedience; ON the other D.,
| for diligence; but both hands were broken, and
hung uselessly down. One shoe was marked
| s, for swiftness; the other H, for hurry; but
they were all twisted out of shape, and letter
| ID, for dawdle, hung from the torn clothes in
which the figure was habited On the back
of this ghost had been printed the words,
Good resolutions :" but the letters were so
broken and tumbed out of place, that Lily
was only able by the assistance of conscience
to make them out.
| The next ghost held in its hands, or had dis
posed about it, all Lily's unfinished work OF
the past year. There was the white silk hand
kerchef she had promised to hem for grand
| papa, with great black hole in the first side
where the rusty needlo was still sticking
There were the pieces OF :. beautiful little card
board basket that was to have been, for the
materials of which she had teased her mother
night and day for week, and which, with one
side completed, the others broken, and the
silks all tangled together, now presented a
woful wreck. There were Harry's worsted
reins, all done but the bells, but yet not com.
| hat cd trf
Claus this Christmaseve. There was great
pile of calico pieces cut out and arranged fol
patchwork bed-quilt; shuttle with an inch
or two of very dirty tatting hanging to it O
crooked needle with part of baby's sock
dolls dresses without sleeves skirts without
bands; aprons without strings-but it is inn
possible to give full list, for Lily was
| wonderfully good beginner, and it scarcely
seemed possible that one little girl should have
commenced so many things in one year.
The third ghost was wonder to behold
On his head he wore an atlas covered with ink
blots and scrawls; several spelling books will
torn leaves and broken covers dangling from
his waist two arithmetics with mysterious
imps crawling in and out among the figures
and very black "dog's ears" showing
where the multiplication table was printed
stuck out of his pocket; in his hand he car
ried several fractured states and pointed to tn
ground wheroon lay pyramid of broker
slate-pencils; basket hung behind thi
strange figure, containing a few niscellanie
such as defaced copy-books, grammars illu
minated with pencil sketches, French phrase
books blistered with tears, inky sponges, chip
ped rules, chewed-up penholders, and the lik'
Then came the saddest ghost of ALL He wa
stamped all over with such words as ''shan't,
II hate you" you're almean," "there, nov
take that" etc. He was quite black an
blue with blows that naughty little fist had gi,
en- him, his heart was bleeding with the shar
Q words which an angry little tongue had she
Q intoit, his eyes were full of tears from the Ill
!, kind things the little girl who looked at hil
which one day she had almost spoken.
his hand he carried dreadful book. It ha
three hundred and sixty-fye pages, and o