The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-12-25

They were quiet for moment, when
Johnny said:
katie, don't you think it's mean
that Philip didn't get something in his
stocking beside candy-something to
play with? A drum is splendid: rub-a-
dub-dub! rub-a-dub-dub!''
.There, hush! try to go to Sleep
said Kate.
She sat quiet as statue, the book
before her. staring at the picture of
Philip on Christmas mornin g-jacket-
less, barefooted, inspecting his plump
stocking by lamp-lght. She dared mot
turn leaf, or move finger, and scarce
ly breathed. After what seemed long,
long waiting, she asked in a very low
tone:
"Are you asleep, Johnny?'
"No," said Johnny. II keep think
ing bout Philip. What kind of candy
do you s'pose it was he got in his stock
ing? I hope it was gum-drops and
chocolate-creams.''
Never mind about that. Just 60
to Sleep"
Again there was silence, while Kate
looked at the shadows about the room;
at the clock; at the picture of Philip,
and read over, for the twentieth time
or the hundredth, or the thousandth, it
may be-the contents of that Christmas
stocking.
At length she thought Johnny must
surely be asleep, he lay so quiet, and
she felt SO very anxious to make be-
ginning. She rose softly and tiptoed
over to the lounge, where he lay with
his face to the wall. She bent over and
peeped. His wide-open eyes turned to
hers.
AREN'T you asleep YETI" said Kate,
with some impatience.
mo" said Johnny, sadly. % I keep
worrying about Philip yet. Do you
think his candy was those mean old
peppermint things that taste like medi-
cine and smart the tonguep"
"No," said Kate, with ready SYM
patty. II think it was cream-candy.
The stocking bulges out in one place
just the shape of stick of cream
candy"
"Let nc see where it does" said
Johnny, eagerly, sitting up.
Kate, remembering his trait of "hold-
ing on" decided that the quickest way
to quiet him was to bring the book and
show him the picture.
"Don't you see, the stocking sticks
out right there, just like there was a
piece Of cream-candy.''
| Johnny did see, or imagined he did,
a slight irregularity in the line of the
stocking-picture, and lay down. Kate
arranged the bedclothes about him, and
said, soothingly:
"Now, 90 to sleep, darling.'
Il WILL" said Johnny, obediently.
A period of silence ensued, while
Kate waited, matching in her mind a
blue square to brown merino one,
| and a green to a red. "No,' she
thought, "rll put drab and red togeth-
err"
Katie" said asmothered voice from
the bed.
"What is it, Johnnyr' said Kate,
hopelessly.
Wasn't it very little bit of cream:
candy? The stick out in the picture is
such little stick-out.''
why. no. said kind Kate, in re-
assuring tone. II think the stick-out
is good-sized stick out, and I'm sure
the candy was good large piece"
I'm so glad" said Johnny, settling
himself again on the pillow.
Kate waited. Tick! took! tick! took!
For four minutes this was the only
sound.
''If he stays quiet one minute long
err" Kate thought, watching the clock.
lit must be he's asleep, and then l can
work.
"Kater'
"Oh, dear! dearr' said Kate, grow
ing vexed. What is the matter now,
Johnny?'
"Guess you'll have to give me some
soothing sirup to make me Sleep said
Johnny. Next to candy he liked sooth-
ing sirup:
ing tones. "won't you please 60 to
sleep?'
II can't, Katie; l keep thinking
about Philip. I'm 'fraid some big boy
took bite of his cream-candy, and took
more'n half. Big boys always do take
more'n half.''
"rll tell you, Johnny. You say your
letters backward. That will keep you
from thinking about Philip, and will get
you to sleep.
Johnny promised, and again Kate
tucked him in, and for a moment eve
rything was quiet. Then he again
called:
"Katie!''
| "Why don't you mind me, and say
your letters backward, as l told your"
Kate demanded.
"rm going to-" Johnny answered,
"when YOU tell me which comes first
backward, V or w. It's hard to say
them backward; it's like dragging the
sled up hill"
"Well," said Kate, relenting, ''never
mind; I'll read to you.'
She began to fear that there might be
fifty other stoppages before the alpha
bet backward would be finished.
She read an essay on the "Art of
Reading" In the midst of the first
paragraph her reading was interrupted.
at isn't a pretty piece" said
Johnny.
wait; may be you'll like the last
part BETTER" said sly Kate.
"Well," Johnny assented, turning
over.
Kate went on reading about the ''im-
portance of a distinct enunciation,'
and about the indispensable condi-
ton to good reading that the authors
meaning should be clearly apprehend-
ed," ETC., etc., reading in voice pur-
posely as monotonous as the slow grind
ing of coffee-miu. Suddenly she
stopped; q welcome sound came to her
ear; Johnny was snoring!
Then Kate brought out the scrap-bag
from the oven of the kitchen-stOve,
where she had hid it, and soon actually
made a beginning.-Sarah Winter Rel
lOgg, in st. Nicholas.
Time Lost.