The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-12-11
Tots Christmas Dream.

end touched the tip of her saucy nose
You never saw Tots, did you? Well
t she's the queerest mixture of good and
bad you ever met. All I can say of her
is, she is high-tempered, meek, dis
agreeable, charming, obstinate, obedi-
ent, hateful and lovable, all in one aud
J the same hour
How does she look?" You ought
not to ask me that question, because I
am not an impartial Judge, for Tots be-
longs to me; anyway she's only so high
that is, just high enough to give a
drink of water to the thirsty flowers in
the baywindow, and to gather green
leaf and bright blossom for papa's but
ton-hole bouquet every morning, and if
she ever would stand still long enough
to have her face washed clean and her
hair curled decently, you would see a
lily-peach face, blue eyes, dimpled
cheek and chin, laughing mouth, and
hair in little golden rings all over the
precious head.
About the dream? Oh, yes! don't
let me forget that! You see we lived
in the country then, and in the summer
time the large egg-shaped bed in front
of the house was filled with the prettiest
flowers you ever saw, and Tots could
pull, without asking, just as many as she
wanted.
One day I sent her out to gather buds
and blossoms for the glass stands, and all
at once we heard such dreadful screams
that we thought the man who was cut
ting grass from the croquet-ground,
near the flower had surely wounded
our darling, and we rushed at once to
the rescue.
1t was a picture, I can tell you.
There stood Tots on the edge of the
fower-bed, holding in her hand tiny
green frog and lady-bug, while
Thomas, with uplifted scythe, looked in
amazement at the enraged child.
AS soon as she saw me she threw her
self sobbing, frog, bug and all, into my
arms and explained
He almost touched my tree. toady
and my hy-away- home with his nasty
sharp knife, and [ say he shan't cut the
grass around this fower-bed. Oh! ohi
oh! he did kill one of my most beauti-
fullest caterpillars!"
1t took long time to mend the
broken heart, but Thomas promised to
be more careful in future, and the pets
were carefully returned to their leafy
home, and our little one was induced to
go into the house by the promise of
being allowed to arrange the flowers
Shy her lone" in the stands and vases
What has all this summer story to do
with the Christmas dream ? you ask. A
very great deal Flowers can't live
always, you know, and before Christmas
Jack Frost, the cold-hearted destroyer
had killed every flower that we did not
take up and put in the warm house.
And how Tots grieved for her flowers
and her. pets! It was only when we con-
vinced her that her darlings all had
winter homes, and that she would see
them again in the spring, that she be-
came partially resigned.
Christmas morning came, and most
glorious Christmas it was, for all night
long the snow had fallen in flakes as
large and firm as the petals of the
white rose, and the earth was as pure
and unstained as the life of Him whose
birth we were celebrating.
Bright and early the children were
dressed, and down we went to the sit
ting-room, where the Christmas tree
stood in all the glory Of lighted waxen
tapers; pretty, variously-colored deco
rations, and wonderful toys. We began
to cut down the presents and to give
them into the eager little hands so
ready to receive them. But where was
Tots? Her turn came, and she had
disappeared! The house was searched
no Tots could be found. At last I
opened the front door, hardly expect
ing to see her out in the cold; but
there she stood, without cloak or cap,
right in the middle of the snow-cov-
cred fower-bed, with clasped hands and
dazed look on her fair young face.
What is it, Tottie?" I asked, gently,
for I feared to startle the little one from
her trance.
"Oh, mamma" she said, last night
all my flowers came back, and this
morning can't even find the door to
the flower fairies winter home, and it
ought to be just in the middle of this
| uOWOT-UGu
Poor child How could I make her
understand that in our waking and
; sleeping dreams we visit many charm
ing air-castles all through life, of which
in reality we can never even discover
the doors. took our darling into the
house, warmed her by cheerful CRATE
{ fire, and gradually, in her quaint, child
ish way, she told me her Christmas
, dream.
/ " was wide awake, mamma, waiting
: to hear the sleigh-bells of Dancer and
> Prancer. and thought maybe I'd see
. good old Santa Claus when he came
in, when all at once beautiful child
with brightness about his head, stood
! close by my bed, and said:
8 Come, Tots? I was frightened al
L r