The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-12-25
Our Olio.
Christmas Ghosts.

81 don't believe il ever will be morn
ing, said LILLY as she lay, with her eyes
wide open, by the side Of her twin sister
Fanny, who taking the more sensible view
OF the case, that she should need all her en-.
ergies on the morrow, had already gone to
sleep,
I'm sure it must be past midnight, and
| don't believe Santa Claus means 10 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 hundred hours,
and it must be most morning, aud he
hasn't come yet, and | don't believe he
means to come at all.
Now, it was really only about eight
O'Clock, and Lillys papa and mamma we're
out following 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 stockings, and taking meas
ures that his gifts should be liberal ones.
To Fanny, who always believed in every
one, Santa Claus included, and as con
sequence, 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 distrusiful people like Lily,
who think things won't 20 right unless
they superintend them, the watching hours
are very long indeed.
Sudden y Lilly heard a rustling sound
at the door of the room, and felt as il
something was pressed tight down over
her eyelids. They felt SO heavy that she
would gladly have let them stay down,
but, she should miss the sight Of Santa
Claus, she made 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 Lilly would not have
understood the dead languages; bat, as
they passed slowly by from the door to the
chimney where the stockings 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 o, for obedience; 90
the other d, for diligence; but both hands
were broken, and hung useless down. One
shoe was marked S, for swiftncss; the 9th
er II, for hurry; but they were all twisted
out Of shape, aud 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
resolution but the letters were 50 broke en-
aud tumbled out Of place, that Lilly was
only able by the assistance of conscience
to make them out.
The next ghost held in its hands, or had
disposed about it, all Lilly's unfinished
work Of the past year There was the
white silk handkerchief she had promised
to hem for grandpapa, with a great black
hole in the first side, where the rusty
needle was still sticking. There were
the pieces Of beautiful little cardboard
basket that was to have been, for the ma
terials Of which she had ;eascd her mother
night and day for week, and which, with
one side completed, the others broken, and
the silks all tangled together, now pre-,
sented woeful wreck. There were Har.
rvs worsted reins, all done but the bells
but yet not complete enough 10 be trusted
to the care Of Santa Claus this Christmas
Eve. There was great pile of calico
pieces cut out aud arranged for a patch
work bed-quilt; shuttle with an inch OF
two Of very dirty tatting hanging to il; .
crooked needle with part Of babys sock
dolls dresses without sleeves; skirts with
out bands; aprons without strings but Il
is impossible to give full list, for Lilly
was wonderfully good beginner, and il
scarcely seemed possible that one little
girl should have commenced so man,
things 10 one year
The third ghost was wonder 10 be-
hold. On his head he wore an atlas GOV,
cred with ink-blots and scrawls; seyera
spelling. books with torn leaves and broken
covers dangling from bis waist; two arith
fnetics with mysterious imps crawling il
aud out among the figures, aud very blacl
"dog ; ears showing where the multipl
cation table was printed, stuck out Of biz
pocket; in his hand he carried seyera
fractured states and pointed to the GROUND
whercou lay a pyramid Of broken slat.
pencils backet hung behind this strane.
figure, containing few miscellauies, sucl
as defaced cOpy-books, grammars iilumina
ted with pencil sketches, French phrase
books blisicrcd with tears, inky spopccs
clipped rules, chewcd up penholders, snt
the lIke. Then came The aaddest ghost q
all lie was. stamped al over with sucl
words as ''shau't,r II hate YOU lsyou r,
real mean, there, now, take that ctc
He was quite buck aud blue with How
that naughty liille fists had given him
his hraft was bleeding with the shari
words which an angry litlle tongue has,
shot into i, bis eyes were full Of tear,
from the unkind things the listlc iii N,
looked ct him bad done, and on lis Iip'
irembled The untsnlh which one dav n,
had alnlcst spoken In bis hand ID ~
red : dreadful book. Il had three ann
dfed and sixty Eve pnges, aud on each Va,
wfas'en some dreadful story of disobedi