National Republican., 1880-12-29
A STRAY SANTA CLAUS.
The Peculiar MasquerRdinr OF Mr.. Aure-
Illus Jones.


Santa Claus was billed to appear Mt q Sunday.
school entertainment on Capitol Hilllastnght, but
owing TO unavoidable circumstances, as Il was after
wards announced, did not put In an appearance.
When itwas decided to have Santa Claus take part
In the sunday.schsol entertainment, the ladies'
committee naturally looked to Mr. Aurelius Jones,
goodnatured bachelor, as the most available
person TO assume the role Of Santa Claus. Mr.
Jones appeared at the church at early hour last
evening, and was slowed away in the pastors
study.
As Mr. Jones Is rather spare and slender, Il was
necessary Tor him to make up" considerably for
the occasion The use OF q large bundle of old
clothes which he distributed about him In spots
where his anatomy was deficient, gave him Jolly,
rotund appearance, of which 81. Nick himself
might well have been proud. His toilet was com
pcted by donning suit Of fnrs and long white
beard. Then, shouldering n smallsizcd pine tree
and taking upon his back q big bag filled with
candies, swcetmeats, JumpingJacks, and wooden
monkeys, Mr.. Jones was ready to discharge the
duties assigned TO him. The programme was In.
terminaby long.
Mr.. Jones looked out Of the door leading into
the street and cast wisful glance tthe brightly.
lighted restaurant on the opposite side Mr.. Jones
orgued with himself that he could easily step over
there get something to settle his excited nervous
system, and return before any one had discovered
that his attire was one which would be apt to at
tract attention In the street, but was walked UP to
a consciousness Of the fact by the shouts that
greeted him when he entered the restaurant. Ex-
plantations were Of course necessary, and the Joke
was considered so good that Mr.. Jones felt II his
bounden duty to treat the crowd. Then another
gentleman insisted that he had q constitutional
right to treat old Santa Claus. As Mr. Jones hoy
cred around the bar, the odors from the eg5.nog
howl tho nimpe gtpnmiuQ .gpOtplps filed
him with delicious sense ofluxury
lie found the company very agreeable one, and
persuaded himself that there was no particular
hurry as he had margin Of at least an hour The
combined influence of the odors mentioned, the
heat OF the stove and Of the furs In which Mr..
Jones was swaddled like an Arctic explorer, be.
sides several applications to the eggnog bowl, put
Mr.. Jones into state OF bissful indifference and
particularly merry mood. 1t required only lit.
tic urging on the part the sociable crowd which
gathered around Mr.. Jones to get him to sing
song, and he volunteered in addition, sort Of
Irish Jig, winding up with a wild and fierce
"hoopla," which could be plainly interpreted as
meaning that Mr. Aurclius Jones now felt himself
free man, and declared his independence forever
of ladies' committees, Dorcas societies. md other
similar organizations. lie even fatty announced
his determination of seeing the hrats in very un
comfortable place before he'd play the clown for
them.
Mr.. Jones rapidly passed into vague and
vapory state. The crowd among whom he had
fallen invited him to 30 out with them, and he
went AT midnight he was seen making his way
homeward TO Mrs Sparks boarding house, carom.
ing as he proceeded on his tor,uous path against
lamp.posts, bill.bonrds, peanut stands and aston
ished wayfarers. Mrs. Sparks and her boardcrs
were aroused by q loud crash, Mr.. Jones having
demolished the hatrack while rolling through the
hallway. A dozen spectral forms, clad in the
thin rament Of the night appeared OH the stairs
and the hallway. match was struck and as
the full glare Of the gas revealed the unweildy
form of our amateur Santa Claus there was sim
ultaneous scream from the ladies and shout for
police from the men. The police came md taking
the figure apart finally came down to Mr.. Jones'
and the situation was at once explained. Mr.
Jones' as he blnked at the crowd, calculated
Hoop Ia! (hic) you b.bct I'm no w.w.one horse
SAINT (hic) Cluush; come upn have another bbowl,"
and he bunkcd on the parlor sofa.