The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-12-23

It did not take h.. cross the river,
and Nina went on shore and looked
about. A great, good-natured looking
man sat smoking his pipe at the door Of
shoemaker's shop. -
Nina went up to him and said softly:
"Please, sir, will you eel me where
Mr.. Santa Claus lyes?"
ssMr. Santa CLAUSE" said the man, in
broken English. .Vell, I do not know
does he keep show or work at trade?
You tell me vot he is, den maybe I re-
member him.
ssDon't you know: I thought every
one knew Mr.. Santa Claus" said Nina.
ttHe-he makes toys for Little children. :"
.'Sop said the Germanl $50. Yas.
Iknow. Go up dis street and along to
she next corner, den you see 3 ittleSgate.
Behind dat you find de man dot makes
toys for de children"
Mine said that she WAS much obliged.
She felt that people were amiable in Ger
many, and her hopesrose high. She fol-
lowed her old Germans direction and
soon came to high fence. There was a
gate in it. She lifted che latch and
opened it, and before her was a low,
brown house. Softly she crept up to the
window. Yes,syes; ahe had found Santa
Claus at last. ( There, before the fire, ,esat
little fat old man, with white ehaT and
rosy cheeks 7har1 7h at work with turning
! lathe Lathe. An old woman, as rosy as he was,
was gluing pieces Of wood together with
brush-toy chairs, tables, bedsteads,
wagons, milk-maids, jointed dolls; and
at table sat four little girls painting
away at the finished toyswith the bright
est colors. Oh! this was delightful, and
Santa Claus and his wife looked SO kind!
Nina knocked on the door. Some one
cried, "Herein," and she entered.
She stood at the threshold and drop
ped the little courtesy her mother had
taught her, and said:.
"Please, Mr.. Santa Claus, want to
speak to you particularly. 1t is about
Christmas"
"So!" cried the old gentleman-and
truly he was German-1ising. "But
what did you call me, little oneY' =
..s.Mr. Santa Claus said Nina. ;ss.I'ye
been looking foryod all day; and poor
mother is so sick. That is why want
to see you. You used to come in at the
window on Christmas eve when she lived
in Germany, and you always put some
thing in her shoe, and now she cannot
earn money because she is sick. want
you to come down the chimney and put
enough in her stocking to last until she
is well, for father is dead, and we have
nobody who cares for us. And you-oh!
you are 80 good, always going over the
roofs on Christmas eve, and giving pres
ents to everybody"
"The child thinks you are Santa
Claus" whispered the old German wo-
man in her husbands ear. "Oh, how
like she is to our little Nina, do you not
see?"
"Do you speak, German, child?" said
the old:man.- .!ss ~
"Yss;;'ssaid Nina; Sit is ny mothers
language. Yes, speak it very WELL"
"And what is your name?" asked the
old gentleman.
"Mina Hoffman, MIR. Santa Claus, if
you please, +" replied Nina.
The old woman caught her husbands
arm.
"Be q1iet, be quiet" whispered the
old man. cit is common name.
"And how did you think Of coming
here, my little maiden?"
s'Because you were so good" said
Nina. "To-day mother cried and told
me how pleasant it used to be in Ger
many; and oh, Mr.. Santa Claus, you
must know where her father and mother
are. She said she ran away from them;
and l. know she thought it was very.
naughty only what could she do If
they wouldn't let father come IMP"
"Hans, Hans, it is our daughterp
cried the old woman. "What was the
name of your mothers father?"
eft was Ansen, Mrs. Santa Claus, :"
said Nina.
The old lady began to cry. She
caught the child in her arms and kissed
her fondly.
"Oh, good Mrs. Santa Claus you will
ask Mr.. Santa Claus to help mother,
won't you?" pleaded Nina.
But now the old couple took her by
the hands and led her away to an inner
room, where the old Lady r1lmagedin the
drawer of little bureau and brought
out an old-fashioned daguerreotype.
'See, child" she said. "Don't this
look Like any one you know?"
"It looks like mother" cried Nina,
only-only not so DID,"
3It is enough, said the old gentleman.
"Child, God has sent you. I am not
Santa Claus. am only an old oy-maker,
working here in Weehawken-in o strange
country to which I came from my father
land. But my dear, am your grand
father, and this is your grandmother.
We came to America to look for our
daughter when we heard she was o
widow, but we could not find her. Now
we are going to go and take care Of her.
We will go with you. And again I say,
God sent you. F"
So in q few moments Nina and her
grandparents were on their way across
the ferry.
It was late in the afternoon when they
climbed the stairs of the tenement house.
Then the old people waited outside in
the entry, and Nina went into the poor,
half-furnished room and found little
Biddy Flynn still waiting patiently.
"What happened ye, Mina?" she
asked. 'gThe mother has been fretting
for you. :"
sOh! my child! am nearly frightened
to DEATH" sobbed the poor woman.
"Mother!'' cried Nina "Oh, mother!
I went to Germany to find Santa Claus
for We never needed him so much. But
r. WOO MT Garuonv an6 r did NOT find
him; but-oh, mother-I found grand
father and grandmother"
"Mother! Father!" cried the poor
woman; and the next instant they rushed
in and had her in their arms.
So Nina had merry Christmas after
all; and you may be sure that her mother
got we'll, and that Santa Claus did not
forget her.
4 PHILADELPHIA man has perfected AZ
;nyan+ion whereby sOur kraut can be