St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-12-23


face to face,n said Bob. "I'd Civ hin
a piece of my mind" Dob got thi
expression from his mother, who wa
always giving somebody or other ,
''piece of her mind )" perhaps for tn,
reason, poor woman, she had nothing
else to give them.) "Goin' with lott
of things to young 'uns wOt's got lots
an givin' my brother an sisters an me
wot's got nOthin', nOthin'. Jess you
wait, an you'll see, if ever | ketch him
At this moment a tall, brOad-shOul-
dered figure appeared at the parlor.
window near which stood the Christ
mas-tree. He had long white
beard, and long snow white hair, and
heavy snOw-Yhite eyebrows, and q
jolly red nose. And he had fur cap
on his head, from the brim of which
hung number of little bells, and d
wreath of Christmas green's slung across
his shoulders, and long whip, which
he cracked every now and then, in his
hand. "There he is now there he is
now ~ cried the Linnets, in chorus
"The VERY image of his picture in the
candy-shop winder," added Rachel
sOlemnly.
eyes an I'm gOin' rOun' there, an
don't you fOrgit it," said Cheeky Bob
jumping down from the stool, which
fell over rs soon as he was off of it.
Putting Patty on the floor, he contin-
ued "P'r'aps I'd never hav' another
chance. Wares my hat 2"
"GOin' rOun' there ~ exclaimed the
other children, in tones of the greatest
astOnishment.
eyes, Sir" said Bob: 81 bet you a
dollar | am"
"Wot fur, Bobby ?" asked Molly.
"WOt fur ?" repeated Bob, swagger-
ing about the dismal room, his whole
face glowing with mischief. "Wy, to
Civ him piece of my mind. That's
what fur"
HOh, DON'T It's so big, an so musi-
cy, an so beautiful, an there's so ma
ny folks there, Pm afraid" said Rachel
her grave little face becoming still
graver.
81 amt" said Bob, kicking the fall
Ell stool. 81 feel jess like that there
Banty rooster we used to see in Dick
Fuzzle's yard, wot used to sail in an
lick the hull crowd of other cock-a-
dOodle-dOOs (This last word was
given i'll loud and prolonged crow,
which woke up the baby of the woman
i'll the next room, and caused her to
knock on the wall, and shout "Be
quiet in there, or I'll tell your mOther.")
80 Bobby don't go rOun' there an
lick the hull crowd" begged Molly, her
eyes filling with tears. "They might
took yOu up, an then wot would we
do ?"
81 amt a-goin' to-" said Bob, con-
descendingly. "DOn't you be afraid
Sis. Pm on'y goin' to speak to Sanity
Claus that's all. He ought to fetch
good girls and boys sOmethin' nice on
Christmas night, oughtn't he? Well
I'm boy, an Johnny's boy, an the
rest is girls, an we're all good, an he
amt been here, has he 2 An so
mean to tell him, the forgitful ole cuss.'
"Cuss is Il bad word" said Rachel
eprovingly.
"Well, it come out afore | thought, >
said Bob. II won't say it again, Ra-
chey. But Pm gOin', sure pop. Wares
my hat ~
"Here it is," said the motherly little
body San here" taking a rather
draggled peacock's feather from under
the box that served for a seat, "is q
pretty feather to put in it. | found il
yesterday on the sidewalk in front O
the mifner's, an | wOs a-gOin' to put il
you're 'termined to go to that party
yOu must hav' sOmethin' to make you
look little spectacle"
Bob stuck the feather in a conven.
lent hole i'll his hat, gave wild ''hoO,
ray ~ which woke the baby in the mex
roosl up again, and disappeared while
Johnny, who had said nothing all this
time, turned once more to the window
with the remark: "Well, he is {
cheeky yOut', an no mistake"
Through the snow ran Bob, never
slackening his pace, for fear, think
in spite of his bOasting, of his cOurag,
giving out if he did, until he reached
the house where he had seen SAINT;
Claus. Up the stOOp he sprang, an6
gave the dOor-bell such pull that h,
heard the ring above all other sounds
and began, at last, to be little fright
ened. But he stood his ground firmly
and, when a cOlored man in holiday
dress, buttOn-hOl bouquet and all
opened the door, and stared at hin
with very big black eyes, he said: g
want, if you please, to see Mr.. SANITY
Claus"
"'Mr. Santa Claus ?" repeated tn,
man.
eyes Mr.. Sanity Claus" said Bob
in a louder tone.
Now, it happened that there was
sudden hush in the parlOrs (somebod,
was going to sing,) and so the boy
voice was heard there distinctly, and
little girl in a white dress, trimme,
with pink ribbons, came running ou
into the hall, followed by several girl
and boys.
"What do you want, boy ?" she asked
81 want to see Mr.. Sanity Claus" re
piled Bob, his heart beginning to bea
very fast indeed.
"What for ?" was the next question
''To Civ him a piece-I mean to tel
him sOmethin'," said Bob.
"Well, did you ever :" exclaimed tn
other children, beginning to giggle.
But kind-loOking old gentleman
, who had been standing behind them
came forward, and, taking the boy b.
the hand, led him into the room wher
the lady who was singing had nearl
reached the end of her song Man
wondering eyes were turned on tn
strange visitor, but none of them wer
so full of wonder as his own. 1t seem
ed as though he were in fairy -land-th
) fairy-land of which Johnny had rea
r to him from his one precious story
book. He didn't feel afraid at al
There was nothing but beauty an
1 kindness here and when, the song fin
r ished, Santa Claus came and stood be
fore him, he took the hat with the pea
cock feather in it, which until this me
ment he had forgotten. from his bea1