Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-22
III.

Oh, how beautiful the country was when
the gray dawn came next morning white
and still in the dim and slowly growing light.
So still And the stillest place of all was
the one Bijah woke up in. He could not guess
where he was at first, but he lay awhile and
remembered.
ITS Santa Claus's house, and they're all
real good. He's going to give me to some
body as soon as it's Christmas"
He got up very quickly and looked around
him. 1t was not dark in the store-room, for
there was grea. square hole in the middle
of the floor, and glow of dull red light came
up through it which almost made BiJah feel
afraid.
There was his little gray suit of clothes, cap
aud ell, close by his bed on the floor, and he
put them on faster than he had ever done it
before.
Where's my other stockings"
He searched and searched, but it was of no
use, and he finally said
IL can't run away in the snow with bare
foot"
He had been getting braver and braver, now
he was wide awake, and he crawled forward
and looked down through the scuttle-hole. He
knew that room in minute, but he had to
look twice before ne knew the tree.
Ever SO many stockings and they're all
full And look at those sleds o my"
Whichever way he looked he saw some
thing wonderful, and he began to get excited
Il can climb down; it's just like going
down stairs"
1t was just about as safe and easy, with all
those branches under him; all he had to do
was to sit on one, and get ready to sit on the
next one below him. He got about halfway
down, and there was the grain-bag, with its
mouth wide open. just beyond it, on the
same bough but further out, there hung a
very small stocking indeed.
''Thats mine :" said Bijah to himself. TITS
cram full, too They've borrowed it, after
| all theirs were full. l want it to put on now,
| but can't reach it out there.
just then he began to hear noises up stairs,
and other noises in the rooms below-shouts
and stamping, and people calling to each 9th
| er, and he could not maks out what they were
saying.
Oh, dear they're coming Claus is
| coming Christmas is coming. What'll dc? ?'
Bijah was scared but there was the wide
mouth of Grandfather Vroomans grain bag
stocking" and almost before he knew what
| he was doing he had slipped in.
Poor Bijah The moment he was in he
discovered that he could not climb out. He
tried hard, but there was nothing on the sides
of the bag for his feet to climb on. Next
moment, too, he wanted to crouch down as
| low as he could, for all the noise seemed to be
coming nearer
So it was, indeed, and at the head of it
were grandfather and grandmother and the
other grown-up people, trying TO keep back
the boys and girls until they should all be
gathered.
where's Bijah ?" asked grandfather, after
he had counted twice around and was sure
about the rest.
"Bjah" exclaimed Liph. "Why, I looked
| in the store-room; he isn't there"
Hope the little chap didn't get scared and
run away"
Dear me-through the snow !" exclaimed
grandmother.
"Of course not" said Aunt Jane. Hes
around somewhere. Let's let the children in.
They're all here"
STEADY, nowm said grandfather, as he
swung open the door to the dark room"
Don't touch anything till We all get in Stand
around the tree"
He himself stepped right in front of the
tree, and he looked more like great tall old
Santa Claus than ever as he stood there The
children's eyes grew wider and wider as they
formed a very impatient sort of circle but
grandfather's own eyes shut for moment, as
they had habit of doing sometimes, and his
white beard was all of a tremble But in a
moment he looked around again, and said
"Children, which of you can tell me wha'
Child it was that came into the world on the
first Christmas morningW
They were not quite ready to answer g
question that came so suddenly, and before
any of them could speak clear, sweet little
voice came right out of the middle of the
tree
81 know And the shepherds found Him il
a manger, and His mother was with Him. He
sent down after my mother last summer"
"Bjah? ?" exclaimed grandfatheri bu
grandmother was already pushing aside the
boughs, and now they could all see him. On
ly his curly head and his little shoulders wer'
visible above the grain-bag, and Uncle Hiram
shouted