St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-12-23
Wouldn't you like TO hear oneg'

Wouldn't you like to hear one?''
asked the girl coaxingly. s
..Of course would--Pm very fond
of stories-but don't see how / can
spare the time. We're so busy just
now, and likely to be until night said
Mr.. Golong.
"It's only short one, = said the boy.
"a very short one, added the girl.
"WeIl, go ahead said the good
natured old fellow. And he sat down
on barrel of potatoes, and his young
visitors placed themselves one on each
side of him.
nss One Christmas-time. the boy be-
Gan, there was big tenement house
in tllis city, and ten families lived in it,
and every one OF these families 'cept
one knew they were a-going to have
turkey for their Christmas dinner They
knew it sure the day before Christmas,
all 'cept this one. The ~family that
wasn't sure the day before Christmas
morning lived on the top floor, and it
was 1t was---'''
s.Mrs. Todd, Neal Todd, Hetty Todd
and Puppy Todd prompted the girl,
TIES, it was them,'' said the boy:.
and vent on with his story again
s9Mrs. Todd was Meals and Hetty's
mother they hadn't any father; he
died three years ago--and Puppy was
their dog Mrs. Todd is one of the best
mothers ever lived, and she sews but.
ton-holes. on boys jackets for big
store; and HetGy cleans up the house,
and gets the supper, and such things;
and Ii mean Neal errands for:
folks when he can get a chance after
school. His mother wants him to 60
to school till, he's fourteen, anyhow,
cause a boy that has some education
can get along better than a boy that
dom t know anything. And this family,
though they were very poor, had always
managed to have a turkey dinner till the
Christmas I'm telling about, and Mrs.
Todd loved turkey
Didn't Hetty and Neal?'' asked Mr..
Golong, closing his eyes and wrinkling
his nose again; and he hurried away to
wait on stout lady, all covered with
glittering jet ornaments and bangles,
who must have been a very particu-
lar customer, she talked SO loud and so
much.
.Didn't Hesty and Nealp'' he repeat
ed, when he came back.
:. oh, my! guess they didr' said the
girl, her eyes sparkling.
Z. They'd a been funny fellows if
they didn' IT, added the boy; shut, pom
their words and honors, they wanted it
more for their mother-she's such a
good mother, and has so few things to
eat than they did for themselves. And
it made them feel awful bad when she
came home and cried cause some
wicked thief had stolen her pocket
book with half weeks earnings in it,
and the two dollar bill that the boss
had given her to buy a Christmas din
ner with besides. And SO the boy
Neal-he's kind Of nice chap. ain t he,
Hetty?'
Awful nice" replied Hetty, with a
mischievous little giggle.
"And he says to his sister-she's aW-
full nice, amt she, Hetty?''
. Kind Of nice" said Hetty, with an
other little giggle.
Z. He says to his sister," continued
the boy. s.Don't say anything to moth
er, but put on your hat, and bring
basket, and we II make try for mer-
~ Christmas dinner turkey and all.
And they went round the corner to
beautiful market, kept by a gentle
man who looked exactly like Santa
Claus -
Mr.. Onosander Golong laughed aloud
this time, and flew to wait on another
particular customer.
20 So he looked like Santa Clause he
said, with a chuckle, when he, sat down
on the barrel of potatoes again. b
~ The very image OF him!' said the
girl, with great emphasis.
The bow began the boy once
more, chad run errands for him two
or three times, and each time had got
twoapples or oranges besides the reg
lar pay; and he was good 10 cats and
dogs. So this chap wentjto this gentle
mamie took his sister along, cause he
thought Mr.. Golong would like to see
her and they told him their story. And
the boy says, when it was done: If you
would only trust us for turk 4 mean,
a turkey, and few other things, I'll
work for you all holiday week, and an-
other week. atoo. after school. My
name Neal Todd, and my mother is a
zeal nice woman, and love her just as
you used to love your mother when You
was little bov. And the gentleman,
says he: Being as it's Christmas time,
and look SO much like Santa Claus
I'll do it. And he did. And that's
all =
Mr.. Onosander Golong burst out a
LAUGHING, and OIL how he laughed! He
laughed until fhe tears ran down his
cheeks. He laughed until he nearly fell
of the barrel He laughed until every
body TAI: and near who heard him