The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-21
the children of whom we nave been

6nO Ch1ioACh Vi W4Om VIC A6t0 OCCl
taking
And stepping to the door she opened
it, and much to the small girls aston
ishment, she took her tiny, cold hanC
and drew her and the still smaller boy
with her into the warm room filled witt
young Parkers and toys. The small
girl glanced about her moment in 6
half-frie htened way, and then she
looked up into Aunt Helen's kind face
and said:
want any outings? Shoe outings:
Five cents duzing.'
~ don't think 1 do" replied Aunt
Helen.
"Should think you had ort to-" said
the small girl, looking down at the feet
all around her, "you got SIGH lots Of
shoes here. But if you don't me an
me brudder'll be goin'."
Don't be in a hurry" said Ted,
jumping down from the window-sill
and coming toward the little strangers.
'And SO that chaps your brother, is
he?"
"Yes," said the small girl. very
gravely. "He's my twin-brudder.
Your tUin-brother !" shouted Ted.
"Why, he isn't half as big as you are,
and you're no bigger than my sister
Stella's new doll.
I'm big huff for meself," said the
little thing, IAN he's me -brudder
if he be teenty-tawnty. Us's got the
VERY same buff-day, us has,"
"And when is your birthday" asked
Aunt Helen.
.'The fust day that gifts come in Jan.
he's frees
''0h! you're twins three years apart. :"
and Ted burst out laughing again.
"Yes. an its muffin to laugh al
neither" said the small girl. very much
offended, IAN if you don't want nc
shoe-buttings us'll be goin'. Us has got
our Twin to make
..Your living to make, you poor
babiesr' said Helen, who was as kind
hearted as her aunt, and that's saying
a great deal for her. '.How many but
tons have YOU got?'
"Eive duzirtG an one l Sold" an
swered the child. promptly.
'.We'll buy them all, said Helen,
land you and you brother can stay
here awhile and warm yourselves and
eat cake
I'D ruther take it home and eat it, y
said the small girl, though she looked
longingly at the generous slice offered
her. al don't want to eat wifi hull
lot eff folks a-starin' Mt me. Sides, |
want to give my mudder some. But
Peter kin eat his if he like"
And Peter did ike, for he had begun
to devour his share as though half
starved before his sister was done speak
ing.
"You queer little thing" said Helen;
"but if you do object to eating before
folks, you'll sit down in Roses chair
near the fire and tell us your name and
where you live. won't you? And then
You shall have a whole loaf of cake to
take home with you"
The small girl sat down on the chair
-that is, she sat Oh the edge of it.
"Peter,' she said, as she did so, "ii
us is goin' to stay YOU must be perlite
and take off your hat"
And feter tuggcd away at the Irvine
tied under his chin until he broke 1t, and
then removed the wooden box from his
curly head. And to the credit of the
Parker children be it said. not one OF
them laughed aloud as he did SO, though,
as Ned afterward declared, they NEAR,
ly burst laughing inside. But then. -
he added, 1--WE wern't a-goin' to have
that hop-over my-thumb person per,
liter than we Were"
ME names Bah an hisn' Peter, be-
gan the small girl. as soon as her broth
or had taken off his Very queer hat, san'
us lives in Tree Court, jess by Grand
street. There wo. tree there wunst.
There amt none there now. It's got cut
down. There's stump"
Have you a father and mother?"
asked Rose.
"On'y one," replied Bah. 'She's
kerself-felled over the
stump, her did, one night: twas dark
an her had big bundle"
'.Did you hang up your stocking?"
said Stella.
"Wot fur?" asked the small girl, in a
tone of establishment. "Ware'd hang
it? l want it on my leg, l do. It's a
sock. it is. Tain't no reg'lar stock
in"
Didn't you everget anything in your
stocking when it was regular stock
ing?" said Ned.
"a mouse got into it wunst," said
Bah. "Guess he wos cold"
"He means didn't Santa Claus ever
put anything in it," explained Rose.
"Sandy Claus? Wots him?" asked
Bah, none the wiser for the explana-
ton.
Don't you know what Christmas is?"
said Helen.
"Oh! yes," answered Bah, quickly, a
CLEAN of light coming into her sharp
little face, which, by the by, was, in
spite of its sharpness, pretty little
face, with large, dark-brown eyes, a
tiny mouth and dimpled chin, Its
Then the Parker oh ldren did laugh.
They laughed until the tears ran down
their cheeks.
"'Tts mince-pie. repeated Bah, as
soon as she could make herself heard
tpdlH L huOW LIS, CiuSc IL "OHldu
wot bought some outings of me yister-
day she says to me: Don't you want
your Chrissmus?' she says, an l says
Yes, ma am an she give me a hull
hunk of pie. and she says that's mince-
pie,' she says, AN got lots of nice things
in it, an it had got, too, an l give Pc
ter half, an US cut it an 'twOz good.
Us never had anythin' so good before.
Did us, Peter?'
$40" said Peter, stoutly, speaking
Tor the first time since he came into the
house.
"Wouldn't you like to have some
more Christmas asked Helen.
"YOu bet! Wouldn't us, Peter?" said
Bah, drumming her small heels against
he chair, on the edge of which she sat.
..And wouldn't u.s." repeated her