River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-27
THE WIDOWS CHRISTMAS,

arg you warm enough my little
one?"
Yes, mamma; just as warm as toast
Kiss me, mamma: want to go to SLEEP
quick, so Santa Claus won't have to
stand and wait in the cold"
The goodnight kiss was given,' and
the little brown head disappeared under
the cover. Presently it emerged again.
Mamma"
''What is it, my baby?"
"Do you think he'll Gomez"
eyes, darling; think So"
"You only think 50. Then you're not
sure. Ifyou felt suie. you'd say yes, he
will"
You know, Bessie, we never can be
quite sure of anything in this world; but
feel pretty certain that he will come.
That's So" said the child rehectively
after pause. "Such little house, and
50 many trees around. He might miss
it. All the houses about are so big.
And he might forget After he'd got
through filling the other little children'5
stockings he might say to himself, Are
there any more stockings that want fill
ing? Let re see And after he'd stud
led awhile he might say, No l can't
think of any, and it's too late and cold
to go around hunting. I'll just take
home what's left And then he might
get ia his reindeer cart and gallop on.
Oh, me, what pity! Oh, l hope he
won't"
The little creature broke off with a
sudden wall, wrought into an ecstacy Of
anxiety ard forestalled disappointment
by the Yividness of the reality her own
imagination had ere ated.
A faint smile came to tAe widows pa
tient mouth; faint smile, and sad one
that had fellowship with the tears in
her eyes.
you know Santa Claus always did
come. Bessie" she answered presently
Yes; he came last wear. To be sure
there wasn't much in the stocking"
With another reflective pause.
''You see this is the littlest place. So
he puts it off till the last, aud | s'pose
his pockets had got most empty. But
he did come, anyhow. He didn't for
get. Mamma"
"Weil, my darling?"
81 think I'll say little prave~, and
Just ask God TO put him in mind. Do
you think he would care if said it here
in bed?"
No, said the widow; 81 don't think
he would"
Forthwith she knelt, in q crouching
posture, in her place on the bed, anI
burviHg her face in the pillow. 4 sound
of whispering floated through the room.
The angels stopped to listen, and this is
what they heard:
ooh dear God, I'd get out and Sueel
down if the floor wasn't so very cod. l
hope yeu won't be angry cause ask it,
but if you'll only be so kind as to tell
Santa Claus not to forget me tonight,
I'll be very glad. Tell him it's the little
house among the trees, where there's
only one little girl. And I'll try real
hard to be a good girl; l will, sure
enough, dear God, and if | don'tsay this
right, please don't take any notice. And
please bless mamma and me-f1r Je-
sus' sake, and-lead us not into temp
taliOn-and-thine is the glory forever
and ever. Amen"
Then the angels looked up smiling,
and the light from the great altar flame
fell upon their iubiIant faces, as they
ChOired the Gloria in Excelsis. PERHAPS
she heard it in her dreams, for sleep
then and there fell upon her, and her
frame, relaxing from its uneasy posture
sank gently into one of repose; the face
half showing with its yelled eyes, and
peaceful, child's mouth, the tiny hands
still clasped close upon the breast.
The widow had drawn up to the wood
fire her little table. unon which he oil
lamp burned dImly. She sat beside it
sewing, and, now and then raising her
head, paused and listened anxious.y.
By and by, in the distance, whip
cracked, and the sound was followed by
the heavy rum5ling of a wagon. The
anxious look cleared away from the wild
owls face, and she whispered softly:
THANK Godi She won't be disap-
pointed"
The wagon came closer, and gruff
voice was heard outside:
Gee, Dobbin; whoa-haw. Buck
whoa, Dobbin; whoa dar, say"
And, with a mingling of many abjur-
cations and much growing abuse, the
team was brought TO standstili before
the door.
The widow had already opened 1t as
silently as might be, and now stood hold
ing 1t against the keen north wind.
"Why can't they make less nOise?" she
muttered impatiently with an uneasy
glance toward the bed. But there was
no movement; the sumber of healthy
childhood is hard to break.
Something shapeless but presumably
human was visible in the darkness. us
that you, Benz" called the widow. 81
was afraid you wouldn't get back this
old dark night"
'It's what dar is left O me" said the
gruff voice. GAS fer gettin' back, Use
bound to do dat. All de plantations
Christmas out yer in dat wagin."
The shape,ess heap drew near with a
slouching motion, until the light stream
ing through the door revealed amid
mysterious endless wTappings anancieni
vIsage once ebony black, but worn by
wind and weather into Il grayish hue.
'Did you get all the thIngsf" asked
the widow.
dat TO you to fine out" was the sen
tentious rejoinder. Il dun fotch al
what dat sto'keeper gimme. How's
gwine to know wot you dun writ on dal
ar piece o'paper. Oar dey is, ANYHOW.
I'll set 'em inside 70 We"
The speaker dishurdened himself of q
hempen sack, evidently containing a
miscellany of articles, alter which from
the unknown depths of his apparel h
produced, rs rapidly as his numbed fin
gers NoUtu diiOWt several SlutlI pttGh-
aces which he laid upon the little table.
That's all, | think, said the widow,
as she inspected them But the old
darkey still iumblcd among his unclassic
dTapenes.
Not yit," he ssid, in his grufF way,
adding, as he produced tiny, brown
paper parcel, "Dar, dat's all. Mustn't
mind M aiben it to little Miss. TIE
her ole Uncle Ben wish her Merry
Christma-2''
THANK you for youI kindly thought,
Ben" sui the widow, as she took from
the hearth steaming tin cup, which had
been waiting there. and handed it to the
old man. who received it with bow
and serape Here Is some hot coffee
that will warm you. ITS very good
of YOU. | know to bother yourself about
nv little CO omissions. when the wealth
er is so cold. It's not what your obliged
to do"
Old Ben drank the coffee in great
gulps. and set the cup carefully
back on the hearth Thank ye, ole
Rfiss - no said DAT near like hit dun