News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-01-18

appointed in the morning Please let il
go till next Christmas, and then we may
be richer !"
"No, mamma, I'm going to Try
anyhow"
Jack Dawson's great generous heart
swelled until it seemed bursting from
his bosom. He heard the patter of little
bare feet upon the cabin floor as Totty
ran about hunting hers and Benny's
stockings, and after she had hung them
up heard her sweet voice again as she
wondered over and over if Santa really
would forget them. He heard the
mother, in choking voice, tell her
treasures to get ready for bed; heard
them lisp their childish prayers, the little
girl concluding: "And, oh, Lord, please
tell good Santa Claus that we are very
poor, but that we love him as much as
rich children do, for dear Jesus sake
Amen p
After they were in bed, through a
small rent in the plain white curtain he
saw the widow sitting before the fire,
her face buried in her hands, and weep
ing bitterly. On peg, just over the
fire place, hung two little patched and
faded stockings, and then he could stand
it no longer He softly moved away
from the window to the rear of the cabin,
where some objects futtering to the
wind met his eyes. Among these he
searched until he found little blue
stocking which he removed from the line,
folded tenderly and placed in his over
coat pocket, and then set out for the
main street of the camp. He entered
Harry Hawks gambling hall, the
largest in the place, where host of
miners and gamblers were at play.
Jack was well known in the camp,
and when he got up on chair and
called for attention the hum of voices and
the clicking of ivory checks suddenly
ceased.
Then, in an earnest voice, he told
what he had seen and heard, repeating
every word Of the conversation between
the mother and her children. In con-
clusiOn he said:
''Boys, I think know you, every one
of you, an I know jist what kind O
metal yer made of. I've an idee that
Sanity Claus knows iist whar thet cabins
sitiwated, an I've an idee he'll find it
afore mornin'. Hyar's one O the little
gals stockin's thet [ hooked of7n the
line whar' [ heard the widder say she'd
| hung 'em with the washin'. The daddy
O. them little 'uns was a good, hard
workin' miner, an he crossed the range
in the line O duty; jist as anyone of us
is liable to do in our dangerous business.
Hyar goes a 500 piece right down in the
toe, an hyar lay the stockin' on this
card table-now chip in much or little,
as We kin afford.
''Hold them checks O mine on the
ace-jacl1, " said Broclzy Clark, a gambler,
and, leaving the faro table, he picked
the little stocking up carefully, looked at
it tenderly, and when he laid it down
another twenty had gone into the toe to
keep company with the one placed there
by Dawson.
foot of the stocking was well filed, and
then came the cry from the gambling
tables:
''Pass her around, Jack"
At the word he lifted it from the table
and started around the hall. Before he
had circulated it at half a dozen tables it
showed signs of bursting beneath the
weight of gold and silver coin; and a
strong coin bag, such as is used for send
ing treasure by express, was procured,
and the stocking placed inside of it. The
round of the large hall was made, and
in the meantime the story had spread
all over the camp. From various sa
looms came messengers saying:
''Send the stockin' round the camp;
the boys are waitin' for it p
With party at his heels, Jack went
from saloon to saloon. Games ceased
and tipplers left the bars as they entered
each place, and miners, gamblers, specu-
lators, everybody, crowded up to tender
their Christmas gift to the miners
widow and orphans. Any one who has
lived in the far Western camps and is
acquainted with the generosity of West
ern men will feel no surprise or doubt
my truthfulness when I say that after
the round had been made the little blue
stocking and the heavy canvas bag con
tanned over $4,000 in gold and silver
coin.
Horses We're procured and a party
dispatched to the larger town down OIL
the Costumes, from which they returned
near daybreak with toys, clothing, pro
} visions, ETC., in almost endless variety
Arranging their gifts in proper shape
and securely tying the mouth of the bas
of coin, the party noiselessly repaired t.
the widows humble cabin. The bag
was first laid on the step, and the othel
articles piled up in heap over it. Or
the top was laid the lid of a large paste
board box on which was written with I
piece of charcoal:
''Santa Claus doesn't always Civ poo
foxes The shake in This camp"
Christmas morning dawned bright anC
beautiful The night had been a sting
ing cold one, ane when the rising SUI
peeped over the chain of mountains tC
, the East and shot its beams upon the
western range, the sparkling fros
flashed from the snow clad peaks al
though their towering heads were
sprinl1led with pure diamonds.
Mrs. Stewart arose, and a shade o
pain crossed her handsome face as th'
empty little stockings caught her ma
ternal eye. She cast a hurried glance
towards the bed where her darlings Iay
sleeping, and whispered: "Oh, God
how dreadful is poverty p
| She built a glowing fire and set abou
preparing the frugal breakfast. Whel
it was almost ready she approached th
| bed. kissed the little ones until the,
, were wide awake, and lifted them to TIN
floor. With eager haste Totty ran t.
the stockings, only to turn away, sob
E bing as though her heart would break
Tears blinded the mother, and claspinI
her little girl to her heart she said in
choking voice:
1 "Never mind, my darling; mex
= Christmas [ am sure mamma will b
t richer, and then Santa Claus will brin!