Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-20
THE STORY OF A CHRIsTMAs-TREE

At the very tiptop of a very long hill
stands big white house; and at the
foot of the hill stands little house which
the winds and rain and sun have painted
black.
Mrs. Deane. who lives in the big white
house, has one little girl, and Mrs. Day,
who lives in the little black house, has
three.
Every Monday morning the three lit
tie Days tug a big basket up the long
hill to the white house, after the weekly
"wash;" and every Thur day afternoon
they tug it up again, filled with clothes
as sweet and clean as sweet and clean
can be. For Nora and Mamie and Bess
have no papa, and their mamma has to
work early and late to earn clothes for
their growing bodies. and bread enough
to fill their hungry little mouths. Some
times there isn't enough.
Now I have come to the story.
It was the week before Christmas,
and little May Deane, in the pretty sit
ting-room of the house on the hill, was
chatting to her mamma and Dicky, the
canary, about Santa Claus, and what
she was sure he would bring her, when
there came knock at the door.
L l.
and Mamie and Bess had brought home
the clothes.
Mrs. Deane asked them in to wait for
the basket; and when they were in
Dicky sang for them, and May kept up
her chatter, tipping her head sideways,
and looking almost like a canary her.
self, with yellow curls and bright eyes.
"What do you suppose Santa Claus
will bring you?" asked she.
The little Days stared very. hard at
each other and at May. Nora answered;
she is the oldest:
awe don't know who he isl
1t was Mays turn to stare. In all
her life she had never before found any
body who didn't know Santa Claus.
''Then who gives you things Christ
mas?" asked she.
eve don't have any," answered
Nora, "'thout's sometimes we get our
winter shoes then"
..Why, don't you hang up your stock
ingsP"
s.No," said Nora.
''Nor have any Christmas tree euer?''
May asked.
NO. said Nora again; and then
Mrs. Deane came back with the basket,
and the three little Days made three
little curtsies and went away.
May stood at the window and watched
them go down the snowy road. Her
face was very sober.
Mamma she asked, s.why don't
Santa Claus ever 60 to their house?''
perhaps the chimney's too small for
him." answered mamma, with smile.
sit isn't chimney at all; it's
stove-pipe,'' said May. MAY be it IS
too small.
She looked out of the window for a
long time, without speaking. At last
she said:
"Don't you s'pose he'd go there this
year if I wrote him q letter and asked
him top
Perhaps" mamma answered, '.if he
had gifts enough in his pack
'If he hadn't mamma, he needn't
come here.''
Mamma smiled. '.Then 1 think he
might" she said. "But the stove-pipe
how could he manage that?''
May thought moment. Then she
clapped her hands and whirled about
like live top, spinning right up to her
mothers side at last.
90 mamma, mammal she cried,
s'let me be their Santa Clausand make'em
a tree, like the one Aunt Bella made
for me last year, and / looked in the
parlor and caught her tying on the
oranges! 0 mamma, can't I, please?
with strings of popcorn and candy
horns and apples? And then I won't
care if Santa Claus, the really-truly San
ia Claus, mamma, doesn't come here
Can't [, pleasep''
And mamma kissed her little daugh-
ter's lips. 81 think you CAM said she.
..You may ask papa about it."
81 just the same's know he'll say I
can!" cried May. And SO he did,
pinching her round cheeks red, and
teasing her good deal about getting
sooty going down Mrs. Days stove
pipe.
What fun 1t was! May went about
the house with dancing eyes. You see
she had a secret, and I'd like to know if
there ever lived . little girl who didn't