Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-12-20

Well, want to tell you of what hap.
pened in the "Alice Funny" family,
one Christmas time.
1t was week before Christmas;
Funny had gone down stairs, to the end
OF the alley, and seated herself on big
fiat stone, thatrestedagainst the house.
This was her favorito spot.
She seated herself, and began swing
ing her feet back and forth.
whats yor doin' FunnyP" cried
Tom Murphy. .. ...
Swinging my feet" replied sho,
making them 90 little faster.
81 want that place." and, as she paid
no attention to him,
81 say i want to sit there"
"Ain't room for two," returned
Funny.
whats yer lookin' at mo so hard
for" And the boy, two or three times
as big as Funny, assumed a very
threatening air, but the child, not u
whit abashed by his tbreatcniugs, re.
piled, "Tm wondering why You do not
washyo face aud hands some times. :"
From tho laugh which followed, he
know the children were on FuDny'S
side, and he also knew from past pX-
perience it would be better for him TO
leave her alone, and after muttoriug,
"Justwait till catch you alone, sis -
he sneaked off,
Funny's attention was attracted by
two nicely dressed little girls who were
passing:
"Oh! Susy," said one, amt you glad
Christmas is coming? I'm going to
get big wax doll, aud cradle for it,
aud Santa Claus is going TO bring me
beautiful picture book. Iasked him
to-"
"Oh my! ~ said the other child, 81
asked Santa Claus to bring me a'-thi5
was all Funny heard, but it set her to
thinking.
"Christmas" wonder who that is,
and Santa Claus, wonder who that
isp
"I'll ask Alice and down she
jumped and went to her sister.
"Alice, who's Christmas? and Santa
Claus, who's thatP"
81 almost forget now, answered the
sweet voice of the lame girl, after q
pause, during which her eyes had a far
away expression, as if She was trying
to recall dim recollection, "but they
used to como in the winter time, aud
bring us nice things to eat; think they
must be papas because good things al-
ways como from papas You know.
Johnnie Murphy always gots his candy
from his papa, and Susy and Bella ai-
ways say; "Oh! papa gave it to mt"
if they have nything niae, and the
Brady children, and we haven't any
papa, so We do not have anything nice.
| wish we did have one, don't You
FunnyP"
"Yes, let's ask Christmas, or Santa
Claus to be our papa, ii the littlo girl
is going TO get the doll because she
asked for it, maybe Santa Claus will
be our papa if we ask him"
"Well, | think they are everybody's
papa, only some children have two"
"Alice, do you believe they'd bring
us something il we asked them to?'
Maybe"
81 guess I'll ask them now, think
thoy'd hear meP"
"Maybe."
So Funny shut her eyes, put her
fingers in her ears and said in u loud
voice:
christmas, won't you and Santa
Claus come and bring men Alice some
cakes, and candy, and mo big wax
doll; and won't you please mako Alice
welP"
She then opened her eyes, looked
round as il she half expected to see
them then and there, and looked al |
most disappointed that they did not ap-
pear.
We'll, after two or three days hal |
come and gone and no Santa Claus,
Fanny said "Alice, don't believe
they heard me, I'll have to see them, |
and ask them. | wonder whero they |
live, I'm going to find their house"
And sure enough off she started, she |
did not know which way to 90, so she
seated herself OH the rock to wait until |
she found out.
The first people who passed were two
finely dressed ladies.
"Oh won't you please tell me where
Christmas liyes?'
"What little heather, returned the
lady, "let go my dress, you horrid little
thing" Fanny stared minute, |
wonder what u heather is, III ask Alice.
She next asked little girl. who told
her Santa Claus lived away up in the
clouds.
She stood minute looking up, but
could think of no way to got there, so
she shook her head slowly, and said;
81 don't believe YOU"
The other little girl looked shocked
at this impolite speech, and hurried of,
but our little Funny had not meant to
be rude, what she meant was 81 think
you must be mistaken;" only she had
no mother to teach her to be polite
More than one person had turned
round, to look at that queer little figure,
standing on the big stone on the corner,
aud wondered what il was doing thcre.
One lady had approached her with some
pennies in her hand, but on meeting
Funny's independent look, said to her
companion: "Oh, | guess | was mis-
taken, that child is no beggar, what u
bright countenance.
Ono boy asked her what she was
doing.
She answered: 'I'm waiting for
Christmas.
The reply seemed very funny to the
boy, for he laughed loudly.
1t was now late in the afternoon-this
poor little child had been here most of
the day. She had started out confident
Of success and had not met il, the tears
0! disappointment rose in her eyes, and
she was about to turn honeward, when
\ carriage, more handsome than she
had ever seen, drew up to the store
near her, and an old gentleman stepped
put; he was unlike anyone she had ever
seen, his hair and beard were almost
white.
Funny was all eagcrness in mo.
mcnt. "Here they come" thought she,
and gave little hop of joy.
As the gentleman was about to pass,
Funny caught hold of his coat.
80! sir, amt you ChristmasP" -
"Heyp why what a funny little crea-
.ure."
81 amt creature at all, sir; I'm only ,
Funny"
"What are you doing heroP where ,
ire your parentsp"