St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-22
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 Thursday 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 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 a knock at the door. "a
It was Thursday afternoon, and Nora
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,
.sWhat 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:
"We don't know who he is.
Itwas Mays turn to stare. In all
| her life she had never before found any
body who didn't know Santa Claus.
s.Then who gives you things Christ
masp'' asked she. 't {is
1--WE don't have any, answered
Nora, "'thout's sometimes we get our
winter shoes them fas=s taaS
s'Why, don't you hang pyour stock
ings?'
7.No,''' said Nora:
..Nor have any Christmas tree ever?'''
May asked.
4 mo" 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, 'swhy don't
Santa Claus ever 60 to. their house?''
..Perhaps the chimney's too small for
him. answered mamma, with smile.
1T isn't q chimney at all; it's a
stove pipe, 7 said May. MAY be it Is
too small Il s
| She looked out of the window for q
! long time, without speaking. At last
| she saids @F
! ..Don't you s'pose he'd GO there this
| year if I wrote him . letter and asked
him to?'' 4
Perhaps mamma answered, eff he
| had gifts enough in his pack d.
aIf he hadn't mamma, he needn'1
come here. = 5f5 f;t
Mamma smiled. .sThen I think he
might she said. "But the stove-pipt
how could he manage that?''
May thought moment. Then she
elapsed her hands and whirled abou
like a live top, spinning right up to he
Lmother's side at last
Z :" o. mamma, mammal" Ashe cried
s"letme be their Santa Clausand make en-
a tree, like the one Aunt Bella made
for me last year, and, / Looked in til,
parlor and caught her tying on tn,
oranges!isO mamma, can't I, please
with strings OF popcorn and candy