Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-25
TWO STOCKINGS.

Grandmother says I'll lose my head
next.
Papa Gays he can't afford to buy me
any more knives.
Mama says she'll have to sew my
clothes on.
That's because I left my jacket on
ball, and / came home withoat IL, and,
when ! went back where it was, it wasn't
there.
Norah says we'll all starve next.
That's because / went to buy some
things, and lost the paper they had writ.
ton on, and when was looking for it ]
grinder and a monkey. and me and Billy
Watkins went to give 'em the cent, and
we went round after 'em little while,
and when got home it was most din
ner time, and the things to eat weren't
there.
wish my things wouldn't always get
lost. Mama Gays it's because Pm not
careful Of them, but / guess she doesn't
know how easy it is to lay your knife
down by the creek when you're making
willow whistles, and then forget all
about it.
Or to throw your ball the last time
aud never see where it goes when they
call yen to wash for supper, and never
think Of it again till the next time you
want it, and then yen don't see it again
till sumo one picks it up under q bush
all soaked.
Or to leave your new felt hat on the
grass when you're PLAYING mumblepeg.
and Rover finds it and tries to eat it up.
Or to have your tops and handker-
chiefs and shoes and gloves always get
ting lost all kinds Of ways.
One day grandmother asked me il
thought Santa Claus would bring any
thing for boys who lost everything.
II guess he don't know" said.
AZ believe he does know" grandma
Their said. He always seems to know
pretty we'll what you want in your stock
ing, doesn't he?"
He does, you know, and began think
ing Id tetter be careful, for Christmas
vas coming. But, somehow, I wasn't,
for that Very day mama sent me with q
sponge cake over to old Miss Pratt's, and
/ Just set it down while / was looking for
soma gum on the old cherry tree, and.
the first thing knew, Rover had it half
eaten mp. and guess he tn ought it was
better than felt hats
But Was hoping Santa Claus would
not hear about it-aHd about some other
things when he had 80 much to sec to
about Christmas time.
We air hung mp our stockings. had
great time trying to find my best red
ones. and at last found one where I'd
rolled it into Ill t, shy at Tom, and
il fell behind some books, and il had a
dreadful hole ia the toe because it hadn't
got in the wash, and 30 it wasn't mend
ed. bot thought Santa Claus'd be too
busy to notice thst.
On Christmas morning We boys all
jumped for our stool kings, and was Just
seeing that Jack and Tom were hsuliuR
out things with paper round, and they
we're silk mufilsrs, and I hauled out .
paper, too.
Wa Il . new silk muffler, all soft and
nioe, with poke dots on the edges?
No. sir, it wasn't.
II vas three old mean haudkerchiefs
OF mine that I'D stuffed into hole In
my ship when she leaked.
And there vas knife all rusty that
I'd been making dam With. And there
vas another knife I'd left out when /
made snow man, and . pearl handled
one Il mamA's, d taken to make Q
grave for beetle when the ground vas
frozen, and it vas all spoiled, too. And
there Was also . top that had cracked
when ! threw it at Billy Watkins deg.
wouldn't look at another thing, bat
mv down on the door my beautiful
picture book that left ont In the rain,
and nv ship I left in the sun till aho
cracked, and my Whip poksd the dFe
are With, and I pitched the old stocking
away, and I-well-baWled.
soon the folks came to ~ What the
matter vas, and grandmother came right
in. Tom said:
He don't Ike his stocking, and I
vooldn't either. lis mean old stock
ing"
And erandmothsr said:
why, this is . nies stocking. Lock
here"
Hooked. and I saw my other red stock
iue that I couldn't and hanging there
III clean and msudsd, and don't know
10 this day how d:dn't ~ it before,
and thsre Was . mufI3se for me and Q
knife and loos Of other things, and Tom
showed grandmother the cid stocking,
and shs took up the things that vere m
il. looked q EN- and aid:
"Yss, ~, ! - hov il r. Theee
things voFe fog . earsleo boy. OF
courss. Santa Caue ooaldnt put nioo
things In suoh IN old stoekinG - Thu.
And The nov thinGD ase for . boy Who y
coinR 70 b careful and oedsgiy."
II yuo want lnboceEDt mechanics,
oooka, Oeoamoe q voonol eEOWo, Mill q
loQEinG camp hands. ell q ad1Ee0 -
We 0alD - changes. Wo0ol1G4uo
To1i1osy Empoey011t Dl1oa1, WaaA-
S~A~. X-oeA 80 - Rnnson GnmRA p