The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-17
CHAPTER III

as Whisper on the SI1lTS-
CHAPTER III
Oh. how beautiful the country was
when the gray dawn came next morn
ing,-white and still in the dim and
growing light.
So still! But the stillest place was
the one Biiah woke up in. He could
not guess where he was at first. but he
lay awhile and remembered.
Santa Claus house, and they're all
real good. He's going to give me to
somebody as soon as its Christmas.
He got up very quickly and looked
around him. 1t was not dark in the
store-room, for there was a great
| square hole in the middle of the floor,
and glow of dull red light came up
| through it which almost made Bijah
| feel afraid.
There was his little gray suit of
clothes, cap and all, close by his bed on
the floor. and he put them on faster
| than he ever had done it before.
where's my other stockingP"
He searched and searched, but it was
| of no use, and he said, II can't run
away in the snow with bare foot"
! He had been getting Drawer and BRAY
err, now he was wide awake, and he
| crawled forward and looked down the
| scuttle-hole. He knew that room in
| minute, but he had to look twice be-
| fore he knew the tree.
Ever so many stockingsi And
they're all full. Look at those sleds!
| On mvl'
Whichever way he looked he saw
something wonderful, and he began to
! get excited.
q can climb down. t'sjust like 60
| ing downstairs.
1t was just about as safe and easy,
with all those branches under him, and
all he had to do was to sit on one, and
| get ready to sit on the next one below
him. He got about half way down, and
| there was the grain bag, with its
mouth wide open. just beyond it on
| the same Dough, but further out, there
hung very small stocking indeed.
That's minei" exclaimed Biiah
| ITS cram full, too. They've borrow
| ed it, after all theirs were full. / want
it to put on now, but l can't reach it
out there. y
Just then he began to hear noises up
| stairs, and other noises in the rooms be-
| iow-shouts and stamping, and people
| calling to one another-and he could
not make out what they were saying.
''Oh. dear! they're coming. Santa
| Claus is coming What II / do?''
| Bijah was scared; but there was the
wide mouth of Grandfather Vrooman's
| grain-bag stocking" and almost be-
| fore Bijah knew what he was doing he
had slipped in.
Poor Bijah! The moment he was in
! he discovered that he could not climb
| out. He tried hard, but there was
nothing on the sides of the bag for his
feet to climb on. Next moment, too,
| he wanted to crouch down as low as he
| could, for all the noise seemed to be
| coming nearer.
| So it was, indeed, and at the head of
it were grandfather and grandmother
and the other grown-up people, trying
to keep back the boys and girls until
they should all be gathered
where's Bijah?" asked grandfather,
| after he had counted twice around, and
was sure about the rest.
| 'Biiah.n exclaimed Liph. "Why, l
looked in the store-room; he isn't
| there"
Hope the little chap didn't get
scared and run away"
Dear me-through the snown ex-
| claimed grandmother.
''Of course not" said Aunt Jane.
| Hes around somewhere. Let's let
| the children in. They re all here"
STEADY, now!i said grandfather, as
he swung open the door into the dark
room" Don't touch anything till we
| all get in. Stand around the tree
He himself stepped right in front of
it, and he looked more like great tall,
old Santa Claus than ever as he stood
there. The children's eyes were open
ing wider and wider as they slipped
around in a sort of very impatient cir
Gle; but grandfather's own eyes shut
for moment, as they had a habit of
doing sometimes, and his white beard
was all of a tremble. 1t was only for a
moment, but when he looked around
again he said:
Now, children, wait. Which of you
can tell me what child it was that came
into the world on the first Christmas
morninC?n
They had not been quite ready to an.
swer question that came so suddenly.
and before any Of them could speak. sI
clear, sweet little voice came right Out
OF the middle of the tree:
Il know. And the shepherds found
Him In manger, and His mother was
with Him. He sent down after my
mother last summer"
'Bijahl' exclaimed grandfather, but |
grandmother was already pushing aside |
the boughs, and now they all could see
him. Only his curly head and his lit |
tie shoulders showed above the grain |
bag, and Uncle Hiram shouted:
Father Vrooman, he is in your |
stocking. Who could have. put him
theree'f
Il think know" said grandfather |
In very low, husky kind of voice; but |
all the Simpsons and Hopkinses and
Hardys broke loose at that very mo-
ment, and it took them till breakfast |
time to compare with each other the |
things they found in their stockings, |
and all the other wonderful fruits of
that splendid Christmas tree.
Bilah was lifted out Of the bag. and |
ne got his stocking on, after it was
empty. For some reason he couldn't |
guess why all the grown-up people
kissed him, and grandfather made him
sit next to him at breakfast.
That was a great breakfast. and it
took ever so long to eat it, but it was
hardly over before grandmother follow
ed grandfather into the hall, and they
heard her say:
Now, husband. what are you wrap
ping up so for, just to go to the barn?''
Barn, Why, my dear, I'm going to
town / told Pat to have the team
ready"
TO town? Why, husband
Mother, there'n be stores open to-
day. | can buy cords of toys and can
dy and things. When get to the Or
phan Asylum, to tell sem what has be-
come Of Bijah, and why he won't come
back there again, I'm going to have
enough to go around among the rest Of
emf am, If it takes the price Of .
cow
Give 'em something for me.
Uncle Hiram heard it, and he shout
ed, And for me. and Uncle John fol-
lowed. and all the rest, till the children
caught Il m and thera waa 4 confrihu-