McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-01-03
one who will be blessing and comfort

one who will be blessing and comfort
to mamma when she gets Old" u
"We hung up our stockings last
Christmas, didn't we mammal ques-
toned the little girl.
eyes, Totty, but we were poor then,
and Santa Claus never notices real poor
people. He gave you little candy
then, just because you were such good
children"
sis we any poorer now, mamma" .
"Oh, yes, much poorer. He would
never notice us at all now"
Jack Dawson detected a tremor OF
sadness in the widows voice as she Ut
tered the last words, and he wiped q
suspicious dampness from his eyes.
siWhere's our clean stockings, man.
map I'm going to hang mine up, any
how; maybe he will come like he did
before, just because we try to be good
children" said Totty.
at will be no use, my darling. | am
sure he willnot come" and tears gath
cred in the mothers eyes as shethought
of her empty purse.
81 don't care, Pm going to try, any
how. Please get one of my stockings,
mamma" pleaded the little girl.
'Your clean stockings are on the
line outside, and cannot 60 out and
hunt for them this bitter cold night.
You may hang up your old ores, but
oh, darling, fear you will be so terri
bly, disappointed in the morning?
Please let it 60 till next Christmas, and
then we may be richer!"
''No, mamma, I'm going to try any
how.' ...,. ...
Jack Dawson's great generous heart
swelled until it seemed bursting from
his bosom. He heard the patter of lit
tie bare feet upon the cabin floor as
Totty ran about hunting hers and
Benny's stockings, and after she had
hung them up heard her sweet voice
again as she wondered over and over
if Santa really would forget them. He
heard the mother, in a choking voice,
tell her treasures to get ready for bed;
heard them lisp their childish prayers,
the little girl concluding: "And, oh,
Lord, please tell good Santa Claus that
we are very poor, but that we love him
as much as rich children do, fol dear
Jesus sake-Amen!"
After they were in bed, through
small rent in the plain white curtain he
saw the widow sitting before the fire,
her face buried in her hands, and weep
ing bitterly. On peg, just over the
fireplace, hung two little patched and
faded stockings, and then he could
stand it no longer. He softly moved
away from the window 20 the rear of
the cabin, where some objects tiutter-
ing to the wind met his eye. Among
these he searched until he found little
blue stocking which he removed from
the line, folded tenderly and placed in
his overcoat pocket, and then set out
for the main street of the camp. He
entered Harry Hawks gambling hall,
the largest in the place, where host of
miners and gamblers were at play.
Jack was well known in the camp, and
when he got up on a chair
and called for attention the hum of
voices and clicking of ivory checks sud-
denly ceased. Then in an earnest voice
he told what he had seen and heard, re-
peating every word Of the conversation
between the mother and her children.
In conclusion he said:
s'Boys, think l know you, every
one of you, an know jist what kind
O. metal yer made of. I've an idee
that Sanity Claus knows jlst whar tibet
cabins sitiwated, an I've an idee he'll
find it afore mornin'. Hyar's one of
the little gals stock ms tibet 1 hooked
off'n the line whar | heard the wilder
say she'd hung 'em with the washin'.
The daddy O. them little uns was good
hard working miner, an he crossed
the range in the line o. duty, jist as any
one of us is liable to do in our danger
GUS business. Hyar goes 500 piece
right down in the toe, and hyar l lay
the stockin' on this card table-now
chip in much or little, as ye kin afford"
''Hold them checks O. mine on the
ace-jack," said Brocky Clark, gamb-
Ter, and leaving the faro table he picked
the little stocking up carefully, looked
at it tenderly, and when he laid it down
another twenty had gone into the toe to
keep company with the one placed there
by Dawson.
Another and another came up until
the foot of the stocking was we'll filled,
and then camesthe cry from the gamb
ling tables:
''Pass her around, jack"
At the word he lifted it from the
table and started around the hall. Be
fore he had circulated it at half dozen
tables it showed signs of bursting be-
meath the weight of gold and silver
coin, and strong coin bag, such as
he used for sending treasure by express,
was procured and the stocking placed
inside of it. The round of the large
hall was made, and in the meantime
the story had spread all over the camp.
From various saloons came messages
saying:
s'Send the stockin' round the camp;
boys are a-waitin' for it!''
WITH OF his, haolc Iaal-