The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-01-05

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children"
''Is we any poorer now, mamma?'
"Oh, yes, much poorer. He woul
never notice us at all now"
Jack Dawson detected tremor o
sadness in the widows voice rs she ut
tered the last words, and he wiped
= suspicious dampness from his eyes.
"Where's our clean stockings, mann
ma? I'm going to hang mine up, any
how; maybe he will come like he die
before, just because we try TO he goot
children - said Totty.
- "It will be no use, my darling. an
sure he willnot come," and tears gath
cred in the mothers eyes as she though
of her empty purse.
81 don't care, I'm 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 go out and
hunt for them this bitter cold night
You may hang up your old ones, but
oh, darling, fear you will be so terri
bly, disappointed in the morning
Please let it 90 till next Christmas, and
then we may be richer!"
y
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
lofty 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 a
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 flutter-
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 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:
"Boys, l think 1 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 stiwated, an I've an idee he'll ,
the little gals stock, ms thet | hooked [
off'n the line whar l heard the wilder
say she'd hung 'em with the washin'.
The daddy o. them little uns was agood ,
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 a 800 piece 7
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
said Brocky Clark, gamb-
er, and leaving the faro table he picked
he little stocking up carefully, looked
1t it tenderly, and when he laid it down |
mother twenty had gone into the toe to {
Keep company with the one placed there j
~ Dawson. I
Another and another came up until
he foot of the stocking was well filed,
md then camesthe cry from the gamb L
ing tables;
"Pass her around, jack" L
At the word he lifted it from the
able and started around the hall. Be- Il
ore he had circulated it at half dozen f
ables it showed signs of bursting be- G
eath the weight of gold and silver
DIN, and a strong coin bag, such as .,
e used for sending treasure by express, :,
yas procured and the stocking placed y
inside of it, The round of the large Y
all was made, and in the meantime
he story had spread all over the camp. II
rom various saloons came messages lie
aging: A
"Send the stockin' round the camp
oys are a-waitin' for it," ~
With party at his heels, Jack went u
'om saloon to saloon. Games ceased a
nd tipplers left the bars as they en-
red each place, and miners, gamblers, Ii
regulators, everybody, crowded up to ST
'nder their Christmas gift TO the T,
liners widow and orphans. Any one
no has lived in the far western camps on
nd is acquainted with the generosity 81
western men will feel no surprise or n,
Oubt my truthfulness when | say that
ter the round had been made the lit IT,
e blue stocking and the heavy canvas -, ~
lg contained over $4,000 in gold and *
liver coin. re
Horses were procured and a party Nj
,spatched to the larger town down on ~,
c Costumes, from which they re- Y,
rned near daybreak with toys, cloth
g, provisions, ETC., in almost endless en-
riety. Arranging their gifts in proper be
ape, and securely tying the mouth of
e bag of coin, the party noiselessly zip