Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-12-27


by magic, the little sleigh slipped to the
floor.
Awakel you little sleeping dolls !!
Don't you hear the bells? Hank they
are stopping close to the long case against
the wall. How long it takes to rouse
them How they rub their eyes, hall
blinded by the strange light!
"My old friend Jack in the Box Will
assist YOU to get in the sleigh, ladies"
said Santa Claus smiling at the confusion
he bad thrown them all into.
"Go where? Get in what?" asked
very sleepy doll, in Kate Greenaway
dress" as she stretched herself nut OF
her box.
Excuse me, Miss Dorothy, but the
gentleman is Santa Claus andihe has in
yited us all to 20 with him to see some
thing of the world" explained the little
man of the red-tiled roof.
Oh, now the little DANES were wide
enough awake. One after another left
her box until, like the charmed rats OF
tile old town of Hamelin, they swarmed
out in streams. And the strangest thing
| of all was TIE little sleigh held them all,
| with room for more.
Had the reindeer told the secret to
the horses? We knoT not, but long be
fore the sleigh had left the doll case the
| neiebing of horses and the stamping OF
hundreds of restless little feet wa
heard. 1t was the work of u minute to
yet them in lines on the floor behind the
sleigh.
Baa Baa Baa. was heard from a
hundred Threats on the next counter
and down jumped the sheep, one after
another, and trotted into place behind
the horses. Next came the dfays and
carts, with their horses. Then the walk
ing bears came. bowi2g right and left,
which made the dolls laugh.
One old, gray cotton-fannel man,
with fur cap, carrying yellow carrots
under his arm, Just got awake and de-
clared he would walk all the way if he
could only go, too.
Get in the sleighp called out Santa
Claus. "Oh, he'll mash our dresses %
screamed the dolls.
"No, you will mash my carrots" polite
, w replied the gray man, and he got in.
, By this time all the odd people in his
neighborhood were awake.
sect in get on p said Santa Claus; 1--WE
must be off"
Then they swarmed on the runners
, on the backs of the reindeer-every-
where and anywhere they could find a
place; even the sheep carried some Jump.
: ing Jacks.
The doors of the store flew open and
o out into the night went such process
sion as New York never saw and prob
: badly never will again.
5 Patter, patter, went the twenty-fou
v reindeer feet; jingle, jingle rang thu
- myriad brass bells. The dolls wer'
laughing and singing, the horses trot
ting sounded like falling rain the sheer
# pressed close behind, bleating gaily
e while the old.gray flannel man shouted
4 Carrots y at the top of his lungs.
Patter patter across University plac
t. Fourteenth street.
e "Halt % cried Santa Claus, as he drew
the reindeerto a standstill before TIA
~ great window. Then he streamed
great light over 1t. Were the dolls wild
re awake now, think you, as they behel
at the procession that met their eyes /
he the window?
As they watched there came aroun
into view a great elephant, with how
n. dab on bis back as large as store-boI
,e laden with dolls, dogs and girls, leaniD
:. out on all sides, holding out their arm
~ as though they wanted others to con-
ss and get in, too.
1T Santa Claus winked to the clephaI
uv as he drew around into the front of tn
20 window. He then slipped aside one
'H the panes of glass far enough to perm
Ike some of the dolls OF the sleigh to pa
en- in. He then helped them up into tt
a. howdah.
Next came a great white elephan
oe The rest of the dolls he put upon b
yn back. A huge camel came next. tt
lie gray cotton-fannel man and all
he friends climbed up on him, and after
moved on there came a procession
IN small animals. All our sheep and hors
I'D Joined them. Last of all came gre
VS.. ostrich, drawing beautiful gilt carria
IN with room for Santa Claus and b
=. fiend.
nj In a twinkling the sleigh and therei
Id deer disappeared.
,st The gray elephant, the white eleghar
the camel, the procession of small al
mails, the ostrich with Santa Claus al
ne Jack, went around the window thr
ct, times to get good start, when era:
of went one of the great window pan
and out bolted the big gray elepha
and all the procession after HIM, to car
rs to his own and other heathen Lands Il