The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-04
THE WIDOWS CHRISTMAS,

THE WIDOWS CHRISTMAS.
Are you var enough, my little
one?29
Yes, mamma; jusS as warm as toast.
Kiss me, mamma: l want to go to sleep
quick, sc Santa Claus won't have to
stand and wait in the cold"
The goodnight kiss was given, and
the little brown head disappeared under
the cover. Presently it emerged again.
Mamma"
"What is it, my baby?"
"Do you think he'll conner"
Eyes, darling; I think 80"
"You only think 30. Then you're not
sure. II you felt sure. you'd say yes, he
will"
You know, Bessie, we never can be
quite sure Of anything in this world; but
I feel pretty certain that he will Gomez
That's So" said the child reflectively,
after a pause. "Such q little house, and
50 many trees around. He might miss
it. All the houses about are so big.
And he might forget. After he'd got
through filling the other little children's
stockings he might say to himself, Are
there any more stockings that want fill
ing? Let me see.' And after he'd stud
led awhile he might say, no I can't
think Of any, and it's too late and cold
to 60 around hunting. I'll just take
home what's left And then he might
get in his reindeer cart and gallop on.
Oh, me, what a pity! Oh, l hope he
Son't."
The little creature broke off with a
sudden wall, wrought into an ecstacy OF
anxiety and forestalled disappointment
by the yiyidness of the reality her own
imagination had created.
A faint smile came to the widows pa
tient mouth; a faint smile, and a sad one
that had a fellowship with the tears in
her eyes.
.1ou know Santa Claus always did
come, Bessie she answered presently.
Eyes; he came last wear. To be sure
there wasn't much in the stocking"
With another reflective pause
"You see this is the littlest place, 30
he puts it off till the last, and l s'pose
his pockets had got most empty. But
he did come, anyhow. He didn't for
get. Mammal"
swell, my darlipg?'
81 think I'll say a little prayer, and
just ask God to put him in mind. Do
yon think he would care if l said it here
in bed?"
he would.'
Forthwith she knelt, in a crouching
posture, in her place on the he'd, and
buryiilg her face in the pillow. A sound
of whispering fioated through the room.
The angels stopped to listen, and this is
what they heard:
"Oh dear God, I'd get out and kneel
down il the floor wasn't so very cold. |
hope you won't be angry cause 1 ask it,
Santa Claus not TO forget me tonight,
I'll be very glad. Tell him it's the little
house among the trees. where there's
only one little girl. And I'll try real
hard to he a good girl; I will, sure
enough, dear God, and if / don'tsay this
right, please don't take any notice. And
please bless mamma and me-for Je-
sus' sake, and-lead us not into temp
tarion-and-thine is the glory forever
and ever. Amen"
Then the angels looked up smiling,
and the light from the great altar flame
Choired the Gloria in Ex3elsis. Perhaps
she heard it in her dreams, for sleep
then and there fell upon her, and her
frame, relaxing from its uneasy posture
sank gently into one of repose; the face
half showing with it's yelled eyes, and
peaceful, child's mouth, the Tiny hands
still clasped close upon the breast.
The widow had drawn up to the wood
fire her little table. uro1 which The oil
lamp burned dlmly. She sat beside il
ewing, and, now and then raising her
head, paused and listened a~nxious.y.
BY and by, in the distance, a whip
cracked, and the sound was followed by
the heavy rumbling of a wagon. The
anxious look cleared away from the wild.
owls face, and she whispered softly:
THANK Godl She won't be disap'
pointed"
The wagon came closer, and gruf
voice was heard outside:
Gee. Dobbin; whoa-haw, Buck
whoa, Dobbin; whoa dar, l say"
And, with a mingling of many abjur
cations and much growing abuse, the
team WAS brought toa standstih before
the door.
The widow had already opened it as
silently AS might be. and no wstood hold.
ing it against the keen north wind
why can't they make less noiseo.' she
muttercd i%mpaticntly with an uneasy
glance toward the bed. But there was
no movement; the slumber of healthy
childhood is hard to break.
Something shapeless but presumably
human was visible in the darkness. SIS
that you, Benz" called the widow. 81
was afraid you wouldn't get back this
old dark night"
"It's what dar is left o. me-" said the
gruf voice. "As Ter gettin' back, Use
bound to do dat. All de plantations
Christmas out yer in dat wagin."
The shapeiess heap drew neal with a
slouching motion, until the light stream
ing through the door revealed amid
mysterious endless wrappings an ancient
vlsage once ebony black, but worn by
wind and weather into a grayish hue.
"Did you get all the things2" asked
the widow.
'.Dat TO- you to fine out" was the sen.
3tentious rejoinder. II dun fotch all
what dat sto'keeper gimme. How's /
gwine to know wot you dun writ on dat
ar piece o'paper. Oar dey is, anyhow.
I'll set sem inside TO- ye."
The speaker disburdened himself of a
henlpen sack, evidently containing a
miscellany of articles, after which from
the unknown depths of his apparel he
produced, as rapidly as his numbed fin
gers would allow, several small pack.
ages which he laid upon the little table.
That's all. / think" said the widow,
rs she Inspected them. But the old
darkey still fumbled among his unclassic
draperies.
Not yit," he said, in his gruf way,
adding aa ! as oa ne Prod! produced 9 tiny, brown
mind me eiben it to little Miss. Tell
her ole Uncle Ben wish her Merry
.Christmas?"'