The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-02-28
JOE'S TREAT.
now Santa Clause Appeared to
Master Joe and Miss Sis. 7

1t was Christmas Eve and crowds d
busy buyers and pleasure-seekers
thronged Avenue A. Among them
might have been seen boy Of. perhaps
cen years and girl some three years
his junior,who were evidently bent upon
very important errand, if one could
Judge by the number of times they
paused and consulted, the look of earn
estness deepening in their faces. Good
faces they were, too, if a little soiled.
The boys frank and honest, with a
merry twinkle in each dark eye, whilst
the girls blue ones wore an innocent,
wistful expression. She would have
been quite pretty if it had not been for
the sickly color of her skin (want of
proper nourishment) and the matted
locks, which only needed soap and
water to render them soft and golden.
A straw bonnet, portion.of the hrim
missing, on account of its being several
sizes too large, gave the child constant
employment. trying to keep it ON. It's
counterpart ia. the shape Of hat COW.
cred the curly head of her companion.
whose pants could have easily held
another boy. 1nEF
Presently they paused before a large
store with its window filed with cakes.
Square cakes, rounded cakes, frosted
cakes, cakes with snow-white towers
and cunning sugar cupids, cakes large
and small, yellow with eggs or black
with fruit. AS the children stood paz-
ing at the rich display an old gentle
man passed, turned and retraced his
steps and also took his stand before
the cake window. Ever and anon his
kindly face was lit up by smile as
some remark of the children's reached
his ears,lgA stsR8k
At last the important question seemed
decided, for the boy, with nod and
the words, tYou Jess wait here, sis. y
made his way into the store. 1t was
crowded, so he had to wait his turn.
while the girl pressed her eager little
face tightly against thewindow pane,
tiptoeing on her small, bare toes in her
excitement. @s,5...s
here was quitesa pretty flush on
the chiidps delicate cheeks when the
boy reappeared with small parcel in
ms hand, and she exclaimed, eagerly:
'Qid you getlitPp
''You betlM was the answer. followed
by a long-drawn-out .''Ohr' from the
little, girl as they made their way along
che avenue, the old gentleman close
behind them. After a while they turned
into a side street, and bent their steps
toward q vacant lot, half shut in by
brick wall,and Uttered over with old
paeklng-cases, bits of tarpaulin and
'Is it a nice place where you livep"
questioned the girl, as her Companion
piloted her over barrel hoops and old
crockery. A saucy look twinkled in
the boys eyes as he answered:
well, sis, it ain'texactlyw you'd
call q brown-stone 'front.'. it's more.
more on the Oscar Wilde stgle.''
What's thatpn and. the little girls
9yes opened to their widest extent.
That's Q kinder style as is made up
II old things as was chucked away as
40 good to nobody.n Then he added;
Here we are; Jess hold on a minute
ill / light the chandelier, or you might
mock your head agin the frescoing.n
SSAA "a ooAphu1y buou JuS Id1nJ
thinner of candle showed the out
inc of a large packing-cas partially
covered with pieces of tarpaulin.
Drawing one of the pieces aside, the j
10Y babe his companion enter, adding: s
'Sit down, sis, till l git the fire a. )
DING; you're company, you know"
Obeying orders, sis seated herself on I
n upturned butter-tub and gazed in
around, The packing-case
yithin which she sat stood lengthwise, {
hole in its side being concealed by a
urtain of sail cloth, the other side wall /
nd part of front were composed of S
ieces Of tarpaulin, propped up by old !
room handles and one bent iron sta
lie, at the rear stood high brick '
all. Adjoining the packing-case's +
des were a part of a circus poster, a
card and oolored lith- t
graph of Tony Pastor. d
BY the time sis had finished her in Il
ections the fire, which consisted of Q
Jared coal and odds and ends of
bod, was lit. 1t was built upon the s
ound, under convenient air-hole.