The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20

dressed up, and now he was suddenly
called for and disappeared behind the cur
tain Thon they heard him say "Oh,
my ! and cough and chuckle as if he
were half ohoked.
'sHe's eating something nice" said Jeru
sha Langworthy, "and It isn't fair. wish
was in there"
ssIt's time for me to 90 in" said Peddy
Nudge. " They want me-"
Her face was red and pale, both, and
she crept under the curtain with her mouth
and eyes wide open.
"Children." suddenly shouted Deacon
Graham, all of you that can sing, let us
sing"
Everybody began with him, and you
could not even hear the plates clatter while
that hymn was going on. ISL
sNow, boys, called out Miss Hopkins,
from away in there among the mysteries,
and Bob Langworthy at once exclaimed:
"That means to darken up the windows.
It's a-coming, boys Christmas is accom-
ing ="
sswe're going to have one this time.
sure"
Nobody knew just why, but Deacon Ora
ham was starting another hymn, and a
loud one, at the very moment when there
came q sound of sleigh-bells. going around
the schoolhouse to the platform end Then
the door at that end few open, and o gust
of cold air almost blew down the curtain.
It was awful to be SO nearly in the dark in
the daytime when such things were going
on, and some Of the people found it very
hard to sit still. Right between two of
the stanzas of that hymn everybody heard
Peddy Mudge's voice again and again, and
it sounded go ID deal as if she were trying
to crow.
ssMiss Hopkins is lighting the candles
now" whispered Jerusha LaIgwortby.
Sc There won't be anything else except them
on the tree, but it'll be splendid
Boys" rasped out Billy Graham, slook
at the stove! The red-hot's going on up
into the pipe. We must throw in some
more wood, and see how high we can make
1t climb"
aHush!" said his mother. Miss Hop
kins is saying something in there.
Even Mrs. Graham herself did not know
that her husband was under instructions
to "keep them singing hard all the time"
The hymn he was on now was a long one,
and the next stanza of it poured out and
the curtain.
During all that time there had really
been great deal going forward upon and
around the platform. The Christmas-tree
reached to the very ceiling, and its branches
were uncommonly wide. and there was a
perfect extravaganza of half candles tied
but half-candles until after the sleigh-bells
i. k1,oh wv
Nudge and Joe Held slberg were called in
to help Miss Hopkins. Four other boys
and three girls had to be sent out, and
neither of them heard Miss Hopkins say to
herself:
s:Peddy can keep her mouth shut, and
so can Joe, but not one of them could for
q moment"
The people out there in the dark began
to see one another as the candles on the
tree were lighted and the light shone
through the curtain, and Wash Martin got
his ears boxed for going up to peep through.
His mother said that nobody could plane
him, consid, ring what an awful b istle was
going on inside there, and Deacon Ora
ham struck up sold Hundred tremen-
duously Then everybody stood up, and
at the end of the last line they heard Peldy
Nudge say:
snow, Miss Hopkins, if it doesn't break
down"
"Ready, Joe?" said Hopkins very
loudly. "All ready, Peddy? Now, one,
two, e,-drop.
"Ah-ah-ah-A! !" was the first sound
that was heard. 1t came from every long
drawn breath in the whole schoolhouse,
and then small boy who was standing SO
near the stove that his trousers were
scorching, gave a sort of hot dance, and
called out, Bully !"
'sWish you merry Christmas " almost
laughed deep, hoarse voice from inst in
front of the tree. And Peddy Nudge
stood close by that voice ana shouted,
I" Hurrah for Santa Claus
Nobody else could hurrah at ali for look
ing at that perfect blaze of wonder. All
the candles were we'll a.burning when the
curtain fell, and they had sort of miracle
to shine upon.
Everything old Crump had, sure as you
live" said Wash Martin.
Ali was there, sure enough, with some
other thing that had meyer been inside of
Mr.. Crump's store. There were three big
frosted cakes on the table at one side of the
tree. The tree itself was hung all over
with little white parcels and little colored
parcels, and toys and skates, AMI there
were sleds and other things scattered
around it. 1t was just the craziest thing to
l,ok at that had ever been seen along the
North Fork.
Right in front of the tree stood little
fat mountain Of wolf skins, with fur cap
and long white beard, and the deep,
coarse voice came out through the beard /:
children, step up as your names are
called, and if anybody isn't called for, let
him say so. Now, Peddy. read the list"
s'Jerusha Langworthy," began Peddy.
And Jerusha came up, all of 3 tremble
to 90 back with hsr hands full. Peddy
read another name, and another, as fast s
the furry man nudged her, and first it vas
girl and then it was boy, By turns. They
ali came forward OF tigtoe, and with very
red faces. Some Of them tried to say
sThank you, SIR" and said 1t huskily, and
some could not get it out at all. Ths furry
man sid something or other, very chirp-
lily, to each as they came.
.sAll done I" he shouted at last. "Now,
Miss Hopkins, thu Christmas carol"
Never before had the CHILDREN Of the
North Fork sung as they sang that carol
The furry man beat time to it with his
hands and feet, as he stepped slowly back
till he was nearly behind the tree. Ga
went the singing, sid now bis left hand
touched the latch of the door. just as it
died away he lifted his right hand very
high and said: sChildren, don't any of you
ever forget tit is written, 'AND THEY
BROUGHT HIM GIETs,
The door he was touching few open, and
before anybody knew what to say or do
there was sudden jingle of sleigh bells
and sound of rapidly trotiing hoofs, and
Peddy's Santa Claus had disappeared.
There was a great time aft.r that and
the eake vas al eaten up, but Miss Hop
Sins knew nothing, and Mr.. gEqmp knew
nothins, and Peddy Nudge said be told her
til It he came from the East, and she
thought he must be ons OF the Wise Men.
Perhaps he was, for as he drove away he
remarked to himself, cts worth while to
be rich now aHd then, but | never before
got onite SO much for 8 little money.
Hurrah for Christmas !'-Hdrper's foung
Folks.
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and working women ct the city to knov
what places are open to them. For
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