New Ulm weekly review., 1886-12-22
That bare thought Of this made San

That barethought Of this made San
Ia Claus laugh.
"Goin' on bout 9 o'clock" said Joel,
"the girls come along-Sister Elvira
an Thankful, Prudence Tucker, Belle
bard an Marthy Sawyer. Marthy's
| brother Increase wanted her to ride
on his sled, but Marthy allowed that
a red sled was her choice every time.
I don't see how Pm goin' to hold on,
said Marthy; Seems as if would hev
my hands full keepin' my things from
BLOWN away Don't worry about
yourself, Marthy,' sez I, for if you'll
| look after your things / kind O. cali
c'late / II manage not to lose you on the
way Dear Marthy- hy-seems as if l
could see you nov, with,your tangled
hair a-blowin' in the wind, your eyes
all bright an sparkling an your
cheeks as red as apples. Seems, too,
as if | could hear you laughin' an
callen. jist as you did as tolled up
the old New England hill that Chris
mas mornin'-a-callin' Joel, Joel, Jo-
el-ain't ye ever comm, Joel?' But
the hill is long an steep, Marthy, an
Joel amt the boy he used to be; he's
old an gray, an feeble, but there's
love an faith in his heart, an thew
kind o. keep nm totterin' towards the
voice he hears a-callin' Joel, Joel, Jo-
elp"
"I know-I see it ALL" murmured
Santa Claus, very softly.
"Oh, that was long ago." sighed
Joel; $50 very long ago! And I've
had no Chris s'mas since-only once.
when our little one-Marthy' an
mine-you remember him, Santa
CLAUSE"
"Yes," said Santa Claus, "a tod
ding little boy with blue eyes,
"Like his mother" interrupted Joel;
San he was like to her, too-so gentle
an lovin', only we called him Joel,
for that was my fathers name, and it
kind O. run in the family. He Want
more'n 3 years old when you came
with your Chris mas presents for him,
Santa Claus, We had told him about
you, and he used to go to the chimney
every night and make little PRAYER
about what he wanted you to bring
him. And you brought en- too-a
stick-horse, an a picture-book, an
some blocks, an a drum-they re on
the shelf in the closet there, and his
little Chris mas stockin' with 'em-Pve
saved 'em all, an I've taken 'em
down an held 'em in my hands, oh, so
many times!'
"But when came again, said Santa
Claus
"His little bed was empty, an 1 was
alone It killed his mother-Marthy
WAS SO tender-hearted; she kind O.
dropped an pined after that. SO now
they've been asleep side by side in the
buryin' ground these thirty years.
'"That's why Pm so sad like when
ever Chris mas comes, said Joel, after
a pause. '"The thinkin' of long ago
makes me bitter almost It's so diff
terent now from what it used to be-"
"No, Joel, oh, no." said Santa Claus.
""Tis the same world, and human
nature is the same and always will
be. But Christmas is for the little
folks, and you, who are old and griz.
zled now, must know it and love it
only through the gladness it brings
the little ones"
'True," groaned Joel; "but how
may know and feel this gladness
when I have no little stocking hang
ing in my chimney corner-no child to
please me with his prattle? See, am
alone"
"No, you're not alone, JOEL" said
Santa Claus. ''There are children in
this great city who would love and
bless you for your goodness if you but
touch their hearts. Make them hap
py, Joel; send by me this night some
gift to the little boy in the Old house
yonder-he is poor and sick; a simple
toy will fill his Christmas with glad
ness"
"His little sister, too, take her
some present" said Joel; "make them
happy for me, Santa Claus-you are
right-make them happy for me-"
How sweetly Joel slept When he
awoke the sunlight streamed in
through the window and seemed to
bid him a merry Christmas. How
contented and happy Joel felt! 1t
must have been the talk with Santa
Claus that did it all; he had never
known a sweecer sense of peace. A
little girl came out of the house over
the way. She had a new doll in her
arms, and she sang a merry little
song and she laughed with Joy as
she skipped along the street. Ay,
and at the window sat the little sick
boy, and the toy Santa Claus left him
seemed to have brought him strength
and health, for his eyes sparkled and
his cheeks glowed, and it was plain to
see that his heart was full of happi-
ness.
| And, oh! how the chimes did ring
out, and how joyfully they sang their
Christmas carol that morning! They
sang ofBethlehem and the manger and
the Babe, they sang of love and char
ity, till all the Christmas air seemed
full of voices:
| Carol OF the Christmas morn
| Carol OF the Christ child born
Carol to the lst'ning sky
Till it echoes back again
"Glory be to God on high,
Peace on earth, good will tow I'd men,"
So all this music-the carol of the
chimes, the sound of children's s voices,
the smile of the poor little boy over