The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-12-23
get the bit TO put in our own mouths"

"Oh, but. granny!" pleaded Dick,
she's 60 little she won't eat much for
ever SO long, and Til get lots of jobs, and
sell heaps Of papers. You see If don t.
You'll let her stay, won't you, granny /?
She's such darling you'll love her right
off,. Then coaxingly twining his arms
about his granny's neck, he added:
| guess God meant / should have her
for my Christmas, and granny, you don't
know what lovely silk dress and-and
a rocking-chair I'll buy you when Pm
earning wages, if you'll only say yes."
And granny, to whom Dick was as the
apple of her eye, for had she not reared
him from his mothsrless babybood, prom
ised that if no claim arose for the child.
that she should share their luck for a
while, at any rate.
The next day at granny's instigation,
Dick paid another visit to the house, on
the stoop Of WHICH he had found the lit
tie girl, and after ringing a number of
times was informed by facetious butch
er's boy who was passing that if he want
ed the family "wot lived there" he'd
better take trip to Europe, as they'd
been gone there "more than a week"
With lightened heart Dick returned
to inform bis granny the result of his quest,
and his unalterable determination to
adopt the little wait. And that was how
Little Christmas, as Dick christened her,
came to dwell in Tin-kettle-Alley.
Somehow, despite her squalid surround
ings, the child throve and waxed prettier
every day, whilst Dick, to his great de-
light, did sell more papers, and yet this
extra little mouth to feed told rather
heavily upon them still after a few weeks,
not even granny thought OF putting aw ay
the little golden-haired darling that had
come to brighten their lives with her art
less ways.
Dick delighted in her, and if ever an
extra penny came in his way, it was al
ways religiously expended for Little
Chris's benefit.
Perhaps no politician was ever more
anxious concerning his election than Dick
was, come Christmas eve, over the proba-
bilities of his being able to raise some
thing, if only gingerbread man, to put
in Chris's stocking, be having instructed
that little lady in Santa Claus lore
The evening of the opening of my
story, Chris had confdingy informed
Dick that she hoped Sanity Claws :"
would bring her boofer dolly"
Now Dick, despite all his efforts, had
Chris's Santa Claus. However, having,
through his granny, who was a knowing
old lady at bargain, become imbuel
with the idea that Ridley's was the best
and cheapest store to shop at, he conclu-
ded he would seek there with his dime for
doll and that was the errand he was
bound upon when l first introduced him.
Reaching his goal at last, he elbowed
his way through the crowd to one of the
stores immense windows.
Awestruck he gazed at the display
within.
A fairyland of dolls, it seemed to him.
One almost like Little Christmas, with its
golden locks and great blue eyes.
Wouldn't he like W buy it for her!"
and with sigh he turned over his one
ten cent piece, that his hand clutched so
tightly within his breeches' pocket.
Standing near Dick was an elderly gen.
tleman, whose eyes were bent almost sadly
upon this vision of toyland wonders.
As Dick turned to enter the store in
search Of boofer dolly" for ten cents,
the gentleman, who had moved on ahead
of him, drew from the pocket of his hand
some overcoat, pair of fur-lined gloves,
and with them something that futtered,
unobserved by him, to the sidewalk !;
but Dicks quick eye saw the falling pa
per and springing forward, picked it up.
It was a dollar bill. Running after the
gentleman he called out:
"Please, sir, you dropped this" The
gentleman halted, and received from Dick
the bill then. as his eyes noted the boys
ragged clothes, and with what sturdy
honesty of purpose the youngsters eyes
met his, he said:
"Keep it, my lad-for Christmas"
GAIL of it, sir ? Really Oh :" exclaim-
ed Dick, del;ghtedly. Then, with ooh
thank you, sir. A merry Christmas to
you," he made straight for one of the
stores big doors. The gentleman contin-
ued his way for moment, then, retracing
his steps, followed Dick into the store.
PLEASE, miss, / want to look at some
of your prettiest ffty-cent dolIs," boldly
demanded Dick of young lady behind
the doll counter, who as smilingly dis
played her wares for Dicks benefit as
if he had been a "carriage customer.
After a good deal of hard breathing and
uncertainty, Dicks fancy placed itself
upon blue-eyed doll, with hair just like
Chris's, and drawing forth his dollar bill,
he CALCULATED:
81 guess I'll take this one, miss"
AS Dick, with a radiant smile, took
possession of the doll and pocketed his
change, he caught sight of some nice,
warm.looking petticoats, and finding they
only cost fifty cents each, he Immediately
invested in one, thoughtfully thinking
that maybe it would help to keep the
rheumatism out of granny's old bones.
Carefully hugging his Christmas gifts,
and totally unconscious that he was being
followed, Dick started briskly for Tin
kettle Alley, merry whistle echoing from
his lips at the thoughs of the morrow.
Perhaps there never was happier
little girl than little Christmas when she
discovered her booter Dolly " on Santa
Claus morning. How she hugged and
patted it! And grauny-how the tears
welled up in her old eyes at the sight OF
the comfortable petticoat, and perhaps
there was never Q more heartfelt blessing
than her "Thank God for His goodness
to us this day." as she gratefully poured
ont from q spoutless tea pot aweak decoc-
tion of tea, and soaked her BUTTERFLIES
bread therein; whilst little Chris was al
,.4 To oxc,tad to eat and could only