The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-12-24

Snow Queen Never did see q girl
sled that was worth q cent, anyway
sez Sinon. Well, now, that jest about
broke Otis up in business. 1T amt a
girl sled SEE he, 'and its name amt
Snow Queen! I'm a'goin' to call 1t
Dan'l Webster, or Oliver Optic, or
Sheriff Robbins, or after some other
big mani An the boys plagued him
so much about that pesky girl sled
that he scratched off the name, an,
as | remember, it did go better after
that! ,
"About the only thing" continued
Joel, that marred the harmony OF
the occasion, as the editor OF the
Hampshire County Phoenix used to
say, was the ashes that Deacon Morris
Frisbie sprinkled out in front OF his
house. He said he wasn't going to
have folks breakin' their necks just
on account OF a lot Of frivolous boys
that was goin' to the gallows as fas'
as they could! Oh, how we hated him.
and we'd We snowballed him, too, if
we hadn't been afraid ofthe Constable
that lived next door. But the ashes
didn't bother us much, and every time
we slid side saddle we'd give the ashed
kick, and that sort O scattered EN-"
That barethought ofthis made San
ia Claus laugh.
"Goin' on bout 8 o'clock, said Joel,
"the girls come alOng-Sister Elvira
an Thankful, Prudence Tucker, Belle
Yocum, Sophrone H%olbrook, Sis Hub
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.
4 don't see how Pm goin' to hold on
said Marthy; seems as if l would hev
my hands full keepin' my things from
BLOWN away Don't worry about
yourself, Marthy,' SEE |, for if you'll
look after your things l kind o cal
c'late I'll manager not to lose you on the
way Dear Marthy-seems as if |
could see you now, 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 l could hear you laughin' an
~callen,' jist as you did as l 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 they
kind O. keep Inn totterin' towards the
voice he hears a-callin' Joel, Joel, Jo-
ELL"
~ know-I see it ALL" murmured
Santa Claus, very softly.
ooh, that was long ago." sighed
Joel; $50 very long ago! And I've
had no Christmas since-only once,
when our little one-Marthy's an
m%ine-you remember him, Santa
| CLAUSE"
eyes," said Santa Claus, ga tod
ding little boy with blue eyes"
Like his mother" interrupted Joel;
IAN 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'E 3 years old when you came
with your Christmas presents for him,
Santa Claus, We had told him about
you, and he used to 60 to the chimney
every night and make a little prayer
about what he wanted you to bring
him. And you brought en- too-a
stick horse, an q 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 AGAR" said Santa
His little bed was empty, an / was
alone. 1t killed his mother-Marthy
was so tender-hearted; she kind O.
dropped an pinned after that. So now
they've been asleep side by side in the
buryin'-ground these thirty years.
That's why I'm so sad like when
ever Chris mas comes, said Joel, after
a pause. 1.-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 il
only through the gladness it brings
the little ones."
True" groaned Joel; ''but how
may ! know and feel this gladness
when ! have no little stocking hang.
ing in my chimney corner-no child tc
please me with his prattlef See, / an
alone"
"No, you're not alone, JOEL" said
Santa Claus. "There are children IN
this great city who would love anc
bless you for your goodness il you but
touch their hearts. Make them hap
Ply, Joel; send by me this night some
gift to the little boy in the old hous.
yonder-he is poor and sick; q simpl,
toy will fill his Christmas with Glad