News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-23

| FoIleu softly over on his back anon =
the cushions. So sooner had he done
so than twelve rollicking little men as
tall as ones hand lit softly in a row just
on the outside of the very window.
Such a dancel Back and forth and
sideways they went with hands Joined,
kicking up their tiny red heels and
bringing them down again hard. vet
with no noise at all. Now they point a
row of small fingers at Tito, then they
laugh and dance harder and wilder than
before.
Suddenly, as though they all thought
it time for business. they stopped dane
ing end began peering in at Tito. But
| something was wanting. They spied
| the letter. This was a signal for mother
dance and after the dance they all gath
cred in bunch and began to talk in the
busiest way. They seemed be max
ing up their minds which was the best
way to do something. Presently one
little fellow began climbing the frames
OF the small square panes of glass. He
ran up like q little two-legged spider
dressed in mems clothes. The next time
his fellows saw him he was looking out
at them through the window from the
inside. That seemed to give them all
great joy and each put his finger along
side of his nose and looked very wise.
Five ther little men now climbed up
the window and joined Chippy-that
was the name of the first one and three
got on one side of the envelope, three
N the other, and they bore it safely up
to the broken pane at the top of the
window, which Chippy had first found
as an entrance.
Here they had to stop. The envelope
was too large to push through. They
all descended again to the window seat
and laid the letter down, while they
wiped their foreheads with the tiny,
loose sleeves of their coats.
Chippy got up aud walked all around
the envelope two or three times; then he
began to talk briskily to his companions
with his fingers. Together they pushed
the envelope to the floor, then showed
1t against the W II, where 1t could go no
farther. The six now placed themselves
along the edge nearest to them and be-
gan rolling it until the package seemed
small enough to pass through the hole in
the window. None of them will ever
forget that steep journey which took
them over all those slippery glass panes,
enclosed by what seemed little wooden
fences TO the boys; and the road was
all the more difficult because the burden
must be held in one position lest it
should unroll.
Every Christmas eve, from twelve
o'clock midnight until twelve O'Clock
Christmas night, these little men could
talk in human speech. All the rest of
the year, however, they used their own
language, which was talked with their
fingers. Chlppy did not like this very
much. He had rather it would have
been just the other way lie often
wanted to scold when his hands were
too busy to give him the chance o.
night he could only bob his head, which
shook his long, red, pointed cap to and,
fro but everybody knew what he meant
When they reached the porch. where |
the other SIX little men were, the envel- !
ope was laid down in the midst of them.
Thep they all fell on their knees and
began to examine the stamp very care
fully. There was one old fellow Chippv
watched very closely. Sometimes he
acted as though he were afraid of him;
again he seemed to venture to take any
liberty with him. The old fellows
name was Grudge. and everybody
seemed little afraid of him. His name
really should have been Judge, for he
always seemed to decide about things.
Chippy watched him to see what he
would say about the stamp. When he
saw the old fellow begin to smile, up
he jumped on his back and stood on one
leg, as much as to say, Everything is
all right, boysr"
Now six of these little men had b'ue
striped clothes and six of them had red
striped clothes. And here came queer
performance. The six red striped ones
laid themselves along the porch in one
direction, the blue ones laid themselves
acros. them in the other. They rested |
in this position for moment and then |
jumped up and began dancing around |
the envelope in the widest, giddiest
dance.
"Clap" went the hands of old |
Grudge, who always seemed to lead the |
rest of the men, and the dance came
suddenly to an end.
The old clock in the hall was just |
striking the midnight hour. Chippy
had his mouth wide open, so he should |
be ready to talk the moment 1t should |
finish striking twelve.
Every Christmas that boy wants
more things than he ever did before"
he began, in voice that sounded like
tiny silver pellets falling in a wine
glass.
"Look at 'em, Grudgem and Chippy
began marching slowly up the list OF !
things which Tito had written down in
his letter to Santa Claus, and which now
lay spread out in the moonlight on the
porch before these little chaps, who had
promised Tito in a dream or somewhere
else, that they would carry to Santa
Claus for him.
But old Grudge didn't stop to reply.
He reached out and caught the tail of
{ hippy's coat and dragged him Off the
letter and sat him down where he be
lOnged, which certainly was not prone
nading up and down letter which
others were trying TO read.
''Please bring me a-what-" said
Chippy, stretching his neck over
Grudge's shoulder and finally pushing
his head between the old mans arm and
his sides. "a 'hektographn What
under the sun is hektograph Some
thing for a sore throat. | guess; he must
take lots OF colds falling asleep as he
does, pretty much anywhere.
"Also an eight by ten Photographic
read old Grudge, in voice
that sounded like six grained silver pei
lets falling in a wine glass.
''He seems to be very fond of gratis"
Chippy, "mebbe he intends
to start a show"
''Also a pair of roller skates" CON
tinued old Grudge
"Aso rifle.
ALSO box of tools "
Better send him everything, and give /
what's left to everybody else," said !.
Chippy.
''Well, we must be off," Grudge said
quickly. 'J don't believe Tito will get !
'em all, but he's pretty sure to have
some of 'em; he's very good little
chap" Grudge SAID this very slowly
and looked hard at Chippy, who had |
time to turn a somersault between each
word and he didn't neglect his chance.
Down the avenue danced the little
crowd, carrying the letter. Sometimes
the blue six would have it, sometimes
the red six. just as they were disap-
pearing into the main road Tito aWoke
to find himself in his own little bed,
with the morning star wishing him a
good morning. How quickly he brushed
fhe sleep from his eyes! How he flew
down stairs to the hail. tumbliug over
N argaret's dust pan and brush, which
were lying on the steps. How they
ratified to the floor together, caus
ing Grandmamma to start up ia bed