Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-23
A PERFECT CHRISTMAS.
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER /.
There was not larger house in all
the valley than Grandfather Vrooman's.
1t was old and comfortable, and seemed
to lie sound asleep, with snow blan-
ket all over its roof.
Nothing short of real old-fashioned
Christmas could wake up such house
as that.
Christmas was coming!
Unless Santa Claus and the Simpsons
and the Hopkinses should forget the
day of the month, they would all be
there at waking-up time tomorrow
morning.
Jane" said Grandmother Vrooman,
that afternoon, to her daughter, Mrs.
Hardy, who lived with her-"Jane, I've
got 'em all fixed now just where they re
going to sleep, and I've made up bed
on the floor in the store-room."
E'Why, mother, who's that forp"
''You wait and see, after they get
here, and we've counted EN-"
anyhow, there's cookies enough,
and doughnuts. y
'tAnd the pies, Jane?"
'.And I'm glad Liph gathered such
piles OF butternuts."
''Oh, MOTHER exclaimed little Sue,
81 gathered as many as he did, and
beech-nuts, and hickory-nuts, and"
$50 you did, Sue; but I wonder if
two turkeys II go round, with only two
pair of chickens?"
s'Mother," said Mrs. Hardy, ''the
plum-pudding?"
eyes, but all those children! I do
hope they'll get here tonight in time
for me to know where I'm going to put
EN-"
At the very minute, away up the
north road, two miles nearer town,
there was sort of dot on the white
road. Ii you were far enough away
from it, it looked like black dot, and
did not seem to move. The nearer you
came to it the funnier it looked, and
the more it seemed TO be trudging along
with on immense amount of small en-
ergy. Very small, indeed, for anybody
close up to it would have seen that it
was a Swear old boy in a queer little
suit of gray, trimmed with red. He
had on warm gray cap, and right in
the middle of the front of it were
worked pair of Ietters-'sO. A. but
there was nobody with the gray dot to
explain that those two letters stood for
'.Orphan Asylum" No, nor to tell
how easy it was for boy of 5 years
old with all the head under his gray
cap full of Christmas ideas, to turn the
wrong corner where the roads crossed,
south of the great Orphan Asylum
Building. That was what he had done,
and he had walked on and on, wonder
ing why the big building did not come
in sight, until his small legs were get
ting tired, and his brave, bright little
black eyes were all but ready for a cry
ing spell.
just as he got thoroughly discour-
aged he came to the edge of the woods,
where there stood a wood sleigh with
two horses in front of it, drawn close
TO the roadside, and heaped with great
green boughs and branches.
''The sleigh's pretty nigh full, grand
father" sang out clear, boyish voice
beyond the fence, and very much
older one seemed to 60 right on talk
ing.
''Your grandmother, Liph, she al
ways did make the best mince pies, and
she can stuff turkey bettern'n any
one [ know"
Grandfather, do you s'pose they'll
all Gomez
Guess they will. That there spruce
IL do for the Christmas tree. Your
grandmother said we must fetch a big
one"
That's whopper. But will Joe
Simpson and Bob Hopkins be bigger N
they were last summer?'
''Guess they've grown little. They'll
grow this time, if they eat all their
grandmother II want 'em to. Hello,
Liph, who's that out therein the road?"
Guess it's a boy"
81 declare if it ISM tone of them little
gray mites from the 'sylum. Way out
here! say, bub. "
I'm Bjah.
There was scared look in the black
eyes, for they had never seen anything
quite like Grandfather Vrooman, when
he pushed his face out between the
branches.
The trees all looked as if they had
boards Of snow, but none had a longer
or whittier one that Liph's grandfather.
''Biiah, said he, Ibid you know
Nhristmas was coming?"
''Be here tomorrow, piped the dot
in gray, land we're going to have tur-
key
you don't say Just you wait until
| cut a tree down, and I'll come out
and hear all about it.
us your name Santa CLAUSE"
did you hear that, Liphp The little
chaps miles from home, and [ don't
believe he knows it.
SIS that your sleigh?"
Eyes. Biiah. that's my SLEIGH"
Those amt RENDERS, and you're
bigger'n you used to be-
Hear that, Liphp"
Bijah had not the least doubt in the
world but that he had discovered SAINT;
Claus in the very act of getting ready
for Christmas, and his black eyes were
growing bigger every minute, unit
Liph began to climb over the fence
Then he set off on run as fast as hi
legs could carry him.
''Hold on" shouted Liph, 1--WE won
hurt you
"Let him co." said Grandfathe
Vrooman. .sHe's on the road to on
house. Well pick him up