Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-01-02
wards considered the children's es-
pecial friend and benefactor.

mammawere apparently allayed, yet
no sooner was the young man tucked
snugly away in bed than his curiosity
again asserted itself, and hewhispered
to his brother under his breath "Say
Johnny, / amt going to sleep Pm
going to watch and see if / cannot
catch mamma filling our stockings"
"Hush up!" said Johnny, ungra-
ciously, off you don't go to sleep
Santa Claus will never come"
For fifteen minutes Billy lay quiet
as a mOuse-"to give mamma a
chance to begin"-then he rose softly
and stole cautiously down the stairs.
He crossed the hall, pushed open the
door, and suddenly thrust his curly
head into the sitting room. Mamma
saw him, and looked up quietly from
her sewing.
"What do you want, Billy ?" she
asked.
"May l have a drink of water 2"
petitioned the ready youth in anleck
tone. "I'm awful thirsty"
His mother rose to get it, and Billy
took in the situation. The outlook
was certainly unpromising, if man.
ma was to officiate in the role of
Santa Claus. There hung the three
pairs of stockings limp and lank
against the wall, the same as when
he stole to bed, while. the shirt under
his mothers busy fingers was rapidly
nearing completion.
The drink of water administered,
mamma conducted him to the foot of
the stairs, with the admonition to
"run to bed quickly" or he might
take cold.
The young man scampered back
and confided to Jonny that mamma
had not begun yet; he hadn't given
her time enough. He'd wait a little
longer next time.
Half an hour elapsed and then the
naughty boy made another excursion
to the sitting room. This time he
only "peeked," taking care not to be
seen. But alas everything remained
as quiet and humdrum as before.
Papa had just come in from down
town and was warming himself be-
fore the fire, while mamma still sat
by the table stitching on that ever.
lasting sold Shirt" as Billy mentally
stigmatized the work. He stole back
to bed again, his ardor somewhat
dampened at the unsuccessful at
tempt of his investigations, wher
Johnny almost betrayed him by
shouting out Mamma, can't Billy
stay in bed and keep his cold feet of
! me! He just freezes me?"
"Hush, Johnny, 1 won't do it agair
if you'll keep still"
For long time Billy lay quiet
waiting for johnny to 60 to sleep be
fore venturing out again. He drew
the bedclothes over his head the bet
! ter to think it all over. If ther'
wasn't any Santa Claus, as Tomm,
said, and mamma didn't fill thei
stockings either, what would the!
!. get for Christmas The thought wa
depressing, and drew tears of despai
from Billy's eyes. He heard tn
tiDkling of sleigh bellsin the distance
and the crisp, frosty crackly of tn
) snow under the feet of the passers by
) and then he Struggled down closer t
Johnny for warmth, straining hi
| ears for possible patter of hoofs o.
the roof, and wondering if the rein
, deer could really 60 in one boun'
: from "the top of the porch to the to-
of the wall" Presently everything
: grew cozy and comfortable, and Bill
4 forgot to go down stairs again, bu
just lay and thought-and thought
: and thought.
Pretty soon he remembered him
self, and sat up in bed, rubbing hi
eyes and laughing to think how neal
e ly he had fallen asleep. He nudge
y Johnny to see if he was still awake
e "Merry Christmas!" said john
p from his side of the bed.
"Merry Christmas ~ echoed Billy
o "What are you saying that for now
n It's the middle of the night, and
n haven't been to sleep yet"
u ooh ~ said his brother, 81 though
it was morning. Amt our stockins
e filled yet ?"
: "No, of course not; but Pm ju
n going down to see about it. PerhaI
l. mamma is filling them now"
II But Johnny was wide awake an
u announced his intention of going to-
- | L. n. L L \ r. L.