Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-12-25
A TALK With SANTA CLAUS
BY EUGENE FIELD.

some and miserable; the chimes making
merry Christmas music outside dis.
turbed rather than soothed him; the
jingle of the sleigh bells fretted him
and the shrill whistling of the wind
around the corners of the house and up
and down the chimney seemed to CRATE
harshly on his ears.
"Humph," said Joel, YEARLY, "Christ.
mas is nothin' to me; there was time
when it meant o good deal, but that was
long ago-hfty years is long stretch to
look back over. There is nothin' in
Christmas now, nothin' for me at least;
it is SO long since Santa Claus remem.
bered me that venture to say he has
forgotten that there ever was such q
person as Joel Baker in all the world.
It used to be different; Santa Claus used
to think great deal Of me when / was
boy. All! Christmas nowadays amt
what it was in the good old time-no.
not what it used to be-"
As Joel was absorbed in his distress
ing thoughts he became aware very sud-
denly that somebody was entering OF
trying to enter the room. First came q
draft of very cold air, then a scraping,
grating sound, then a strange shuffiing,
and then-yes, then, all at once, Joel
saw pair OF fat legs and still fatter
body, dangle down the chimney, fol-
lowed presently by long, white beard,
above which appeared Jolly red nose
and two bright twinklirg eyes. while
over the head and forehead was drawn
fur cap, white with snowflakes.
sHa, ha," cEpckled the fat, Jolly
stranger, emerging from the chimney
and standing well to one side OF the
hearthstone; cha, ha, they don't have
the big, wide ch1mneys they used to
build, but they can't keep Santa Claus
out HR, ha, ha. Though the chimney
y we're 10 bigger than gas pipe, Santa
Claus would slide down it w
1t didn't require second glance to as
sure Joel that the newcomer was indeed
Santa Claus. Joel knew the good old
saint-oh, yes-and he had seen him
once before, and although that was
when Joel was very little boy he had
never forgotten how Santa Claus
looked.
Nor has Santa Claus forgotten joel,
although Joel thought ne had, for now
Santa looked kindly at Joel and smiled
and said: s'Merry Christmas to you.
Joelr'
"rhank you, old Santa Claus replied
Joel, ''but [ don't believe it's goin' to
be very merry Christmas. It's been
so long since I've had a merry Christ
mas that don't believe I'd know how
to act If [ had one."
Lets see," said Santa Claus; sit
must be going on fifty years since l saw
you last-yes, you were years old
ney of the old homestead and filed
your stocking. Do you remember it p"
81 remember it well" answered Joel;
h06 q 70 1io 10
and see Santa Claus; I'd heard tell of
you, but I'd never seen you, and broth
er Otis and | concluded we'd lie awake
and watch for you 10 come"
Santa Claus shook his head re-
proachfully.
THAT was very wrong" said he, .sfor
I'm so scary that ifI'd known you boys
were awake I'd never come down the
chimney at all, and then you'd have
had no presents"
''BuJ Otis couldn't keep awake" ex-
planned Joel. We talked about every-
thin we could think of. till father
called out to us that If We didn't stop
talking he'd have to send one of us up
into the attic to sleer with the hired
man. So in less than FIVE minutes Otis
was sound asleep and no pinching could
wake him up. But [ was bound to see
Santa Claus. and | don't believe any,
thing would have put me to sleep. L
heard the big clock in the sitting room
strike II, and [ had begun wondering if
you were never going to come, when all
of a sudden I heard the tinkle of the
bells around your reindeer's necks.
Then [ heard the reindeer prancin' on
the roof, and the sound of your sleigh
runners cuttin' through the crust and
slippin' over the shingles. [ was kind
o scared and | covered my hoad up
with the sheet and quilts--oniy I left a
little hole so | could peek out and see
Wat was goin' on. AS soon as [ saw
were jolly and smiling like, and you
chuckled as you went around to each
stockin' and filled it up."
Eyes, [ can remember the night, !"
said Santa Claus; Il brought you sled +,
didn't II"
Eyes, and you brought Otis one, too, !"
replied Joel; ''mine was red and had
Yankee Doodle painted in black let
ters on the side; OTIS was black and
had Snow Queen in gilt letters"
II remember those sleds distinctly"
said Santa Claus, '.for | made them
specially for you boys"
WALL" continued Joel, and then you
tsThere were six OF 'em, as 1 recol-
lect,o said Santa Claus.
"Let me see," said Joel. ssThere was
mine, and Otis, and Elyira's and
ThankfuPs, and Susan Prickett's- Susan
was our help, you know. No, there
were only five, and as can remember
they were the biggest we could beg or
borrow of Aunt Dorcas, who weighed
nigh onto 200 pounds. Otis and [
didn't like Susan Pickett, and we were
hopin' you would put cold potato in
her stockin'."
'sBut Susan was good GIRL" remon-
etrated Santa Claus. "You know / put
cold potatoes in the stockin's of boys
and girls only who are bad and don't
believe in Santa Claus
"Atany rate" said Joel, "you filed
allthe stockin's with candy and popcorn
and nuts and raisins, and l remember