The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-12-28

stockings and their contents, and one
hurried home laden with presents. Each
seemed intent on his or her own affairs
and failed to notice little girl who was
standing, looking so longingly, so To-
tently, at beautiful doll in one Of the
store windows. A shawl Of thin ma
terial was closely wrapped around her
shivering body, and two thin hands
tightly clasped rag-baby held up to
the window, for even she was supposed
to take an interest in the Christmas
goods. AS for the little girl, every
thing was so beautiful, 50 bewildering,
that even Jack Frost could not force the
little figure away from the attractive
window. Dinah, however, was getting
cold, for her black woolly hair was grad
ually turning into white crop, which
very much worried her little mother,
1--WE must be going, Dinah, dear"
she said, as she tenderly tucked her
baby under the shawl. Its so awful
cold. Oh, if it was only summer all the
time"
"A Christmas without snow!" ex-
claimed kind, brisk gentleman, As he
gave merry twist to her old shawl.
~ don't know what you mean by
Christmas" she said, as the blue eyes
met the brown ones Of the stranger.
"Don't know Christmas or Santa
CLAUSE Well, guess you will know to-
morrow, as sure as have one arm left"
he said, and he looked at tho empty
sleeve OF blue which hung in honor
from his shoulder. Then followed
briet history Of the "old-time saint" A
hasty address was written, and, with a
self, he said: Tomorrow at half-past
one, my dear, be ready, for l will come
and take you to my home; Santa Claus
always comes to my home, and you shall
surely see him this Christmas"
A pair of blue eyes beamed with Joy
as he told her his plans, and il Dinah
had possessed any feeling, | am afraid
her sickness would have been much
worse, owing to frequent squeezings,
causing the black head to bob up and
down In excited ecstasies. She could
not express her thanks in words, but
chung to him and tried to thank him as
best she could.
That night the story was told to
mother, and Fido, the dog, was told
again and again, and happier little
girl than the one that crawled into the
narrow hay bed could not DO found in
the State of Colorado
She dreamed OF it, and as soon as the
feared lest the visionShould fade away.
mo, It's really true" she said, as she
hoped about on one leg, with Dinah
desperately hanging by her arm.
1t would have been all right II tho
stranger had left out the words: "Be
ready at half past one" Alas, for poor
little Bertha. She had no dress but one,
and would have been just as ready then
as when the prancing bay horse swung
the sleigh around before the door, and
the kind gentleman descended and ten
derby lifted her under the warm buffalo
robe. Prompt to the moment and punot-
ual as the clock was Mr.. Branton, and
although he did have six rosy children
and the "mother-bird" (as he called his
wife) to provide for at Christmas time,
all Of whose stockings must be filed
"chuck jam to the brim," his heart was
plenty large enough to provide for
another chick, the last OF which re-
mark he made to his wife, whose eyes at
once were full, and whose never idle
hand was always ready to help in any
direction. wen all make 1T as pleas
ant as we can for her. and show her
that she can be one of Santa Claus