Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-12-25
HAzHIE'S STRATEGY.
The Mystery Of the Two Christmas Stock
Ings.
"A-HAzH-zHU EE- RUsl"

It was Auntie Chloe's voice musically
calling from her cabin door.
No response.
@Neb- ba chad nsz znrp'
1t was Aunt Chloe calling again. She
had silvery voice. But neither silver nor
gold would have brought those two Young
nephews (by chance visiting her the day
before Christmas) if she had flung such per-
snasiye coin out of her door. The boys
were playing down in the swamp and could
not hear her. She went again to her door
and, shading her eyes against the light of
the setting Christmas eve sun, said: "Ah,
dar dose boys! Dey comin'i"
Another minute and her sable face was
a1ry with indignation. Ahasnsrus, or
Hazhie; as he was generally called, had
thrown Nebuchadnezzar down-Nebbie. for
short-and Hazhie was kicking Nebbie.
Auntie Chloe marched at once to the bat
tie ground. She separated the boys and
sent them into the cabin. Then she sat in
Judgment upon that humiliating scene.
Hazhie was the stronger and less tractable
boy, envious and cruel Nebbie was q
bunch of generous nature, aud his weaker
frame often fell victim to his Cousins as
saults. When Auntie Chloe had special
largess to bestow. or q special wrong to re-
dress, she used the boys full names.
"A-hazh zhu-ee-rus! Pm shamed OBJ vel
By yer own ownin' up, yer began it, an
YER bout finish Neb-bu chad-nax. zur. What
do yer say fur yerselfs'
"Duunol was the sullen answer.
-eNsb. bu- -chad-nsx zur, What am I to
do wild dat boy? You be de judge!'
"Dunnol" sobbed Nebbie.
81 'spose yer would let him CO." said
Auntie Chloe.
Up and down went Nsbbie's head. "He
won't-do it-agin-aud-it's Christmas,
Auntie," sobbed Nebbe. Auntie Chloe
shook her head doubtfully. She did not
know about making SO small the terms IF
Ahasuerus' payment.
"A-hazh-zhu-ee-rus must not speot 40
much Christmas from his auutie," said the
solemn genius presiding at the cabin tri-
bunal.
Hazhie trembled. He knew the meaning
of this. The decision would affect the size
of his Christmas stocking and also its con-
tents. The two boys would generally spend
the night before Christmas with Unole
Solomon and Anntie Chloe, receive stock-
ingful from Christmas-land per Santa
Claus express, and then go home after
breakfast Christmas morning. One year
Au1tie Chloe made mistake and hung up
one of her stockings for the boys. It fell
to Hazhie, and wasn't it big onel
"She am mad now," mused this gloomy
young Persian. 'Shs won't glib me her
stockin' dis year."
No. Ahasuerus, Aantie Chloe has taken
a stocking such as mortals of ordinary
measurement wear! Indeed, both of the
boys' stockings to be filled by Santa Claus
we're of the same size, but what differ
ence there was in the contents! Nebbie's
r.tl, n
though, knew nothing positively about their
stockings save this, that Nebbie's stocking
occupied the third place in the stocking
row "sfore de shimbly." When Auntie
Chloe had hung her own and Uncle Solo,
mons, then came Nebbie's, being a few
months older than his cousin, whose gifts
had the fourth place.
That night Ahasuerus, the Persian, had
an evil thought while lying in his bed:
"I'll les slip out easy, change de stockin's,
and slip off easy wild nine fore de brek-
fns."
The Christmas moon, round aud whits,
was looking in through the cabin window
when Hazhie stole ont TO the stocking row
ard made stocking numb Der three and num-
Der four change places. While executing
this fraud he hit table, and Uncle Soin-
mon, troubled by the moonlight and unabl,
to sleep, heard the noise.
|. "Who's dar9' he shouted.
"Oh-oh-bugglersP' shrieked Auutie
Chloe, pulling the bsd-clothes over her
head. "sol'mun, jes' 60 an see."
1t was the last thing Uncle Solomon
wished to do, as staying in bed and holler-
ing were far more convenient, but be obey.
ed his wife. Hazhie looked up. What
was it, that tall figure in white that he
saw?
sold Santiep' he groaned, and fled for
his bed.
Uncle Solomon was startled. He saw
something white and spectral fitting over
the floor in the moonlight, and prudently,
tremblipgly, went back to bed.
sWho dat?' inquired Auntie Chloe.
Uncle Solomon was dumb. Auntie Chloe
shook him.
"Sufin' in whitel' snapped out Uncls
Solomon.
Auntie Chloe did not shake again. "Dat
am Sautie," she whispered. With big eyes
she lay in silence till Santa Claus friend
and fellow -conspirator, sleep, shook pop
py flower over her eyes and she dropped in
to slumbei.
Toward morning Nebuchadnezzar had a
thought. This young Babylonian said:
"Hazhie has q hard time at home. know
my stockin' am better. I'll glib 1t to him."
Yes, Ahasuerus did have the harder time
at home. His fathers cabin was on q rice
plantation. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS father lived
on the sugar plantation of "Masss Jurdan."
Oh, the untold sweets Of such life in tho.
shadow Of the tall cane!
Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian, in be-
half of Ahasuerus, the Persian, now slipped
out of bed. He stole among the gay shad-
ows of early morning in the stocking row.
He made number three and number four
change places. Then he stole back to his
side Of the couch where he slept with the
enterprising Persian.
"Harkr' he said. Was it the wind
moaning hard around the house, or some
creatures distant howl down in the swamp
by the dark bayou, or a far-off drum roll
from early Christmas rejoicings?
'Dat am Uncle Sol'mon an Aunt Cbloa
a-snorin'l An Hszhie am asleep! All
rigbtr' said the happy Babylonian. "Haz-
HE will hab de bes' stockin'r'
It was the beautiful Christmas spirit OF
forgiveness cherished by Nebbie that put
him at ease with all mankind and all his
earthly surroundings, and he fell into
deep, grateful slumber. Sleep is blessing
to which good conscience has a golden
KEY. Coyetous Hazhie could not sleep.
"Tink won stop fur brekfnsp he reason
ed, ''might lose dat stockin'l"
AS soon as it was actually light he shout
ed: "Merry Christmas, Uncle Sol'munl
Merry Christ mus, Auutie Chloel Don
tink 1 ken wait for brekfus! Neb, wish
ye-"
His tongue caught in bis teeth when he
tried to wish his late hedfellow merry
Christmas. Of be went, elatching that
much desired stocking
"How am dist" wondered Nebuchadnez-
zar, handling prscious stocking later.
''Oh, dat am You're, honey" said Auntie
Chloe.
..But Hazhie?' said ths perplexed Neb-
bic.
"He hsb de right one, honey" replied
Aunte Chloe.
Had hep That moment he was mp on
the roof Of his fathers cabin, dismally look
ing into a very THU stocking and saying:
"How am dist Dis am myst'ryP'-Rev.
Edrard Rand in Tnterinr