The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-12-17
CHRISTMAS CURE.

a C7HiS MAS COAE.
A STORY or THE SEASON FeR SHALL BOYS
Santa Clans sat by the fire in lis own
home looking very much troubled
Santa Claus sat there thinking-think
ing. 1t was just before Christmas. What
was the matter with the good. jolly old
Saint Had his sleigh broken down
Had any of his reindeer got loose2
But mott was none Of these things
Couldn', he lind toys enough to go
ronnd ? Bless your dear little anxious
heart. don't you be afraid Of that, Santa
Claus had tops enough. That wasn't the
trouble
One stocking there was for which Santa
Claus had not vet planned SINCE thing ;
and that was Why poor dear old Santa
Claus was in such state Of worry and
anxiety. The stocking belonged t. a
little boy whose parents bad long before
Christmas sent in his name to Santa
Claus But although there had been
plenty of time, and Santa Claus had put
plenty Of thought upon the matter. be
had not yet been able to decide upon oae
thing for that little boys stocking
Perhaps it seems strange to yoa that
Santa Claus should be puzzled about such
q thing as that, when filing stockings Is
his regular profession, but the little boy
to whom that stocking belonged was a
very strange and unusual child What
ever was given to him he would either
break 10 pieces very soon or do some
naughty mischief with.
Yet kind old Santa could not bear to
leave even this stocking empty. So he
had been pazzling his brains to End
something with which the little boy
could not hurt people. and something ne
could not break and although he had
been thinking over ali his lists Of toys
and presents, nothing had be found yet.
''Chirpl Chirp,7 sounded sharp little
voice. "You may as well give 1t up. He
doesn't deserve anything, the little
scamp
''0h Is that you. Cricket - said Santa.
'Cone up here" and as he held out his
fat forefngera tiny black cricket reached
ii with sudden jump.
"You may as well give il np,H creaked
the cricket You can't think Of any
thing. know"
y know, I know, said Santa. ~No,
can't give him the donkey-nor any
other Of those fine little animals that We
have this year. had thought Of a nice
little hammer and box Of nails. and some
blocks Of wood for him to hammer the
nails into. Hey. now what do yeu
think Of that -
@What DO I think - said the cricket
81 think, Saint Nicholas, that you have
forgotten how the little boy beat his
brother With his dramsticks: how he
shipped his sisters fingers with the scis-
sors; how he threw his harmonicon at
the nurse how he
Dear, dear. dear groaned santa, 80
he did, 80 be did -
And if you keep giving him things
when he uses them 50 gronciy, contiT =
ued the cricket, -'h0w will be ever learn
better To be sure. his mamma and
papa and all his kind friends are trying
to teach him, but it Is necessary that
everybody should help 10 train such a
boy as
Il know" interrupted Santa Il know.
/ Yon're a wise llitle counsellor, and not
as hsrd-hesrted as you seem. And If you
think If viii cure the poor little fellow,
suppose We must give him the sawdust
I this year
"leS," said the cricket solemnly, saw
dust it must be.
! Christmas morning came. The little
boy, whose name Santa Claus did not
wish mentioned, saw all the other child
ren pull ont one treasure after another
from their long, well stuffed stockings,
while in his own, which he had hung up
with 50 much hope the night before,
there was nothing but sawdust.
II | should use all the sad words in
the English language could never tell
you how sad that little boy was as he
poured the sawdus, out Of his stocking,
and found that sants Clans had really
sent him nothing else.
Poor little chap
1t was almost year later, jus, before
Christmas, when Santa Claus again sat
by his ire-thinking.
Bat this time he was in no trouble
no indeed, not he lie was i0under and
roster and jollier than ever before and
how he WAS smiling and chuckliug to
himself. His eyes twinkled 50, and
were so very bright that you could al
most have lit candle at them Heand
the cricket had been planning all sorts Of
ecstat:c surprises for the stocking Of the
boy to whom they had given saWdust
the year before for, if you can believe
it, the little boy had been trying all the
year 10 be careful and gentle, snd he vas
really quite changed.
-sawdust is a grand thing" chirped
the cricket, Ieapins about in delight.
"Yes. but am glad We do not need to
use il this year" replied Santa -Let me
see the list sgain. Don't you suppo4e
we could cram in one ortwo more things
Have you put down the
This is the end Of the story OF. at
least, all that could be told before Christ
mas for If | should write more and a
certain little hoy should read II. ne
would know inst what would be in his
stocking, and that would never do in the
! world.-lS Nsciosas for December.