Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-12-18
GBe Drrmunt 39Bonie.
CHRISTMAS NUMBER.
CHRISTMAS EVE
AT JIMMIEBOY'S,


mieboy, as December oath usually is to
children of his age, who have great ex-
pectations, and who are more or less impa-
tent to have them fulfilled He had been
positively cross at supper time because his
father had said that Santa Claus had writ
ten to say that much-d desired velocipede
could not be got down through the chimney,
and that he thought Jimmieboy would have
to wait until the chmneys had been en-
larged or his papa had built new house
with more commodious lues.
81 think it's lust too bad, said Jimmie
boy, as he climbed into BED an hour later.
Just because those chimneys are small,
can't have a philocipede, and I've been
gooder than ever for two weeks just to get
it."
Then as his nurse extinguished the lamp
and went into the adjoining room to sew,
Jimmeboy threw himself back upon his
pillow and shed tear. The tear crept
slowly down over his cheek, and was about
to disappear between his lips and 90 back
again to where it had started FROM when "A
voice was heard over by the fireplace.
Can you get it down. it said.
I Jimmieboy sat up and peered over toward
the spot whence the voice came, but could
see nothing.
mo The hind wheels wont go through
the chimney pot, and even if they would it
wouldn't do any good The front wheels
twice as big as the hind ones, said another
voice, this one apparently belonging to
some one on the roof Cant you get it
in the front door =
what do you take me for-an express
mani" cried the voice at the fireplace II
can't leave things that way. 1t wouldn't
be the proper thing Can't you get
smaller size through :"
Yes but will it fit the boy = said the
voice on the roof.
Lower your lantern down here and
wen see. He's asleep over here in "A brass
bedstead"
And then Jimmieboy saw a great red
lantern appear in the fireplace, and by its
light he noticed a short ruddy-faced, mer
ry eyed old gentleman, with a snowy beard
and a smile, tiptoeing across the room
toward him To his delight he recognized
him at once as Santa Claus; but he didn't
know whether Santa Claus would like to
have him see him or not, so he closed his
eyes as tightly as he could, and pretended
to be asleep.
'Humph ~ calculated Santa Claus, as
he leaned over Jimmieboys bed, and
tried to get his measure by glance. He's
almost man-must be five years old by
this time. Pretty big for Il small veloci-
pede still, l don't know Here he
scratched his beard and sang,
If he's too large for it, think
Twill be too small for HIM
Unless he can be- got to shrink
Two inches ON each limb.
| Then he walked back to the fireplace and
| called out, 1--WE measured
"Wen, what's the result = queried the
voice on the roof
Nothing as the boy said when he was
asked what two plus one minus three
amounted to. can't decide 1t will or it
wont. and that's all there is about it.
Cant we try it on him . asked the
voice up the chimney.
NO" returned Santa Claus. That
wouldn't prove anything; but we might
try him on it, Shall l send him up"
Eyes" came the voice from above, much
to Jimmieboy's delight, for he was quite
curious to see what was going on up on the
roof and who it was that owned the other
voice
In a moment Jimmieboy found himself in
Santa Claus's arms, cuddled close up to the
warm fur coat the dear old gentleman wore,
in which position he was carried up through
the chimney fue to the roof. Then jim
mieboy peeped out through his half-opened
evelids, and saw much to his surprise, that
instead of there being only one Santa Claus,
there were two of them.
"Oh, dear" he said in establishment 81
didn't know there were two of you"
Both the Santas jumped as if some one
had let off a cannon cracker under their
very noses.
"Well, | declared" said the one that had
carried Jimmieboy up through the chimney
'We're discovered Here I've been in
this business whole centuries, and I've new
err been discovered before"
That's So" assented the other. eve
know now how America must have fell
when Columbus came sailing in. What I
we do about it Z"
"Well have to take him into partnership
l guess" rejoined the first. "Itll never
do in the world not to. Would you like t.
be one of our concern, Jimmieboy"
ooh, indeed would, said Jimmieboy
"Well, say we let him help us this time
ANYHOW" said the roof Santa Claus
"You're so fat, I'm afraid you can't ge
down some of these small chimneys, anC
Jimmieboy is about the right size. "
GOOD scheme, said the other; but he
isn't dressed for it, you know"
"He can get nice black SCOT down
the factory chimney" said the roof SAINT
Claus with a wink.
That's so and as the factory fires ar
always going, it will be nice warm SCOT
What do you say, Jimmieboy :" said tn
other.
'Its lovely, replied the boy. But ho'