The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-12-23

. his eyebrows. puckercd his mouth and
cramping his little fingers around a
Btubby lead pencil began to write; aud
this is what lac wrote:
DEAR sAsTY CLAWS; Plese don't for Get &c
Ftl my stocklu- An Id like a sl-ad an d par OF
skates An plese Civ AiOTh1r the vEzry uicIzst
thiEG you GET We Live on French street,
First Ch!mBly down Flights
He stretched out his little numb fu-
gers, with a sigh of relief; for printing
was hard work for Arthuv's chubby
fist Then 4le glanced furtively over
mis- shoulder, to make sure his mother
was not looking-but no; stitch, stitch.
stitch her needle - through the
heavy coat, and she a. not once lOol,
up. 50 he folded .L0 0recious letter in
3 painstalSing name, I'd sealed 1t in
the envelope addressed:
'MR- SANITY CLAWS
and stufiing Il into his LV r. pocket
regardless Of opposition on the part of
letter or poclet-yyent softly ont of the
room; but his quiet movements ended
on the landing just outside, and he
tore down the stairs aLl through the
streets TO the post office.
Perhaps the thought that there We're
but two days before Christmas, and the
consequent fear that the gentle re
minder might not reach Santa Claus IN
time. gave the deer-liIle feetness to his
sturdy little feet.
O There was no one in tie Office, 50 he
walked boldly up and dropped the let
ter through the slot, and watched it
sliding down the inclined plane into
the receiving box. Then, with a fear
of being detected, he ran out of the Of
fee, and, with his hands in his pockets,
Bcampered home.
Arthurs letter lay among the others
q for a half hour or so, and then a clerk
Eng Fsr4 2 "a
"Hers's good Oner' and he laughed
heartily as he held up the crumpied
envelope.
Q a"Mr. Santa Clausg' and he laughed
again, in company with two or three
clerks who had gathered around him.
o just then the door opened and the
postmaster came in,
The clerk held up. the letter; ''NIr.
Santa Claus-addrcss not given! Are
you acquainted with the gentleman's
reSidence?"
Mrs Morris took the envelope and
laughed. also, as he glanced at it, and
was about to throw it down, when a
sudden vision OF four little maids, with
uR unquestiOning faith in Santa Claus,
rose before him.
Perhaps j can ind the gentleman, -
he said, with a twinkle in his kind blue
eyes; and putting the envelope into his
pSclSet ne walked away.
II wus Christmas eve. There had
been a. heavy snowstorm the day be-
fore. and it had cleared OFF very cold
The people we're muhied in furs 10
their eyes-if they had the furs-and
hurried along over the crisp snow,
which sang sharp little songs under
their feet. The rude wind wrestled
with them at the street corR6rs, MAX
ing the gentlemen catch wildly at their
hats, and futtering ribbons and veiis
in the faces of the ladies'.
JasS Frost played coarse Practical
jokes upon every body and yerything
within his reach, so that the market
boys felt obliged TO run with the tur-
keys and t1rnips, blowing the fvvhiie
upUn- their aching fingers o. rubbing
thuir snarting ears
The newsboys. with mufhers aud
caps pulled closely down. held their
papers under their arms and their
hands in their pockets, and .thEashed
one foot against the Other, while they
called in Sold voices to the passer-by;
Paper, sirs paPeri"
The heavens were studded with
EleHEdinF stars which blinFed uaerri ly
GoWa on the huEryiug thronEs and
through uncurtained windows were
Flfp2pses Of gay Christmas trees with
happy children dancing around them,
and smiling fathers and mothers look
ing on
Holly vvre aths hung In profusion and
festoops Of evergreen and mistlstue
sdorRed the walls; and over these ha p
py scenes played the GielgeFiaE light 9t
sse : N.Y. logs glow