West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-01-14
BILLY'S SANTA CLAUS
EXPERIENCE.

Tommy does. Tommy is my little
brother, aged SIX. Last Christmas
| thought I'd make some fun for
the little one by playing Santa
Claus, but as always happens wheh
| try to amuse anybody, jes got
myself into trouble.
/ went to bed pretty early on
Christmas eve so as to give my par
ents chance to get the presents
out of the closet in mama's room,
where they had been locked up
since they were bought. / KEEP my
close on except nay shoes, and put
my nightgown over them so as I'd
look wlite il any of them came
near ME. Then | waited, pinchin
myself to keep awake. After
awhile papa came into the room
with a lot of things that he dumped
on Tommy's bed. Then mama
came in and put some things on
mine and in our two stockings that
were hung up by the chimney.
Then they both went out very quiet,
and soon all the lights were out too.
/ KEEP on pinchin myself and wal
tin for n time, and then when | was
sure that everybody was asleep |
got up. The first thing | went
into was my sisters room, and got
her white fur rug that mamma gave
her on her birthday, and her seal.
skin cape that was hanging on the
closet door. | tied the cape on my
head with shoestrings and it made
a good big cap. Then put the
fur rug around ME and pinned it
with big safety pins what / found
on Tommy's garters. Then / got
mamma's new scrap basket, trim
med with roses, what Mrs. Sim
mons broidered for the church fair,
and piled all of the kids toys into
it. | fastened it to my back with
papa's suspenders, and then /
started for the roof.
hurt my fingers some opening
the semitic, but kept right OH. II
was showing hard and ] stood and
let myself get prot:y well covered
with flakes. Then / crawled over
to the chimney that went down into
our room and climbed up on top of
it. / had brought my bicycle Ian
tern with mo and / lighted it so as
Tommy could see ME when / CAME
down the chimney into the room.
There did not seem to be any
places inside the chimney where /
could hold Oh by my feet, but the
ceiling in my room was not very
high and had often jumped most
rs far, so | jos let her go, and !
suppose ] went down. ANYWAY, /
did not know about anything for a
long time. Then woke up all in
the dark with my head feelin queer,
and when ! tried to turn over i'm
bed found | wasn't in bed at all /,
and then my arms and legs began
to hurt terrible, mostly one arm
that was doubled up. / tried TO
get up, but / couldn't because my
bones burt so and / was terrible
cold and there WAS nothing to stand
on. was jest stuck. Then | be-
gan to cry, and pretty soon | heard
mamma's voice sayin to papa
" Those must be sparIcrs that are
making that noise in the chimney.
Jes touch match to the wood in
the BOYS fireplace"
heard papa strike a light and
then the wood began 10 crackle.
Then, by iinks it began to get hot
and smoky and ! screamed
" Help Murder : Put out that
fire lest you want to burn me up 20
Then ] heard papa stamping on
the wood and mamma calling out
" Where's Billy? Where is my
chile ?"
Next Tommy woke mp and began
TO cry and everything was terrible.
specially the pains all over me.
Then papa called out very stern:
" William, If you arc in the
chimney come down Mt once - and
! answered, cryin, that / would IL
| could, but / was stuck and
couldn't.
Then ] heard papa gottin dressed,
and pretty soon he aud John from
the stable went up on the roof and
let down ropes what ] put around
me and they hauled me up.
It was ies daylight and ] was all
black and sooty aud scratched and
my arm was broken.
Everybody scolded mo excep
mamma. had spoiled nv sisters
wnite rug, and broken All Of Tom-
mY's toys, and the snow what went
I'm through the scuttle melted and