Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-12-22
sTEENIE'S CHRISTMAS.
How the Little Fellow Saw His Way
ont of a Difficulty.


mother?' asked little Steenie, drawing
his stool close to his mothers chair and
laying his curly head ON her knee.
The mothers face was very sad as she
stopped over and kissed the bright eyes
upturned to hers.
And if he does not, Steenie, little
man, can we not wait till next Christ
mas? You know how the snow has
drifted on the plain and covered up the
road; you know how dark it is now.
He may not come tonight, DEAR"
"Come here to the win dow, Steenie, .
said Ev., who was flattening his nose
against the cold pane. The two boys
peered out into the darkness, where the
white snow that was piled in fleecy
drifts against the fences was hidden
from their sight.
''Steenie, " said he SO low that mother
sitting by the fire darning their little
socks, the tears falling on her work,
and father who was so ill and now lay
asleep on the bed, could not hear him;
'Steenie," he said, his child's heart
feeling heavy and sad, but his manly
bravery prompting him to comfort his
little brother in his sorrow, "See how
dark it is out there; we can t see the
haystacks, nor the barn, nor nothing.
If Santa Claus tried to come tonight
he might get lost, and all his reindeer,
and his sleigh, and his books, and toys
and-apd everything. If I was you
I'd a heap ruther he wouldn't try to
come tonight, wouldn't you, Steenie?
than for him to get lost on the prai.
rie. Don't cry, Steenie. Mother will
hear you and it will make her sad too.
And it'll wake father up. Don't cry,
Steenie; try to be man, like mother
said, and Santa Claus won't forget us
when 1t ain t so dark, so he can get to
us"
The brave little fellows tried to keep
back the tears, but somehow they Just
would come, and by and by, when the
mother called to them to go to bed,
they were very wet little faces that
were held up to hers for kiss.
May hang up our stockings and
pray for God to make it light SO Santa
Claus can see how to come; motherg''
asked Steenie.
"Yes, DEAR" said mother.
She tucked the covers well about the
boys when they pressed their fearful
faces upon the pillows, and they lay
very still fer some time.
sTEENIE S PLAN.
"Ev.." said Steenie by and by, when
mothers light was out, and he knew
she had gone to bed too, "do you think
Santa Claus co aid see if there was a
light"
HE might, said Ev. drowsily.
Steenie turned over, stuck his head
out from under the cover, and opened
his eyes very wide to keep from going
to sleep. He had not many minutes to
wait before his brother sregular breath
told that he was asleep. 1t was very
dark and Steenie could not see wink,
but he reached down to the foot of the
bed and got Ev's overcoat and slipped
into it. 1t was not much too big for
him but it was getting very tight for
Ev
Nov shall not take cold," he said
as he felt for the matches which moth
er always put on the little table so Ev
could strike light if Steenie had the
Group.
Here they are, and I know the Ian.
tern is hanging above the bed on the
peg by the window, for saw Ev put il
there"
1t was the work of but moment fol
him to strike a match and light the big
lantern that hung by the bed post. He
saw the light spring up and shine out
through the bare window into the white
yard, over the white fence and across
the white prairie beyond.
''If Santa Claus is coming that way
he'll see my light" the little fellow
said as he crept back to bed, and very
soon he was fast asleep. Steenie saw
the light shine across the white yard
and the white prairie, but he did not see
the poor, miserable little peddler who
struggled to his feet when the bright
CLEAN reached him and made another
effort to get out of the drift by the road
side.
Steenie did not hear the faint knock
at the door, as wellnigh fozen and BEN
almost to the ground by the weight Of
his heavy pack. But mother heard ant
let the poor man in, and the next day
the boys saw him.
And they saw something else too
When they opened their eyes they saw
the lantern still burning and the ligh
of beautiful Christmas day shining il
upon their faces. And what we're the
piles of bundles on the two chairs OF
which Steenie had hungthe stockings
Out of bed the bed the boys sprang
laughing and shouting to find thei
stockings stuffed with the candies the,
had longed for, round and fiat and rec
and white. There were new overcoa
boots and mittens for Ev, new sui
for Steenie, with belt to buckle roun,
his waist. There were books and pic
lures and every thing they had wishe,
for. down to Ey's knife and Steeniei