South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-12-23


their contents spread ont and lcok-
ed at aud Distributed. u was ma
wonder Grandfather Vrooman's
big sleigh had been 20 full, or tho
one Pat hsd driven, when they.
, brought the Hopkins and Simpson
families from the north and aouth
railway station.
Grandfather himself went away
out to the barn once for something
he said no had hidden there. and
while he .wss gone Aunt Ellen aud
Uncle Hiram slipped package in
to the grain bag, and Grandmother
handed Uncle Hiram another to
slip IN on the top Of it, on i, Uncle
John Hardy and Uncle Martin
Hopkins each handed him another.
and the bag was almost half full, bat
you could not see it by the out
side; and then they winked at each
other when Grandfather came IN
with back load OF sleds, Grand
! mother may have thought she knew
what they were winking about, but
shs didn't; for Uncle Hiram whis-
pered 20 Aunt Ellen:
Pm glad it's big stocking.
One'll do FOR both OF 'em.
Oh, how beautiful the country
was when the gray dawn came next
morning !-whita and still in the
dim and slowly growing light.
So still And the stillest place
OF ail was the one Bijah woke mp
in. He could not guess where he
was at frat, but he lay awhile and
remembered
Its Santa Clans house, and
they're all real good. He's going
to give me to somebody az soon ss
It's Christmas
He got up very quickly and look
cd around him. 1t was not dark
in the store room. for there was q
great square hole in the middle of
the floor, and glow OF dun red
light came up through it which all
most made Bijah feel afraid.
There was his little gray suit Of
clothes, cap, and all, close by lis
bed on the floor, and he PIT them
on faster than he had ever done it
before.
When e's my other stocking ?
he searched and searched, but It
was Of no use, and he finally said
Il can't runaway in thu snoy
with baro foot
He had been getting drawer and
Drawer, now he was wide awake, and
h crawled forward and looked
down through the scuttle hola. He
knew that room in minute, but
be had to look twice before he knew
the tree.
Ever so many stockings i--snd
they're all full. And look at lhose
sleds |! o my
Whichever way he looked, no ssy
something wonderful, and he beg an
to get excited.
4 can climb down it's just like
going down stairs
1t was just sbout az safe and easy,
With all those branches under him;
all he had to do was TO sit on one,
and get ready to sit on the next one
below him. He got about half way
down, and there was the grain bag,
with its mouth wide open. just be-
yond it, on the same bough but fur.
Their out, there hung a very small
stocking indeed.
That's mine y said Bijah to
himself. Its cram full tso.
They've borrowed it, after alE
theirs we're fall, too. 7 want It
to put on now, bat can't reach it
out there
Just then he began to hear nois-
es upstairs, and other noises in the
room below-shouts and stamping.
and people calling to each other
and he could not make out what
they wre saying
oh dear ! they're coming-San-
ia Claus is cOming-Christnas is
coming What'll | do?
Bijah was scared but there was
the wide mouth Of Grandfather
Vrooman's grain bag stocking.
and almost before he knew Whist he
was doing be had slipped IN.
Poor Bijah. The moment 10
was N he discovered that he could
not climb out. lie tried hard, but
there Wss nothing 90 the sidss Of
the bag for his feet tc climb on.
Next moment, too, he wanted 10
crouch down as low ~ he could,
for oil the noise seenaed to be COM
ing nearer.
So 1t was, indeed. and ~ the head
81 it were the Grandfather and
Grandmother and the other grown
up people, trying to keep back tho
boys and girls until they al should
be gathered.
Where's Bijah ? asked Grand
'ather, after he had counted twice
iroune and was sure bout the feat.
'Bijah = exclaimed Liph. WHY
looked IN the stcre-room be Isn't
here.
Hope tho little chap didn't est
cared and run a8a5.'
Dear me--throuqh the snow
Grandmother.
'Of course not, said Aunt Jsne.
les around somewhere. Let's.
ct the children ia. They're ali
iers.
Steady, now said Candidates
q In uawsss.,s