The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-25

had bought me each year many neces-
stiles in the way of a new dress, apron,
hood and mittens, with one or two lux
uries like a bright colored picture book, a
toy, a doll or a stick of candy.
AS many as possible Of these gifts were
stuffed into my eXpectant stocking. and
the remainder were arranged about It,
usually presenting quite an array.
l do not recollect that / ever received a
gift at any other time of the year, and
my ~anticipations Of Xmas were naturally
large ones. On this particular winter there
had been an unusual fall OF snow. a few
days before Christmas a heavy storm set
in and the snow fell necessarily, render
Ing the Wisconsin prairie impossible. My
brother, who had been planning q trip to
town, fourteen miles distant, to obtain
family supplies, was Obliged to abandon
the idea, as NJ vehicle or team could
breast the huge drifts.
l began 10 worry about the arrival OF
"St. Nicholas" I believed that he jour
neyed about In his sleigh drawn by rein
deer, and l feared the blockade might
inconvenience him. To my Consideration
my mother expressed similar doubts when
| mentioned the matter. She said she
feared he would find the roads lmpas-
sable, and hoped / would be reasonable
If such proved the case. But / found II
impossible TO be reasonable even in con-
temptation Of such a disaster. | talked
Of nothing else. l watched the still fall
ing snow through tears. and l question d
each grown member Of the family con-
corning the probability of St. Nicholas
detention a score OF times a day. The
morning preceding Christmas the weather
cleared, but came off sharp and cold. The
drifts we're above the window sills on
the vest and north sides OF the house.
L stood IN a chair and gazed over wide
expanses Of snow, stretching away and
away, like white seas with drift pillows.
Here and there, widely scattered, a dis
tart chimney lifted itself like the mast Of
a ship. Not a team passed the whole
day. one or two %neighbors climbed over
the cresting tops of the drifts and hailed
each other like ship-wrecked mariners,
saying how impossible the roads were.
Ny disappointment increased with the
hours. As night fell / pressed my face
against the window pane and pecred into
darkness and listened. 1 hoped against
reason, 10 hear he jangle of approaching
bells. With the falling Of night my
mother had grown hopeful and encOur-
aging. She said II might be- possible that
st. Nicholas would come on foot. She
had heard OF his doing 50 in a few in
stances. or course. in such cases he
brought very few Sits, but he was ex-
pected to keep his yearly engagement by
leaving some small token.
/ retired to my bed, cheered by this
faint hope. l hung up my stocking, as
usual, and tried to keep by eyes and ears
open to listen for the sound OF st. Mich
olas' footsteps. but l was soon sound
asleep.
l awoke early. and. sitting up in bed,
I glanced eagerly at my stocking. IL
hung on the rail seemingly as limp as
when l placed II there. My heart ank
I'm my breast. There was no array Of
parcels on the floor as in former years.
ST. Nicholas has not come.
l arose with tears in my eyes and a
lump I'm my throat and began TO make
my toilet. The day doomed before me.
long n lonely. 1 had drawn on one
stocking ami reached to take the other
form the nail. when 10! something hard
lay within it, and there was a bril-.
liantly illustrated copy Of John Gilpin's
Ride" rolled about a stick Of candy-the
barber pole candy that to-day looks more
inviting TO ma than all the tempting
boxes Of Huylcr or Tenny.
ST. NichOuas came after ALL Then, as
I continued with my toilet, light hearted
and joyous. I found that the old stubbed
cut shoes had been replaced by shining
copper-toed ones. and my Christmas day
was very bright and glad.
Later In life l learned that my keen
sorrow and disappointment so worked
upon my brothers heart that he had rid.
den a horse through and over knee-deep
drifts to the nearest store. seven miles
distant, and brought home such trihes as
his p~ockets-already burdened with neces-
stiles for the -house-wOuld contain.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
M s49 west Fifty-eighth street.