The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-12-20

Mrs, Santa Claus had been very busy
that day making good things for Saint
Nick TO distribute among his little
friends on Christmas eve, and-O,
what a sight for the children if they
could have peeped in and seen the lus-
cious brown chocolate creams, the
golden buttercups, snowy bars of CO.
cOanut, mountains of crystal "chips.n
monuments of molasses candy, pyra-
mids of popcorn-balls and many other
good things too numerous to mention.
In another room there were dolls
black dolls and white dolls-all kinds
Of dolls, from the delicate little French
ladies in Worth dresses to the substan-
tial rag dolls that all babies love. And
there were lots of toys in other rooms
that L have not time to tell you about.
BY-Low III.
The day before Christmas was busy
one at grandma Taylor's. Such auan-
titles of cakes, jellies, puddngs and
pies that Ellen was makingl There
was a turkey, and chickens, and ducks,
and Bessie wondered if it could ever ali
be eaten. But grandma had little
secret Of her own that Bessie did not
dream of, and she knew who would
help to feast on the good things she
had prepared.
The night before, Rev. Mr.. Tucker
had called and told grandma and mamma
about the poor family on the mountain
side, and Bessie had heard him saw,
for 1t is more blessed to give than 10
receive, you know" Bessie did not
quite understand that, but mamma ex-
planned to her what Mr.. Tucker meant.
so she pulled out basket from among
her playthings and filled it with toys
and goodies and carried it to mamma
to send to the poor children.
All that day she was busy dressing
her dollies and getting ready for Christ
mas. In the afternoon aunt FANNY
came in and asked Bessie to 90 to
church with her next morning. Aunt
Fanny had four wonderful dogs and
three cats, and Bessie thought it great
fun to visit her and frolic with 81 the
animals" as she called them. There
was lazy old Watch, the Bordelaix, and
frisky Sport, the red setter, and Rex,
the big shaggy St. Bernard, and Jip.
the Skye terrier. And there was Pity
sing, the mamma cat, and Peter and
Marian, her children; and in the stables
were Jim, the black horse, and Maxy.
Jr., the bay one. And Bessie bad to
visit them all when she went down to
aunt Fanny's.
There was once one other kittie.
which Bessie called {" Miss Widdle-
Waddle," because her legs were so
short and she was so fat that she
waddled like duck when she walked.
But poor little Miss Widdle- Waddle was
so greedy on Thanksgiving day that she
made herself sick, and in spite of all the
nursing and dosing she died and was
laid away under the apple tree at the
foot of the garden.
This observation-disclosures eve, mean
Bessie made everybody in the house
about wild, she was in such hurry for
them all to 60 to bed. She brought all
her stockings to grandma to hang up
by the fireplace. Grandma told her
that Santa Claus could never find
enough to fill them all, so she only hung
up one pair.
Then auntie En- came in and PLAYED
Happy Day" and grandpa's favorite
piece, " Rosalie, the Prairie Flower,''
on the piano, while mamma took Bes-
sic upstairs to bed, and she said her
prayers and cuddled down to sleep:
and by and by the music seemed afar
off, and mingled with it was the peal of
the joy-bells ringing out "Peace on
earth, good will to men," and Bessie
opened her sleepy eyes to ask, mamma,
is that-Santa Claus-coming now?'
BY-Low ".
Christmas morning dawned SUNNY
and cold. Bessie's eyes popped open
long before any one else was awake.
She jumped out of bed, on her woolly
slippers and flew from room to room,
shouting, A merry Christmas to all
grandpa, grandma, mamma, papa and
all! Then down to the parlor, where
her stockings hung by the fire. place.
Hark! What was that noise she
heard? A faint meoW, then a little
white head with black ears, then a
white body with a black tail, and 10 aud
behold! right there by the side of the
fireplace, in beautiful little basket all
trimmed with blue ribbon, was the dear
little white, downy kitten that Bessie
had written TO Santa Claus to bring herl
She Rugged it in her arms and dragged
! her stockings up after her to mamma.
and o! what host of things there were
to examine-more dolls, more sets of
furniture, more mittens, more boxes of
candies, and away down in the toe Of
one of the stockings was blue ribbon
with a little bell on it, for kittie's neck.
andon it was engraved the name-Fossy.
Everybody went to church on Christ
mas morning. Aunt Fanny took Bessie
home with her after service, and after
romp with the dogs and cats, uncle
Charley took her to drive. All the dogs
with fresh ribbons in their collars went
trooping after, and merry time they
had. Just as the electric lights flashed
out they drove up to Bessie's home, and
there in the parlor was a beautiful tree
brilliantly lighted and loaded with pres
ents, and around the room sat the poor
German family that mamma had told
her about. Bessie danced into the
room and among them, her face glow
ing with happiness.
And by and by mamma distributed
the presents. There were warm Jack
els and caps, shoes, stockings, dresses,