Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-12-25
OKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 25

For every good thought and every good
thing Of which they spoke the dwarfs
laid golden weight ON one side of the
scales, and for every bad thought and
every bad thing they laid a toad or
snake in the other scale.
"Vigg," said Santa Claus, that
beautiful princess is very sick, and If
she does not get out of the mountain
soon she will die. She longs for the air
Of heaven, and the sunlight, and the
sight Of the golden stars in the sky. She
has been promised that she should see
the starry heavens, and the angels, and
be happy forever. She longs for 1t all,
but she cannot leave the mountain until
some Christmas eve when the scale of
good deeds and words shall be weighed
down to the floor. and that with the
evil shall go up to the ceiling. You see
now the scales are just even"
Scarcely had Santa Claus said this
when he was summoned before the
king. He had great deal to speak Of,
and 1t was nearly all good, for he work
ed only at Christmas time, when people
are almost always kind and friendly to-
ward each other. The dwarfs laid many,
many golden weights on the scale while
Santa Claus was talking, and the side
with them in it grew heavier and heav-
ier.
While Santa Claus was speaking vigg
was on pins and needles, dreading to
hear his own name pronounced. When
at last it came, he turned first red and
then pale. What. Santa Claus said about
him and about the woolen stockings ]
will not repeat, but the dwarf laid in
the scale on the side Of the bad things
the dreadful toad that Vigg had seen in
the stones. The toad was heavy, and
every eye but that Of Santa Claus was
turned upon the little boy. The king
and the princess, the dwarfs and the
brownies, were all looking at him.
Some of the glances were hard and Sc
we're and others full Of compassion and
sorrow, especially those of the beautiful
princess, whose gaze was SO mild and
pitiful that Vigg covered his face with
his hands, for he felt bitterly ashamed.
Santa Claus told about poor Mother
Gertrude on the moor-how she had
taken the little fatherless and mother
less Vigg and cared for him, and how
she made mittens and rugs and brooms
and sold them to the grocer in the vii
lage in order to feed him; how willing
she was to mend his clothes and do ev-
erything for him; how much she loved
him and how little thought she had for
herself, happy in his rosy cheeks and
hri obt ouao aud olxpoyc rood1y 70 Poroyi1o
even his disobedience; how earnestly
she prayed for him every night before
she went to sleep, and how only this
very morning she had walked alone
over the snow to the village just to get
Christmas tree and other little things
for him.
While Santa Claus was telling this the
dwarfs laid heavy golden weights in the
scale Of the good things, and the ugly
green toad jumped down and disappear
ed, and the eyes of the beautiful princess
were wet with tears. and Vigg was SOB
bing.
Yes, he was sobbing In his sleep, and
the grand hall, with its crystal walls
and brilliant lights, was gone, and Vigg
was lying ON his little bed in the cot
tage ON the moor.
The Christmas fire was burning
brightly in the stove, and by the bed
stood Mother Gertrude, saying: Poor
little Viggl You had to be all alone
here for long time with no light, but
could not get home sooner. Now I
have the candle for you, and such
candle as it isl And bread and ginger
cake and another cake for you to give
to the sparrows tomorrow morning. And
see here" added Mother Gertrude,
there is pair of woolen stockings
which have made for you for your
Christmas present. They are just what
you need, and here is pair Of leather
shoes, 50 that you need not wear your
wooden ones ON Christmas day."
Vigg had long wished to have pair
Of leather shoes, and they made him
very happy. He looked at them from all
sides, but he looked 30 much longer at
the wooden stockings that Mother Ger
trude thought he was looking for some
flaw in her work. The truth was that
they were exactly like those that Santa
Claus had had In his chest and they
made Vigg very thoughtful.
He threw his arms around Mother
Gertrude's neck and said:
'Thank you, Mother Gertrude, for
the shoes and the stockings. many times
over for the stockings.
Now Mother Gertrude placed the pot
ON the fire and white cover on the
table, and the candle was lighted, and
Vigg put on his new shoes and the wool
en- stockings. Sometimes he ran to the
window and looked out on the wide,
snowy moor and wondered about last
night how it was that he got home and
when. Santa Claus had been very kind
to him, and so was dear Mother Ger
tude, and Christmas eve was the most
delightful time In all the world. --Ro-
nance.
Christmas Observances
Properly or Improperly, the observ-
ance Of Christmas is well nigh universal
in Christendom. even among those that
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