The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-15

While Santa Claus was speaking vigg
was ON pins and needles, dreading to
hear his own name pronodnced. When.
at last IL came. he turned first red and
then pale. What Santa Claus said about
him and about the woolon stockings
will not repeat, hut 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 aud 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 tie 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
bright eyes and always ready to forgive
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
a 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
wero wet with tears, and Vigg was sob
bing.
Yes, he was sobbing in his sleep, and
the grand hal, with its crystal walls
and brilliant lights was gone, aud Vigg
was lying OH 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
liale Viggl You had TO be all alono
here for long time with no light, but
1 could not get home sooner. Now i
have the candle for you, aud such q
candle as il isl And bread and ginger
cake and another cake for you to give
to the sparTows tomorrow morning. And
see here" added Mother Gerturde,
there is a 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, so that you need not wear your
wooden ones on Christmas day.
Vigg had long wished TO have a pair
of leather shoes, and they made him
very happy. He looked at them from all
sides, but he looked SO much longer at
the woolen stockings that Mother Ger
trude ts~ught he was loolSingfor some
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 ~s:ces and the stockings, many times
over for TIE stockings"
Now Mother Gertrude placed the pot
on the fire and white cover on the
table, and the candle was lighted, and
Vigg put Oh 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