Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-25


side the fire, with the piece of broken
slate on her lap, trying to do sum
about ten grayhounds running race,
and how long it would take for one to
catch mp with the other, when Ebene-
ger came home from school. There was
a light snow falling, and Ebenezer was
powdered with it. He came in stamp
ing his cowhide shoes and shaking
himself lile dog. Aunt Love was
sewing gre velvet on her wedding
pelisse, anu Mrs. Bagley was pairing
apples for sauce. Don't stamp SO,
Ebenezer," said she. "And don't shake
the snow on my pelisse," cried Aunt
Love. Aunt Love was very pretty, with
smooth brown hair, and pink checks.
I've got to get the snow off,"
painted Ebenezer. "Oh, MOTHER"
"You ought to get it off in the shed,
then" said his mother.
"Oh, motherD'
"And not shake it all over the clean
floor, and your aunt's pelisse."
ooh, mother, Sammy Morse says he's
going to hang up his stocking the
night before Christmas!'
Then Serena Ann looked up from
her piece of slate and her grayhounds.
81 don't want to hear any such non
sense" said Mrs. Bagley.
He says his folks are going to put
something in it for him."
eff they want to be so silly they
can"
Mother, can't I hang up my stock
ing?"
Yves" said his mother, "you can
hang it up all you want to, but y u
won't get anything in it. You have all
the presents your father can afford to
give you, right along. Now go out in
the shed and bring in an armful of that
apple-tree wood for the fire."
And Ebenezer went out disconso-
lately.
Serena Ann pulled her mothers
apron. "Mother, can't l hang up my
stoclzing?" she whispered.
"You can hang it up, but shall tell
you what did Ebenezer. You won't
get anything in it. l shant treat one
of you any better than do the other"
II never hung up my stocking since
was born" said Serena Ann, plant
lively.
Neither did l." said her mother. 81
never thought of such thing when l
was little girl. Now, tend to your
sum"
And Serena Ann attended to her sum;
but the thought of Christmas seemed
to gain upon her childish mind much
faster than one greyhound upon the
| other. She could not quite give up the
hope that possibly, if she did hang up
her stocking, somebody might put
something in it, If not her mother,
Aunt Love, or her father might, n
even Joshua Simmons, the young ma .
whom Aunt Love WIS going to marry;
he sometimes gave her n peppermint.
And after all her mother was pretty
| tender one, and she might rclent. 80
Serena Ann hung up her stocking the
night before Christmas.
| 1t is quite possible If Mrs. Bagley had
seen that poor little blue yarn stock
ing hanging in the chimney corner she
might have slipped at least bunch of
raisins, and a cinnamon stick or two,
into it, and Aunt Love might have
tucked in q bit of blue ribbon. But
nobody saw it, for Serena Ann, with
| the want OF calculation of her innocent
heart, slipped ont after everybody was
in bed and hung it up.
At breakfast the next morning Serena
AIMS mouth dropped pitifully at the
corners, and she did not eat much.
"You are silly girl to act So" said
her mother. "You knew what ! told
you"
81 s'pose Sammy Morse has got his
stocking chuck full" said Ebenezer.
He felt Serena AIMS injury to be his
own.
go out in the shed and bring in
some more of that apple-tree wood, if
you've finished your breakfast" said
his mother, and then she sent Serena
Ann upstairs to make her bed.
AS soon as the door closed, Aunt
Love turned to her sister. suppose
Joshua and l take Serena Ann to Bos-
ton with us" said she.
Mrs. Bagley looked at her doubt
fully. TIN afraid she'll be in your
ways" she said.
mo. she won't, and it viii make up
to her for not having anything in her
stocking. | felt sorry for her. Serena
Ann is a good little girl"
"Well, felt sorry she took 1t SO to
heart.n said Serena AIMS mother, but
it's silly custom. and ! don't know
how to begin it. / suppose she would
be tickled to death to 20 with you and
Joshua. She never went to Boston but
once: Ebenezer's been twice.
.She must come right down and get
ready if she's going" said Aunt Love
...for Joshua viii be here with the
.chaise."
c Ann was called and told.