Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-12-20
SANTA CLAUS GAME.
"If you please, SIR
"Eh2 What nOwYn

hlut HlIH' 1lle inquire was JnaU OF girl
years old perhaps, but small and frail. Sho
wore an enormous sunbonnet that might
have been made for the wife of the giant
Blundcrbore, so out of proportion was It to
the diminutive wearer, and out of its
depths peered thin little face, with big
frightened brown eyes. Her clothing was
so clean and neat that one scarcely noticed
how very poor it was, and as she stared up
into the terrible face above her one of the
little feet wriggled uneasily in the depths
of the costly rug.
IF you please, sir, mother said to tell
you that she couldn't come up TODAY be-
cause she's SICK
The childish treble was little shaken
this time, for the shaggy eyebrows were
very close to her, and they gave the old
gentleman a look that was terrible beyond
belief.
He was in dreadful temper, this crus-
ty old gentleman, and nothing made him
angrier than for poor people to get into his
house. He hated the sight of poverty, and
all his servants had special orders to guard
the doors and the gates and to see that no
moan of woe or want ever reached his
ears. And yet after all, this little beggar
had slipped past the bolts and bar into
his very study, where his own servants
scarcely dared to enter.
don't know what dreadful thing might
have happened if it had not been for that
one little word mother in the child's
fluttering speech. Children so seldom
speak the word nowadays that it gave
little shock of surprise. Instantly he found
himself looking beyond the child, at an
old, long forgotten scene-a little cabin,
with white country road winding past it
and an awkward boy going down the road,
stopping at the last curve to wave his
hand to his mother, who stood in the door
watching him go out into the world.
Then he remembered himself and asked
sharply:
"And who is your mother, pray, and
why should she come here?"
please, sir, )" said the quavering little
voice, "mother's the dust woman"
1.-The whatp' calculated the old gentle
man, with another dreadful frown.
"She comes up once week and dusts
1.-THE housekeeper hired her. She says she
doesn't feel equal to it herself and mother
does it so nicely"
"AhaP' muttered the old gentleman
with an angry CLEAN in the eyes under
those fearful brows. $50 Mrs. Murray
brings outsiders into the house when my
back is turned, does sheY They're all
alike, q pack of cheats and robbers I'll
teach her to violate my confidence and fill
my house with irresponsible peoplel You
may stay in this room till Mrs Murray
comes Do you hear? And then l shall
have a message to send to your mother"
He rang the bell violently and ordered
that Mrs. Murray be sent to him as soon
as she returned. Having made this salts
factory arrangement, he took up his paper
again and ignored the little figure in che
sunbonnet.
But before he had read q dozen lines
there was light touch on his arm, and
the brown eyes were looking up into his.
"Please, sir, may look out of the win
dow while we're waitingY"
He was so astonished that he could not
reply for moment, but he did finally give
scornful grunt Of assent.
There was silence in the room for a long
time Not clock licked, for old Mr..
Roberts could not endure the ticking of
clocks. Not leaf stirred, not a cricket
chirped. The stiffness disturbed him at
last and he looked up. The child was out
on the little balcony, leaning on the stone
balustraue Her bonnet had fallen of,
and the sunlight, falling on the mass OF
brown hair, wove 1t full OF CLEANS OF gold.
Another touch on his arm-there she
was again. Her hand-such little morsel
of a hand-trembled with some new emo
ton, and her eyes shone with a strange
light. -
''It must be nice to live on hilli'' was
what she said.
The old gentleman in the armchair had
never been more astounded in his life. He
stared at her and forgot to say anything.
IT have always wanted to live on a
hill, " she went on. "Our house is away
down Wonder, and You can't see anything
but the houses across the street. But VI
here YOU can look so far, and the sky's sc
close to you. Don't you think people car
be better when they live on hillY'
The newspaper fell to the floor unheeded'
and the crusty old gentleman and the III
tie girl looked at one another. AItei
awhile the old gentleman went to the bal
conv and looked down to the roofs Of the
crowded houses in the narrow streets Dc
low and then away to the far horizon
This beautiful home of his crowned the
summit of this purple hill and was up
lifted so far above the noise and dust an'
wretchedness of the city that lay below
Truly. it was pleasant thing to live on
hin He had never thought of 1T before
but all at once he fancied himself dowI
among those miserable tenements, LOOKING
mn at this beautiful home and thinking
how near to heaven it reached.
There was a hurried tap at the uoor
and Mrs. Murray presented herself he
comfortable figure was attired stll IN ul
neat dress that she had worn In the sUrSoV
Her round face was wreathed with Smiles
but she was obviously fiuttered ana quaA
ing with fear.
"Did you leave word that you wante'
IN see me. sirY' she asked and then walte'
for the blow to fall. 49,,
"Mrs. Murray" said the old gentiemal
in his stiffest and most formal manner
Fam to understand that you nave en-,
ployed woman to come here once "eei
and dust the brio-a-brac"
UYas. sir MIRA Holmes her name u
and shS's very careful, sir. couiun U
better myself. .,odo
She glanced up anxiously at the wooue
oountenance before her. What uerrloi
thing was he going to say nextr
mrs. Murray, the woman has senU vi
child TO saw that she is too Ill TO conn
That will do. You will excuse her UNI
abe RECEIVERS" L. 10. ozv
Mrs. Murray went back to her ow
room and fell into chair III It hau pee
consistent with the dignity of Mr.. ROBBERY
housekeeper to stagger, she certain
would have staggered. She kept repeA'iN