The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-16
SELECTED STORY.
A Christmas Story.
THE TOE OF DAVIS STOCKING.

1t was very cold, it was showing
hard, and it was Christmas Eve. As
Davy brought in an armful of irewood
and put it in the corner of the kitchen,
he said aloud: GLOW will Santl Claus
get about to night?"
Santa Clausl ha, ha, ha, hal
laughed his brother Gilbert, who sat
with his chair tilted back against the
wall and with bis hands in his pockets.
" If Santa Claus visited anybody, do
you suppose he'd come here?" he
asked.
"Of course he would" said DAvy,
stoutly. Davy was sturdy little fell
low, with cheeks as rudy as a winter
apple and brown eyes shining with
health and spirits. "l know he'd be
sure to keep something for me; enough
to put in the toe of my stocking at any
rate" he added.
&C. Perhaps he'll put in that red COW
that you've wanted to buy for mother
for long time" sneered Gilbert.
81 don't know what he will put in,
but if it was ever so little, it might help
TO buy the COW; even a nickel would do
TO begin with, you know" said DAvy,
stoutly.
Gilbert laughed and called him " a
stupid" to think it worth while to be,
gin to buy cow by saving a nickel.
AS for himself, he had half dollar, and
be meant to spend itin having good
time in the village on Christmas Day,
But Davy didn't mind his brothers
ridicule, for be was used to it. After
he had eaten his supper, with good
appetite, of baked potatoes with Little
salt, he talked with his mother about
the time when they would have fine
COW and have plenty of milk and but
ter. Then things would then go much
better in their little home, which was so
poor now. His mother smiled hope
fully when she remembered that ii was
Davy who had cultivated the potatoes
so carefully, that the crop was of the
very best kind, and that they had plenty
in the cellar now TO last all winter.
He asked his mother for his very best
gray wooden stockings, and hung them
up by the wide Of fashioned chimney
before he went to bed. Goodnight,
momkins," he said, cheerily," it's very
early to 90 to bed, but one must give
Santa Claus chance, you know"
1t was long time before he could go
to sleep, and after while he thought
he heard Santa Claus calling: "Now
Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer,
now Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on
Dunder and Blitzen!" and the scamper-
ing of hoofs of the eight tiny reindeer
over the roof. Then he buried his head
closer in the pillow and went to sleep.
1t was very early when he awoke the
next morning. So early that the stars
were shining in the clear skies, and the
new-fallen snow lay light as down over
every branch and twig of the great elm
tree into which he looked from his win
dow.
But he did not spend much time at
the window, both because he was 80
cold and because he was anxious to see
what was in his stocking.
He pulled on his clothes hastily and
hurried into the kitchen. There he
found it very dark, but he knew his
way to the chimney, where he felt
about for his stocking, which he soon
found, and-oh joy! 1t was full to the
very top.
He quickly raked the ashes from the
buried Goals and threw on them some
pine cones, which at once leaped into @
bright blaze.
Now he would see what was in his
stocking. 1t was not heavy, but il was
very full. First he pulled out piece
of crumpled brown paper.
81 couldn't expect to find anything
but bit of crumpled paper at the very
top" he thought.