The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19

in the heavy folds of the curtains un-
til the visit is over
She does not even take one peep. Her
patience is soon rewarded, for in a
very short space of time all the stock
ings are filled and she hears the old
fellow scrambling up the chimney
again, and then she steps forth from
her hiding place
Oh, what a happy sight!
The little stockings are empty now
no longer. She can hardly wait till
morning to see her children's joy.
Climbing the stairway to her roalm
above she hears a little voice callt6A
Is that you, mamma? l thought
may be it was Santa Claus" 1t was
little Meg, the most troublesome of ali
the children, and the child nearest the
mothers heart
She enters the little girls room.
Santa Claus has been here, darling:
and now quietly go to sleep that you
may waken. early in the morning and
see all the beautiful things he has left
for you And tucking the covering
more snugly about the child, with a
kiss the mother leaves her.
Go to sleep, indeed, She tried her
best, poor little thing; but the more
she thought of that beautiful stocking
farther away wandered sleep.
At last she can bear it no longer. ''I
will just creep down and take one
peep, she said Though only years
old, she has never been a tirnid child.
Hastily pulling on her little red slip
pers and clad only in her little white
nightdress, down the long dark stair
way she goes. AS she passes the old
in Ion
and startles Meg a little, but she goes
bravely onward to the room beyond.
The dying embers give Just enough
light to guide her to her stocking
Eagerly she snatches it to her arms
and, seating herself on the old brown
bear rug, explores all it's treasures. The
dolly in the pink satin dress receives
rapturous hug, and, with many ex-
carnations of delight, the naughty
little girl empties her stocking down
TO the very toe. Here she finds a small
package of candies. She has gone too
1ar TO hesitate now, so eats theirs.
every one, and while feasting steadily
eyes the five other pairs of stockings.
with so many interesting things stick
ing out of their tops
She wished she might blow Franks
horn or beat Harry's drum; but eitheFA
she dared not do; but with a sudden
firm resolve she decides she will see
inside every one of those stockings.
will put fings back so carefully
nobody will ever know" she said.
On! the delightful excitement of
opening five more pairs of stockings
AS she reaches each toe she does not
hesitate to eat freely of the candies
Tor her long wakeful fast has madeG
her quite hungry. When the last
stocking is emptied and it's candies
have met the fate of all the others
naughty little Meg begins to realize
the enormity of her sin; and, to make
matters worse, she cannot remember
which stockings the different gifts
belong in, for in her excitement of
pulling them out she has piled everv-
thing into one big heap She makes
a faint attempt to restore order, but
soon gives it UP as hopeless. She does
not cry, but, miserable and cold. she
creeps back to her little bed and falls
into a troubled sleep.
Early the next morning the children
are awake bright and early. All but
Meg, who will not waken, no matter
how hard they shake her.
The mother, eager as any child,
joins them in the room below.
But what an outcry greets her ears
as she opens the door! / do not like
to dwell on so painful a scene, for the
children's disappointment was so
great, and many were the surmises
among them for old Santa Claus un-
friendly treatment II expect" said
Louise, the eldest, that ours was the