The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-12-29

quickly into the kitchen, that the tears
might not be seen.
Nell stopped at the door with little
gasp. There was her stocking on the
nail where she had hung it the night
before, but instead Of having lean,
hopeless look about it, 1t was as fat as
could be, with the most delightful-l look
ing knobs all over il.
Then wasn't there dancing, happy
time, o such wonderful stocking as
that was. it didn't seem possible that
one small stocking could hold so much
candy, besides beautiful popcorn ball
aud an orange. Uncle Ben was pounc-
ed upon and hugged over and over
/ again; for Nell knew that Santa Claus
didn't know the road to the little
weather-bea house where she lived
and that il must have been some person
who filled her stocking. Uncle Ben
had betrayed himself by the twinkle in
his eye and by pretending to be too in
nOcent when the happy little girls
I questioning eyes first went around the
family.
In that stocking there were a cat,
shovel, two dogs, a man on horseback,
duck and a rooster, all in beautiful
clear candy. Then, too. there We're ten
sticks of candy, five lovely pink and
white peppermintsticks and five yellow
lemon sticks.
It was nearly Loon when uncle Ben
said: ''If you are 50 pleased over your
candy, Nell, why don't you eat ir''
''It will be so much more fun for US
all to have our candy together, that
Pm not going to eat q bite till f,ther
and the men get home"
Only it seemed 10 take long time
for the men to get back from the wood
'ot. Their the candy was on the table
in seven piles. Nell looked it over and
over TO sse if she had divided it fairly
At last the sharp eyes wa;c- ing down
the road saw the wagon Of wood com
ing. Bat how queer 1t looked Nell
couldn't make out what gave it the
dark green look till it come around the
house and father drew up the mules at
the door As he tumbled down a cedar
tree, calling, "Christmas gift, Nell.
Here's Christmas tree for you"
4 Christm tree. Was there ever such
a lovely Christmas. Why, it was finer
than the girl had in that story, She
didn't have a tree. This had little blue
berries on it, and that was a good deal
Of trimming in itself. Then Jim had
brought home some bitter sweet berries
which looked splendid on the tree.
Such a happy time as Nell had trim
ming il. All the candy was tied nn it
and the Christmas presents she had
given, all except the orange and cigar,
which Jack aud Joe had told her were
prime . early in the morning. Jack
popped some corn to string for the tree,
and when mother fried the doughnuts,
she made lot of rings and three men
out of the doughnut dough TO hang on
it. When it was all done, Nell thought
nothing in the world could be pref
Tier.
IfNell was happy before, Id)a't know
what she was when Joe came home
from the store just before supper and
slipped mp 20 the tree to tie on a box.
When she opened it you could have
heard her shouting all over the house,
"Dishes. Dishes. o goody!'
Such pretty dishes as they were and
such dear little ones! The cups were so
ting, you could hardly take hold pf
them unless your fingers were very lit
tie. There were four Of them, and
saucers to match aud a sugar-bowl and
eream-piteher and teapot. There never
was happier Nell than the one that
poured ten out Of them the rest Of the
day.
When bedtime came, as Nell kissed
her mother good night, she said:
Didn't have beautiful Christmas?
Just think, mother, Of all that lovely
candy, the p1p-corn ball, the orange,
and those lovely, t0C.Ig dishes that Joe
gave me; then my beautiful tree and
the bitter-sweet berries, the popcorn
Jack popped for me, and all those nice
dOughnuts you fried, don't believe any
little girl ever had as nice Christmas. "
Nell wondered why there were tears
in her mothers eyes, as she said, Il
don't believe any one ever did, my dar-
ling"