The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-12

| ooh, grandmother let me see st. Nicho-
/ las pass through the square,"
BE quiet, Fleur. st. Nicholas does not
| give anything to children who watch
him"
Jams. who was In the shop below and
| had heard the conversation, went up stairs
and, having wrapped Fleur-de-Ble in a
| shawl took her to the window raising the
| little white curtain.
The snow had been falling throughout
| the afternoon and lay three inches deep
on the ground. The houses on the square
stood out in the night under white hoods,
and the flakes continued to fall. But
Iheur-de-Ble'S attention was attracted,
above ALL by the big umbrellas of the
vendors, who with their hands under their
/ aprons, sat in the middle OF the square
! before their tables on which lions made
| of sugar, dolls with wooden heads, maca-
| Rooms and other toys and dainties were
| exposed for sale.
| Fleur-de-Ble heard a noise al a door in
the street. and presently she saw a man
| quit neighboring house to go to a wine
shop; then a woman in wooden shoes, with
a basket on her arm sailed forth and trot-
ted along among the umbrellas, making a
tour of the stands, and then Fleur could
only hear the fragment of a song floating
in the night air. The snow moderated all
sounds so that they fell softly on the ear
Il can see old Elizabeth sweeping the
snow from her door" said Fleur. She has
put pail of ashes near her so as to throw
them on the walk when she has swept it,
l can also see Onazel, the pastry man,
who is walking up and down, his hands in
his pockets, smoking his pipe He is look
ing at the candy men that you made this
morning. But, papa, l can't see Saint
Nicholas, and I'm ready to go back to
bed"
JAMS put Fleur-de-Ble back in her bed
| and, kissing her said:
There go to sleep F1eur; papa will get
everything ready to receive Saint Nicho-
las"
Then all was quiet in the chamber, and
no sound was heard save the child's feeble
| breathing and the click of knitting needles
In the hands of the grandmother
III.
Suddenly the vicar opened the door of
the shop, where Jams and his wife were
counting the receipts of the days sales
| and said:
Good evening. Jams; good evening, Ma
| dame. I have come to see if Fleur-de Bile
has put her little wooden shoe by the fire
place"
''Ah! it is the vicar" said JAMS, taking
his pipe from his mouth and leading the
visitor into the little room at the back of
the shop.
At this moment the door of the cham
Der above was opened, and the grand
mother cried:
Hans! Hans"
"Ah!" said JAMS, Fleur-de- Ble wants to
speak with me again about Saint Nicho-
las"
Then, asking the vicar to follow him, he
went up stairs. AS soon as she saw them
| the grandmother said:
"Fleur-de-Ble wants to get up and go
down into the square"
Fleur, her eyes wide open and staring.
was at a window.
"Ah, my Fleur!' exclaimed JAMS as he
picked up the little girl and put her in bed
The vicar glancing at Jams, saw that he
was as pale as the white bed clothes, and
| that his hand trembled. Fleur closed her
eyes and went to sleep; but her little hands
| transparent as the clouded globe of the
lamp through which the light shone, con-
tinued to gesticulate in an aimless man
ner above the counterpane
Courage, JAMS" said the vicar, placing
his hand on his shoulder. Trust in our
| Savior. He too suffered"
But JAMS his eyes fixed on his child saw
nothing else and heard nothing
Then Fleur began to move her lips as if
she were speaking to some one on the other
| side of the night, and at last she pronounc-
ed these words:
II am Fleurde-Ble, the daughter of
JAMS, the baker, who lives on the square -
Then, after a moments silence, she muir
INJURED:
GOOD morning; always playing ah, the
! beautiful dolls"
Her voice sounded like the soft note of a
violin, and while she spoke a faint smile
| played about her mouth. Then she moved
her arms slowly as if she were making a
| salutation to some one. After sleeping
about half an hour, Fleur-de-Ble again
awOke and asked:
Has not st. Nicholas come yet?"
| mo, Fleur," said JAMS st Nicholas
Will not come until midnight"
| "Ah, it is so long" said the little girl
But he has to come great distance and
| his donkey is tired. Papa, have an easy
chair ready for st. Nicholas"
Il will not forget" said Jams. "St
| Nicholas shall have the beautiful arm
| chair in the corner, in which your aun
Catherine, used to sit when she came t
see us last year"
| About IL o'clock Jams descended and be
| gan to make preparations for the comins
of St. Nicholas. He had bought a Iarg,
doll, which had eyes that moved, yellow
hair and jointed body. He had ais,
bought a cradle lined with blue satin
For these he had paid IS francs.
He placed the doll in the cradle an,
put in handbook, the silk mantle. tn,
satin dress and the red plush hat, which
composed the dolls costume. As he hand
led these pretty things JAMS spirits ros
a htNANS anu nc lduSHGQ at the lnOuSht .
Fleur's joy.
He took off his shoes and twice crep
quietly up the stairs, the first time +
carry the dishes of bonbons, the secon,
time to carry the doll, the cradle and tn
box containing the dolls clothes. All ihes
he deposited in little room back of tn
chamber in which Fleur-de-Ble lay.
Fleur was still sleeping.
I wish to see her joy when she awake
and sees her presents; l am waiting 70
that" said the vicar to the grandmother
But that was not the reason why the vica
remained.
He took his breviary from his pocket
and, nlurmuring almost inaudibly. he he
gan to read by the light of the little lamr
But from time to time the vicar locke
toward Fleur-de-Ble and then. putin
his fingers between the pages of the boo
to mark his place, he said under hi
breath Lord, have mercy upon thes
poor people!'
When midnight came FIeur-de-Ble wa
awakened by a noise in the house. anf
opening her eyes, she asked If the donke
Of Saint Nicholas was not coming dow
he chimney. Jams. who knew that tn
= | noise was made by the Young mon in tb