The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-12-24
COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1897.

mix with his neighbors, stood on
the doorstep, and as he tapped his
wings and crowed, the cabin door
opened, and little black face
peered out. "Sakes alive" he muir.
INJURED, as he closed the door behind
him, II does bleeve hit will be
snowin' by Christmas"
Lies see, free days, den,n as he
walked out into the yard and looked
at the chimney, "old Santa Claus
will come, an'-but I clare ter good
ness, don't see how he am going
to git down dat chimbley," putting
his hands in his trousers pockets,
land wild SIGH bundle too"
"Why," he won't on, "thars drum,
an boss, an de Lawd doan kno
what else fer me, sides things fer
Lily Jane an Josie, John an
nanny. Course be wont fergit
nanny. But / jist doan bleeve,
somehow, all dat foOlishness bout
Santa Clause" And master Sambo
stuck out his thick lips in a pout.
He was not a bad looking little fell
low, after all, this Sambo, who was
his mothers darling.
His fleshy little figure was clad
somewhat scantily, while four little
toes on each foot peeped out of his
shoes. Sambo's mother cooked for
"de viii foxes" and besides him,
there were four more children to
, feed. Mandie's salary was very
small, but with Lily James and
Joe's help she had pulled through
many hard, cold, winters.
! SambO was counted "bead boss"
: for while the sister, brother and
mother were at work, he stayed at
home and tended to Johnny and
and Josie. 1t was only three days
now until Christmas, and poor
Mandie had worried about getting
J something nice for her children. OF
: course it could not be much, but
they would be looking for some
thing.
Perhaps "old miss" would give
3 her few extra coins; and the poor
: woman comforted herself with this
thought. NANNY" said Sambo,
as he went back into the cabin and
| sat down before the fire, II wants
ter know de truf; who am Santa
> Clause, anyhow"
"Lis'en at dat foil Niger" said
Josie, starting back at the question.
=, "Why you's de ignantest boy ever L
| seed. DOan you know he's big fat
5 man what brings good things down
: de chimbley to fo'kes?"
II didn't ak you" exclaimed
!, Sambo. Say, nanny, did you
e cher see him?" "Yas, chile, many
{ a time" said Mandie, her black
: eyes twinkling at the thought.
: "Why onct, when 1 was little gal,
9 1 cluded to sit up an wait fer i'm
4 ter come. Hit war nigh Onter
| twelve, midnight, an all at onct
heard de billy-goats an nanny
] goats er pulling an was so skeert
: l run up under de bed, an when ]
: heerd i'm comm down de chimbley
l crawled out, | did, an riz up.
But somehow ont, he got lodged up
in thar, an he'd ter git some fish
in poles an tie 'em tugedder an
punch i'm up; an when he got UNI
lodged, hyah he come er tumblin
down, an at de good things he did
have. Good Lawd, chillun, he LETT
so many good things dat hit didn't
take all de goats to pull his cyart
back. an he give me twOuv en-.
KEEP 'em an got 'em fat, an der
pap killed 'em fer beef. Oh yes
chillun, Use seed old Santa Clause y
= "Great goodness" murmured
Johnny; "mammy L clar ter good
ness, you's made my heart beat.
: And he moved uneasily in his chair
Tell us some mo-, nanny" eX
claimed Sambo eXcitedly, but his
IS mother shook her black, woody
= head. "Hits time for me to go tel
wurk, Lily Jane an Joe done an
gone hour ago by de sun. Wei
good bye chiIluns, be good, an ole
> Santa might come" .. "
And with this Mandie left, anC
the children looked at each otheI
IS with awe-struck faces. All day
long they talked of "old Santa, anC
at night, when they lay their wear!
little heads down to rest, the "bil
fat man wild all de good things wa
+, near them, and when Sambo opened
e, his eyes next morning, he was quit
disappointed because he did no
find his horse, as he expected to.
- Christmas Eve came, and with it
a deep snow. The limbs of tn
great pine trees almost touched tn
ground under their heavy burdens
and the creek which ran nea
Mandie's little cabin was froze
over. Long and hard did Samb
work to getthe snow from aroun,
the door, and by noon he had al
most finished path from the roa
to the house. He could hear tn
boom of the cannons and the like
come from the city, and as he stoo
blowing his little cold hands t
a. warm them, he heard pistol shoe
z several times, and then the sound G
q horses hoofs coming at furiou
y rate down the road. Presently
g woman screamed and Sambo, know
e ing that something serious was til
q matter, made him three large, har
q snowballs and ran out into the roa
g and saw two horses hitched to
g sleigh coming down the pike. 1