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

ter of Hans Jams.
Grandmother JAMS threw billit of wood
on the fire: then, pushing her spectacies
up on her white hair. she went on tip
toe toward the bed.
"Fleur," she said in a low voice, as she
drew aside the curtains.
The light of the lamp showed the little
form of Fleu-de-Ble beneath the clothes
that covered her and her little arms lying
outside.
Twice since the great clock In the shop
struck had the grandmother opened the
curtains of the bed speaking softly to
Fleur-de-Ble, and the child had not awak-
ened. She heard every moment the sound
of the little bell which Jams has fastened
to the shop door and which rang when
ever a customer entered. There were many
customers that evening, for JAMS had, in
candy and in cake, the finest little men
and women of any confectioner in town.
Every time the bell sounded the grand
mother wondered If the customer wanted
a figure that cost six sous, or one for a
franc. Those that cost a franc had cheeks
made Of white sugar and hair of red sugar,
and those sold for six sous were made
in plain cake. Hans had also had to
make some figures that he sold at two
francs, because there were always those
people who wanted to pay two francs
when their neighbors only paid one.
JAMS wife was behind the counter in
the shop. While she was watching the
little boys, with red noses and with their
hands in their pockets, as they stopped
before the window to admire the men of
cake and candy, she heard Jams, who was
in the bakery, exclaim:
Now, lads, be careful; for I am going
to make a figure of Saint Nicholas for
Flear."
And through the window at the back of
the shop Madame JAMS saw Hans in white
blouse and trousers, his arms bare, as he
moved hither and thither beside the men
leaning over the kneading trough.
Jams took the largest of his molds and
after greasing it with butter, carefully
poured in the batter; then he put the mold
in the oven.
"Ah! Fleur," thought Madame JAMS,
what a handsome man your father is
making for you! There is not another bak-
tiful figure. Certainly, being the daugh-
ter of baker, / have done well to marry
Hans"
AT this moment Hans drew the mold
from the oven and turned the figure out
on board sprinkled with flour. 1t was a
large figure, that of a man an knee breech-
es, with a mitre on his head, a staff shaped
like crosier in his hand, and his big pock-
cts overlooking with toys. Attached to
the figure was a streamer on which could
be read the name Saint Nicholas"
Then Jams began to frost the cheeks and
the nose of the saint with red sugar; he
put chocolate on the coat, red frosting on
the waist coat, sprinkled golden powder
on the mitre and the staff, sugared the
hands and the stockings in white, and
finally calling his wife and showing her
his master piece, said:
Annette, l would not sell this Saint
Nicholas for five francs, for probably L
could not make another like it,"
Fleur-de-Ble, awakening with a start,
said in a feeble voice:
Grandmother, what smells so good ?
Has Saint Nicholas come already"
Fleur's voice resembled the last vibrations
of crystal goblet which has been struck
with knife and emits a sound that seems
20 die away.
mo. my child" replied the grandmoth-
er, Saint Nicholas has not yet come but
makes the sweet odor."
Grandmother" said the child II have
had dream. l dreamed that Saint Mich
olas came to me as l lay in my bed.
said to him: Good morning, Saint Mich
olas, patron of good children, and he re-
piled: 'Fleur-de-Ble, l am indeed your pa
iron, for you are a good little girl, and
love the good children. Come with me-
asked: Where will you take me, good
Saint Nichoas? and he answered: viii
take you to play in Paradise Then mann
ma and papa and grandmother dressed mt
in a white robe and told me that they
would follow me after awhile, and when
got to Paradise l found little girls anC
boys all In white, who were playing there
'"They took me in their arms and told
me that they played there always, nigh
and day. Their playthings were hand
eomer than any papa ever gave me. Thu
little girls had dolls almost as large al
themselves, which could bow and speak
Saint Nicholas, embracing me- said: PLAY
and be happy You also shall have doll
that can speak And then, grandmother
i smelt a sweet odor, and 1 walked"
H.
''Here is DR.. Trousseau, who has come T.
see you, Fleur," said the grandmother
DR.. Trosseau opened the door, and, go
ing directly to the bed. he said:
1T is 7, Fleur, the doctor. How are yo
this evening? Let me feel your pulse
Hum! hnm!-now let me see your tongue
You have red checks litue one. To
much emotionl You have thought TO
much about ST. Nicholas"
The doctor placed his hand over tn
child's heart, then he put his ear Their,
and a troubled look came into his eye.
AT that moment Jams and his wife enter
ed, walking on tiptoes and holding the
breath. DIR. Trousseau tried to smile
order to hide his uneasiness. Then he too
haf Is frnh
the rectory to tell the vicar The vics
loved Jams and his wife and often too
dinner with them on Sundays
Fleur-de-Ble went to sleep, but whe
the clock struck 8 she awakened ar
said:
Grandmother, has not st. Nicholas y
conner"
No, Fleur, he has not come here We
but he Is passing through the square