The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02

npS Inat Kissed ana kissed, the little HIuOeA
body was carried nrstalrs and put into the
little white bed for the night.
Then the work began downstairs. The
Christmas tree was dragged out. and
mamma, papa and Fariba. the hired girl,
finally got the sturdy fir trunk planted in a
soap box and guyed to the wall nails with
strings-but everybody knows how home
Christmas trees are made Then came the
trimming. a delightful task, the three pairs
of eyes anon looking with critical squint
and then in imagination viewing it as an
other pair of wide blue eyes would view it
in the light of the trees own candles in the
morning. Finally it was done, and then all
retired after arranging plans for getting
each others presents into position without
giving away the morrows surprises.
When the clock had struck half past 5 the
next morning there was stir in the little
white bed upstairs. A towzled, tawny head
wiggled across the pillow twice in a mad
struggle to escape from the thralldom of
slumber. Two pink feet were drawn UP
nearly to a pearl-tinted throat, and then
shot out like a catapult, with the result
that the little night-robed figure was in i'm
minent danger of catching cold. Two short
arms gave brief spasmodic stretch, an
angry little voice complained unintelligibly,
and then two dark blue skies lighted with
the flash of dawn.
II want over in you bed, please, papa"
'All right, you little Eskimo, come on"
81 amt Estimo; baby
"Oh, I don't know. Cuddle down here"
A few moments of sitting baby hugs, and
then:
what day is this, pet?'
''Tell him it's Saturday. darling
tits satday, papa-an'-oh. Trismus
comes o-day-ho-o-o-o!"
Wonder if it's Gomez"
Let's go see if Trismus come"
wait till mamma goes down to make it
all warm then she'll see if Christmas has
come
In moment the fire having already been
turned on in full force and mammals trip
being solely to light the wax candles, she
calls up:
Come down, babies, and see!'
There was some hasty dressing done up
stairs, and in exactly one minute papa and
baby. the latter wrapped in a blanket, came
downstairs three steps at a time-the baby
in papas arms, of course. When they APP
peared at the dining room doorway the blaz-
ing, blinking, glorious tree stood in all the
grandeur of popcorn strings tinsel and pres
ents. The little ones mouth hung open
like the proverbial fly trap; her eyes bulged
to an extent that made blinking utterly i'm
possible, and her first ejaculation was a
dreamy, interrogative "Huh?" as If some
one had spoken to her. Then, moistening
her lips as if awakening from long dream,
she exclaimed rapturously:
Trismus did comer'
And it had. with it's usual weight of baby
he ft,rc oI,o =
''wi' 'trings to 'em," were there, with nearly
as many dolls as she had demanded, and q
railroad train-but why enumerate? After
hasty dressing, the fun of playing with
her new things began. and then mamma and
papa had a chance to kiss and thank each
other for kind and thoughtful remem-
brances. Fariba, too, was thankful in her
quiet, undemonstrative way and all were
happy. Yet it was all the contagious happi-
ness of the little one that had infected the
entire family What would Christmas be
without children? 1t is essentially a baby
holiday, and that is why the whole human
race of children, both grown up and little.
love it better than any other festival day.
When breakfast had been hastily bolted
visitations began. Ralph, accompanied by
his big brother (who wanted to tell that he
had got a violin), came with a shawl tied
over his head and with basket of Christ
mas offerings for Marjorie. Jennie and the
doctors wife and others also remembered
the little girl, and Marjorie remembered
Ralph Doors swung oftener that morning
than ever before on any Christmas day
Everybody ran into the home of everybody
else TO give information about Christmas
things received, and, incidentally to listen
with what patience might be summoned to
the Christmas stories of others. Jennie
who had known everything she was going
to GET had to tell in a cyclonic way o
the things she had had that she had never
dreamed of, but had been dying for" The
big Guido fresco for the doctor and his wife
was carried into the parlor from Marjorie's
house, and met with delighted reception,
and Marjories papa got a large waste
basket that, while suggestive of shudders
and other peoples wastebaskets was very
useful and acceptable. Everybody kept
open house-they couldn't help it, didn't
want to help it. If the very Christ child
himself had been born once more liz the
flesh in that very neighborhood the Christ
mas spirit could not have been more ideal
and it's observance could not have been
more thoroughly loving and unselfsh
And on that bright. sparkling morning
men," munched candy until there was not
another piece on earth" she could masti-
cate, and made the only complaint heard
on the square that day-that Santa Claus
had not remained to let her see and kiss
him. S. w. GILLIAN.