The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18
THE GOLF STOCKING.
A STORY OF CHRISTMAS EVE.

dependence Of either Papa Won Grav-
aeIsoeck or Aunt Robiua which was ex-
tremely exciting It was their one great
and utterly untrammelsd experience of
the kind In the whole year, for it was
Chris mas time, and the children, sup
piled with money, were wont then to enter
the town with appropriate mystery and
make number Of purchases, mostly of
extremely useless articles, which were
destined 10 surprise and delight the eyes
Of their relatives. and the cook and young
Edward and everybody else in the house,
on Christmas morning. If papa found
copy OF Robinson Crusoe in his stocking
or Aunt Robina half a dozen tasteful hand
kerchiefs speckled with little blie monk
eys in hers, they welcomed such offer
ings always with huge pleasure and pride
and declared them the most lovely and
timely and appropriate of all their Christ
mas presents. 1t occasioned the little boy
and girl much anxiety 10 spend their
money on these trips and overlooking no
body, aud their parcels once secured, and
nobody forgotten, they We're always in an
on this particular afternoon, at this par
ticular Christmastide the two had finished
their bargaining and were quite happy in
armfu,s of parcels, when the rowing eye
of Robert Henry was drawn to the spec
tacle Of a very stout, tan boy in the
street. He was a prodigious boy, not at
all old, but anything but a small boy.
And when Robert Henry saw him he was
at once filled with such a respondent
gloom that Ethellnda viewed his face with
Unconcealed dismay.
Has you dot a pain?" she inquired with
sisterly sympathy, for the idea of pain
before Christmas dinner is truly tragic.
Look" said Robert Henry, pointing des-
pairng.y at the fat boy. "Ethy, look at
that boys legs And look at mine and
yoursr
Ethy looked down at her own with COM
placeny, but failed to see what was wrong
THAT boys stocking would hold a car
load of presents from Santa Claus" said
Robert Henry with outspoken envy, land
mine are skinny, like yours"
"They amt" cried Ethelinda indig-
rantly.
Robert Henry pondered. He was yet
young enough to believe in Santa Claus
al least so far as to have doubts if the
saints proxies would attempt to fiji his
stockings with more than they could hold
and he had limited deliberately to his faith
er and Aunt Robina that there were a
very large number of things which he ex-
pected Santa Claus to send him. He felt
bitter about that boys stockings, surmis-
ing that the calf of one would comfort
ably accommodate a foot ball While pom
dering, Ethelinda ran across the street
to tell secrets TO another little girl and
her brother was left just outside a dry
goods shop. Something in the window
caught his eye. He was well-known at
that store. He ran in.
please" said ne, Il want a new pair
of stockings. Mines got q great big
hole"
"Ah, Master Robert" said the proprie-
tor, certainly. I know your size, 1 think.
Did your aunt say what color?"
No" said Robert Henry, boldly
They're to be golf stockings, and the big
gest you've got"
"How?" said the man. Boys size?"
THE very biggest" said the boy deter
minedly. They may be a little big for
me now, but auntie says I'm growing very
fast, and papa says that he's noticed all
his friends calves grow amazingly as
soon as they learn to play golf. So.
they're to be the very biggest you've got"
The storekeeper hesitated, laughed and
made parcel Of a gigantic pair of stock
ings
Tell Miss Van Gravaelsoeck we will
be pleased to exchange if not suitable"
said he, with a grin, and Robert Henry
ran off in triumph radiant at the thought
that he had got the better of Santa
Claus.
But Ethelinda had missed him and gone
home, so Robert Henry secured all his
packages and followed. The short De.
cember day was now spent and darkness
was falling quickly, and nurries of snow
were falling and powdering the few pass
ersby, Robert Henry was serenely warm
tnough the evening was cold, and he walk
ed leisurely. He is a rosy-cheeked. plump
young man, with a quantity cooked nose
and cheerful, laughing open eve
The cold REDEEMED his cheeks and en-
pinked his little nose, and the snow was
sprinkied plentifully upon his sealskin can
fastened down over his ears. and his loose
fur coat. His gathered legs were in COSY
overshoes, and his hands in fur gloves
and he was loaded down with parcels. so
that' take him altogether he looked so
warm and rosy and happy and busy and
benevolent that it was a wonder that a
mite of girl, who. in company with
mite OF a boy, was passing in the dusl,
cried out in fearful joy:
Mlcky, there's Santa Claus!"
Aud Immediately she buried her ewes
and nose in the mite of a boys neck. The
mite of boy stood. open-mouthed and ter
ror-strlcken for an instant. and then his
peaked face heightened. He groaned
miserably:
ram no such luck. It's de Graham
seek boy. Git up, Sukew
Then, to Robert Henry's profound dis
composure, the two mites tucked their
knuckles in their eyes and raised their
voices and howled most dismally and with
prolonged vehemence:
Say said Robert Henry, what are
you crying for? 1 didn't do anything TO
you. did / ? Now, did II"
"No-n-no-o-oh!' walled the infants
Perhaps you thought l was a nitrate "
said Robert Henry with earnestness. "but
I'm not-really and truly. What are Won
crying for?"
Cause daddy's dead, an Santa Claus
Is dead, an dere amt no more Krismisses
an. no more presenses, an no more muffin
an we didn' have no supper, cause dere
amt to be no more suppers! Yah-hoon'
"GeewhickityH said Robert Henry
Who says 500" And 1t occurred to him