The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-12-24

let him know that his son and grandson
were so near
II can't take you to see it, he said in
low voice to the little son. There
there wouldn't be time" ~
He was ashamed of the subterfuge as he
looked into Tony's innocent eyes, but
Tony was only half attending after ALL
And Santa CLAUSE" he said. "Will he
come down the chimney to give me
things, as he did you when you were lit.
Ne boy2"*s
Really, Tony, we must look after your
English. Chimney. indeedi You know
better than thatl' Pkg %+ ~.
1T don't matter" said Tony fearlessly
will he come down it-that's what l
wants to know2' ~ Ill
mot down attic chimneys, I'm afraid
said the father, with sigh.
"Oh-h, but in at the door maybe! Per
haps his sack would be too heavy for the
chimney He'll come all the way up
the stairs, bump, bump, bumpity-bump
won't he? And l shall stop awake and
hear him. = r .$ ..~
Better not said Guy rather sadly
Santa Claus has forgotten US this year
mamie He comes only to rich people. :
That's a shame, said Tony. 1--WE
aren't rich people, are we, daddy?"
Certainly not,'' answered the young
man, thinking of the guinea week which
he was accustomed to receive on treasury
day Not precisely rich; Tony, but not
paupers-yet .. e
The bitter accent in his voice was caused
BY vivid remembrance Of some words
that the angry old father had once address
I'D to him You need not darken my
door again, sir, and when you and your
wife are paupers don t think that you will
get money out of me!'' The word pau.
pers'' always recalled the bitterness Of that
moment to his mind. .k
q What's paupers?' said Tony. Then in
an absJracted tone, II suppose Santa Claus
always came to the big house where you
lived?' T" = .s5 s::. !.
II suppose he did,
And does he come still2 al is
If there were any children there, dare
say he would
Obi" said Tony, with a very solemn q
face. Then he said no more, but sat mo-
tionless, looking thoughtfully at the op
posite wall, while his father rose from the
bed and began to busy himself about vari-
Gus household matters, which might have
seemed to an observer almost pathetic
when done by the clumsy fingers Of man
Not that Guys fingers were clumsy; they
had all the delicacy of the born musician
and the gentleness Of q woman, and. 1T
came quite naturally to him to build up
the fire, hang Tony's flannel nightgoWn
before it, warm some bread and milk for.
the child and finally make and drink a cup:
Of strong tea before he went back to the
orchestra # + y355 s.' E5:=53
Good night, Tony, Go to bed soon.
there's q good boy! Shall I unfasten your
,clothes2' y, 4s
No, thank ! you, daddy I'ze not q;
baby said Tony. with dignity. And
Guy went away laughing at this NANTES
tation Of infantile pride He had little
enough to laugh at, and it was 9 good
thing for him that Tonys smiles and
frowns and baby wiles as well as the
child's innate genius for music kept his
heart from growing hard The amused
light was still in his eyes when he reached
the theater, but itwould soon have died
away had he known what Tony was doing
while he was gone.
It's dreat pity" Tony soliloquized
as he ate his bread and milk when his IA
theirs steps had died away----.'it's a dreat
pity that Santa Claus does not come to
poor little boys as well as rich ones.
s'pose he'll never think of coming here,
but if lived in the house where daddy
used to live he'd come, because daddy said
If there were any children there !