The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-12-29
Sets Christmas Stoe king.

The two boys heads. one blonde with
the tlaxcn poll which bespoke its Eng
liSh descent: the other coffcp-colored,
with the kinky black wncl of the Guinea
coast, wool whose tight maps were the
despair Of the pickannny'S mother, were
bent close together over the hare trap
which they were h,1Sly engaged in
making. The colorpd hoy. IL year or two
older than his little master, was doing
most Of the work, but for all that Rob
LanghOrne was overseeing and helping
to his utmost ability. II you had asked
him, he would have looked You straight
in the eye and told you, in all sincerity.
that he was making a new hare trap,
with Set to help him. set" was for
short the lads name was Somerset
Green. His father was head man and
cOachman Oh the Langhornc plantation.
and being. therefore. a perScn of inlpor-
lance. was always addressed by the mas
ter and mistress as Somerset. which
stately cCgDomen was shortened to Uncle
Somer hy the younger members Of the
family. and by his fellow slaves: so the
boy, to avoid confusion, was necessarily
known as Set.
Yes Rob was saving. while his COM
panion listened with rapt attention. st.
Nicholas comes dnWn the chimney to I'LL
the stockings: that is, if you amt bad.
An he has a big sleigh an eight reindeer.
Mar has IL big picture Of him. an {;
piece Of po try hcut ii. Sister can say
t. l can't. but know the reindeer )
names: and striking an attitude, he re-
cited in a shrill. sing-song tone:
Now DaSher now Dancer. now prancer,
now Vixen:
On Comet. on Cupid. on Bonner and RliXen:
To the top of the house to the top of the
wall.
Now. dnShaway. daShHW"y. dAShaWny all.
I'll ask Mar t. show You the pick
Shcr; it's srch funny one: IA fat It'll"
nan. with a little roun' belly, that shook
when he laughed. like a bowl full of icl-
w. An he has Il knal,Sack pun his
back. chock full Of nice toys an things.
He stopped for lack "f breath. and Set
picked up the hammer he had dropped
and drove in a nail before he replied,
thoughtfully:
duz he?" Rob shook his head. Il reck-
on not he wouldn't have time. lrlt neil-
mine, Set; III give you Il =rt at big piece
of my candy. an ef | get a gun. ez
reckon will this trip, yen shell shoot it
sometimes; that you she'll.
Sets face frightened for a moment.
then grew sober again. We'll. ] SpoS'
he amt got no time ter WAS" PIN col
ored folks, but. say. jr<' wish l cou!'?
see his team. don chu?"
Rob opened his blue-gray eyes wide il
horror. "Or. Set" he exclaimed. IF ht
ketches anybody looking he never gives
UNI a thing, not even Il piece Of candy.
Ain that trap mos donc:'
nifty nigh, honey: nifty nigh. | irs
gottcr fix dis hyer trigger en- den twill
be all right Len me yo' knife Il mint.
You see,' Rob continued, II want to
make this Il fuStrate trap. e>oZe I can
kctch an ole hyar for Par an Mar for
Christmas" Set whitfield silently for Il
while. then adjusted tn" trigger. an'!
tested it, before he said. tliumphantly:
Oar, now, | jes' het Of an; Gle hVar
tech dishycr trigger she's a Srlcr S!lo.
Now. YOU run crlong Oil Ak yo Mar fnh
or apple fun bait. Ole hyars pintc;lly doz
love apples. en- dcy calm. cit um dis inner
yeah. Hit won tex all dc apple. on ynh
en- me ken eat de RES" And SO the tra1
| was set
1t was only three days to Christmas
and Set did good deal Of thinking. HI
had IA plan. namely, to hang Il stacking
| on the outside of the chimney. ON the
chance that the good saint might see it,
and put something into it. EFF he's e.
good ez Marse Rob say, he Sholy will
give cr POI little cOlored boy somcthing'.
he reasoned. However, the plan seemed
likely to fall through for lack of a stock
ing. He had a pair Of red ones. kept fol
high days and holidays. but he knew his
nanny would not allow him to use one
Of them for any such purpose. He could
fancy her reply should he dare to ask