Arizona republican., 1899-01-13
CALEB'S WAKEFUL NIGHTS
Happenings in inc Penguin House. hold on the Occasion of First Snow.

nOIQ on me OCCdStOn or EiEST snow.
 "There is one kind of insomnia that that I don't find in the books" said MT. Penguin, though 1t is, if not as old as the hills, at least as old as man kind. That is the insomnia that is 1 brought upon us by the wakefulness of children; and I don't refer now by any means to the time-honored wake ful infant that we walk the floor with nights, and that sort of thing, but to youngsters, say, of the age of my Ca leh. who is G..
 "Now, Caleb, as a rule, goes to be1 at 8 o'clock and sleeps beautifully until ] ' or the next morning; but occasion ally he gets 8 Wakeful streak; and then Mrs. Penguin and myself know there will b6 no sleep for us until o'clock in the morning. It may be some perfect i ly simple thing-or simple to most people-that keeps Caleb awake. 1 The most recent occasion of his wakefulness was the seasons first snow storm. That made a great i'm pression on Caleb and filled him with delight. He was more than pleased, not alone over the prospect of sliding in the morning, but over the marvel ous snow itself. I doubt if we older people can realize. in cur maturer years, the impression made upon Chil- dren by the wondrous spectacle of the falling snow.
 Well, it was showing when Caleb went to bed, and after his mother had tucked him in and kissed him good night and left him, Caleb lay there and sung softly to himself. Usually he turns over on his side and goes to sleep in about a minute or a minute and half at the outside, but that night he just lay there and sung to himself: he was very quiet in bis man ner, but he was all keyed up just the same. and sure to lie there awake, with brief intervals of dozing until 3 o'clock in the morning. He keeps very still. though, new, for he doesn't want to disturb you, and he's stopped sing ing long ago, and he hears you when you are going to bed at 10 o'clock. and he asks what he means shall he his only question, fer then he's going to sleep. When you do Ee doesn't want to disturb you:
 Is it showing yet?'
 And you, with perhaps rather iucau- tious emphasis, with an interest Of your own in the snow, or one caught from him:
 Yes, hard
 And that starts Caleb to singing again but he stops soon and quiet set ties down and we all go to sleep; or, as it turns out, all butt Caleb: for after a while a voice gradually breaks on us:
 Nom! nom! mom! mom,'
 ''That's little Caleb calling to his mother, and calling as gently as he can, ! but with the persstency of children; and when his mother asks, What is it, Caleb?' Caleb asks, What time is it?' The clock tril1es as he speaks, Il. Eleven o'clock, Caleb his mother says. Now go to sleep And Caleb tries to, but finds he can't, and pres ently begins to whistle very softly to himself; but it's plain enough for us all and we settle down now to wait for Caleb. When he dozes we get ready to, CT we may even doze off our selves. but in a minute we hear the softsl whistling again, and pretty soon Caleb , speaks:
 fMomi mom! nom! momr
 And when 'Mom' says:
 @f What is it, Caleb?' Caleb says: l
 '' I tell you what I'd like for Christ mas, Mom.'
 'Wha%- is tt. Caleb?' his mother asks. and Calsfb4 says
 'f'A new sled;' and then he goes on | to tell with great detail what sort of a sled he wants. And his mother lis tens patiently all the way through, un- til Caleb, fearful that she has net hear5 | it all, winds Up with Hey, mom?' and i Nom says, All right Caleb now you l go to sleep And Caleb tries again and compromises this time with soft i singing.
 "At 1 o'clock he announces that he i can't go to sleep.
 oh, yes you can,' his mother tells him.
 T keep thinking of the snow storm, [ says Caleb.
 ""Oh, we'll his mother tells him. you go to sleep and you'll forget all . about it. :,
 "But at 2 o'clocl5 Caleb asks. Is it showing yet?' And you, hearing the wintry blast as it sweeps against the window. answer, but with more calm ness this time:
 'E-yeh.'
 "Then period of qutst and then more low whistilns and singing, and finally 2t 5 a. m:
 e What time is it now?' and ycu tell him
 ' Three o'clock
 And then Caleb gees po sleep. = New York Sun,