The Van Buren press., 1901-12-21
JUST LIKE SANTA CLAUS.

no CnrlStmaS, OF course Jnere cOulQ
be no present. He fell asleep, sad
dened by the thought.
The day before Christmas was
bright and clear. There had been a
generous fall of snow during the
night and everything out of doors
was covered with the pure white
mantle. Samuel Bennett was out
shoveling paths when the expressman
drove along, with a well-flled sleigh.
Hello, there!" shouted the driver,
cheerily. "Merry Christmas, Sam!
It's little ahead of time, ! know,
but / may not see you again."
"Thanks. The same to you," an
swered Samuel, leaning on his snow
shovel. Got lots of bundles, amt
you?'
"Yes; everybody's got something"
"That so? Amt come to ours yet,
have you?" The poor old man
chuckled at his own pitiable little at
tempt at joke.
mo, not yet" was the merry an.
swer from the sleigh. "I'll bring that
around tomorrow, most likely. Well,
good-by. G'lang!" and on sped the
sleigh with its jingling bells.
~ guess he won't, though" mused
the other, as he fell to work shovel
ing again. "Tain't likely we'll get
anything. There amt nobody to send
~ o., &c that \ lunu, -
And Hannah, looking out Of the
window, echoed his thought with one
still more doleful.
"Everybody'll get something but
u.s." she mused, 81 guess Christmas
was intended for rich folks. Nobody
gets that amt got"
That afternoon about three o'clock,
mutiled-up little form trudged
through the snow and up the road to
the Bennetts' farmhouse.
"Why, Amy Darrow, what you do.
ing here In all this snow?" exclaimed
Mrs. Bennett, as she opened the door
and saw the little girl standing on the
steps. Come right in before you
freeze"
"Oh, Mis- Bennett" said the shiver-
ing child, in voice choked with tears,
wont you come right over to our
house? Mas awful sick" ftff.
us that SOP What's the matter?
Yes, III 20 right over"
TITS one of her bad spells, only
worse" walled Amy. "she says she
don't know but she'll die"
"0h, guess it amt as bad as that"
said Mrs. Bennett, kindly. Don't you
be scarf. Sam!" She was ut the
woodshed door now. Hitch up the
mare right of. I've got TO go over
to Mis- Darrow's, She's sick"
Samuel dropped an armful OF wood
and FASTENED toward the barn. In
less than 10 minutes the old.iash-
ioned cutter was at the door, Amy
was tucked In between the farmer
and his wife, and they were of as
fast as the wheezy mare could con-
venicntly carry them. Mrs. Bennett
had her medicine bottles under her
shawl, She was said by her neighbors
TO be "about as good as a Doctor"
The Darrows lived half u mile or
more from the Dennetts, farther on
away from the village, which was
nearly two miles from the Bennett
farm. Mrs, Darrow was suffering
from chill when her ncighbor en-
tered, and there was no fire In the
house. Two children, smaller than
ten.ycar.old Amy, were shivering on
the bed with their mother.
"Aln't there no hreY' exclaimed
Mrs. Bennett "My snkcsl This
weather, too
81 couldn't cut the wood" said
Amy. TITS oil big sticks"
Mrs. Bennett lost no time In giving
the sick woman some OF her home.
made cordial, and Samuel soon had q
fire blazing In the kitchen stove. The
heat gradually crept into the adJoin-
Ing bedroom.
"You're no good" sighed the poor
woman on the bed. ~ felt 40 bad I
had TO do something, and there
wasn't thing but to send for you,
Mis- Bennett. II was 30 far TO 20 for
the doctor, and"
"Which wasn't necessary" inter-
rupted Mrs. Bennett. ~ guess you
feel some better now, don't your"
"Yes, that medicine seemed TO
start my heart again. I thought II
would just stop bcatIng, one spell"
" guess you'll be all right now"
said Mrs. Bennett, comfortingly. Her
aaf,truliv Lind h.aet had haau