Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-19


or of his coming and that dozens of |
Christmas-trees were casting the bright |
rays from their tapers into the wintry |
streets to tell of the coming of the |
Christmas Day.
The tears came to her eyes so fast that |
IT was fortunate she could knit without |
looking at her work; otherwise she
would have been obliged to lay the stock
ing aside. When bedtime came, Katrin-
ka was strangely wakeful. But she was
quite willing to be put to bed In the
little kitchen. After hearing her prayer
Bertha left her thinking she would soon
be asleep.
But Katrinka did not go at once to
Dreamand. She kept wide awake, until
she was sure Joseph and Bertha were
sound asleep.
when she could hear Josephs heavy
breathing, she slipped out of bed little
white-robed figure and crept softly
across the room At every step or two
she stopped and listened to be sure she
had not awakened the sleepers. Then
she crept on again.
II was dark, but she knew where
everything was. and presently her little
outstretched hand touched the box of
candles Then she found the matches.
How her heart beat as she struck a
light Would Joseph hear her? He
would think 1t a waste or at any rate
very foolish She desired Santa Claus's
of being unable to find the house.
Ach! how the match spluttered and
how long II was before the candle caught
And when 1t did catch. an unlucky move
ment made II go out, and so the whole
process had to be gone over. This time
It was successful Katrinka holding her
breath the while.
Then she placed the candle In its stick
and set II on the well-scrubbed little
kitchen table. as near the window as pos
sibe
II was tiny fame. but Katrlnka
| looked at II with satisfaction. Santa
would see II and come to look. With
| n sigh of relief. the little figure slipped
| back to bed again, and with a rapturous
| hug for Lottchen to let her know II had
| been done, Katrinka fell asleep at once.
| II seemed as II she had hardly closed
her eyes. though It really was hours af-
terward. when suddenly the three sleep
| ers in the sod-house were brought to
wide awake alarm by a loud knocking
against the door of the house. Katrin-
ka's little heart. after the first jump
| Of terror. beat hopefully. II might be
| Santa Clausl
who is there?" cried Joseph. loudly.
''win YOU let me in?" came a voice
| from without.
ZACH. one moment" Joseph cried.
When he opened the door a man stood
| there. white with snow that had chung
/
Come in. come i'm cried Joseph.
heartily. How came you to be out
on such a night this?"
Zach. how warml" how good eX
claimed the man. whose accent pro
claimed him to be n German. too. my
wife Is out there; may she come in?"
"Out therer' cried Joseph, horror
stricken. where is she? She will freeze.
we must hurryl" He was already at the
door.
Not in the snow" cried the stranger.
she is in the train over there. We
were already hours late. and now we are
| snow-bound The fuel has given out,
and every one is cold and miserable.
| when I looked out and saw the light
here. I pushed my way through the snow
to see II my wife might come in; for she
is sick and tired with the long journey"
All this the man exclaimed hurriedly.
| anxious TO be of Joseph. slipping on
his heavy coat, and SELLING "a shovel,
cried Come, COME!
Bertha who from the kitchen had
heard the story, hustled about preparing
for the poor lady's comfort She stirred
up the fire. that It might be warm
and comfortable. and remade the bed
| Then she spread a bed for herself and
Joseph on the floor of the kitchen, for 1t
was not long past midnight.
Soon Joeph and his guests appeared
the lady looking very tired and cold. and
ter Bertha made her n cup of tea, and
II was some few minutes before anything
was thought about the light. Bertha,
in her excitement, had not realized how
queer II was that she should find a
lighted candle at the kitchen window
at midnight.
But when the stranger, Mr.. Muller ex-
claimed. What should we have done
but for that light in the window it
suddenly came TO her that it was very
strange. She could not imagine how the
light came there until Katrinka pulled
at her dress and whispered audibly:
Il did it. sister Bertha, so Santa Claus
could see the house and find met Then,
frightened at the establishment on
Joseph's and Bertha's faces, and at the
enormity of her offence. she hid her face
in her sisters dress and began to cry.
But Mr.. Muller caught her in his arms
and kissed her on both cheeks.
Santa Claus! All yes, to-morrow-to-
day-is Christmas 1 had almost forgot
ten. God bless you. little one."
He put her down gently, and then
Bertha told her to go back to bed again.
1t was morning when she awoke. Had
Santa come? But the stocking was in
the other room, and though she longed
to run in and look, Bertha shook her
head. She must wait she said sadly,
for she did not know that Santa had
been there.
| tNi SUM thcN cry,
Come in, little one!" and Katrlnka ran
in eagerly.
There was the stocking; but alas! ii
was empty. 1t hung, limp and gaunt in
the corner where she had placed it,
Poor child, how her heart sank! San
Ia had not been able to find her. But
maybe he had been there and left some
thing away down in the toe she thought
with sudden hope; and she put her hand
into the stocking to see.
There was something insidel She
drew out a bit of folded paper and
when she opened 1t something bright fell
out. Was it a gold penny? No; it was
a gold dollar. Such lot of money for
a little girl, Bertha said, the tears SPRING
ing to her eyes as she looked her thanks
to Mr. Muller.
But the best part was what the bit of
paper said. Mr.. Muller read 1t to her:
Dear Little Katrinka.-I came very
near missing you, AS 1t was, couldn't
open my pack out here on the prairie,
for the reindeer wouldn't wait So I'll
just drop a trihe in the stocking to let
you know l found you. and I'll leave the
other things at the town for you-Yours
ever, Santa Claus.
| How Katrinka's eyes shone at that
She jumped up and down and hoped
about on one foot, waving Santas note
in one hand and the dollar in the other.
He came, Joseph He did. he did!
An he's got something elsel He's going
10 send me something else You said he