The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-23

happy home. 1 tell you, wife, that In
dian boy of ours is a slick one. He's
set his heart on that little old toy and
he always grins when he talks about it.
Now know that boy and his grin.
Didn't he grin last Christmas and get
the toy he wanted? And the Christmas
before that? And way back far as ]
can remember. Willie Roscoe was little
then and didn't make any fuss about it.
Now he and Charlie will both fight to a
finish. Well have a lively Christmas
I'm afraid"
Mark wanted a gold dollar Some
thing he had last Christmas and the
Christmas before. He had taken good
care of his money and the old folks were
about to slip another dollar into his
stocking There was only one dollar
and many stockings but there had been
no great clamor for this dollar. Still
Father Kansas hesitated with the dol
lar in his hand.
Johnny Dawson. the roly poly kid.
wanted a law book. and so did two or
three other members of the Kansas
family Father Kansas combed his
whiskers in meditation as he stood in
front of Johns stocking while his wife
urged him to give the book to her little
dear who cut the kindling every night
and carried the milk
Willie, the slim kid. wanted a blank
book in which to audit the family ac-
counts. Father Kansas looked at Will
lies sock and the other empty socks
hanging beside it and sighed and shook
his head. II have too many children. >"
he said.
Charlie wanted secretary's desk.
and Charlie was good boy. He was
his mothers favorite. But the father,
who depended on all his boys. could
have no favorites. There was Tommy
who also wanted a desk. The father
pushed the desk UP in front of the fire
place. mumbling the while to himself
kid
George and Charlie and Frank, the
triplets, wanted railroad train. but
there was a half dozen other kids of
the house of Kansas wanted the same
thing The father shook his head in
doubt as he picked up red engine
and train of yellow cars.
Ikey boy wanted a tin whistle to call
the insurance companies with, and Ed
die was looking for a ruler and a slate
and Tommy wanted q printing press.
But so did many another boy.
But if the children and their Christ
mas wants worried the old folks, the
grandchildren were ten times worse.
Tommy Mac and Daniel had set their
hearts on the same plum. And SO had
Charlie and Alec. Philip and Arthur
both wanted the same bon bon box.
And there was Jimmy, a headstrong
youth holding out for striped candy
nothing and the boy Rees was crying
for the same thing. Willie, the sixth
child, was at loggerheads with five of
his brothers over a magic lantern.
Father Kansas sighed with relief when
he came to Eddie'S stocking and he
dropped a tin soldier into it and pass
ed quickly on to Vic's hosiery and put
in them jumping jack with a gray
fringe of beard under its chin.
upstairs the little Kansans had dreams
about sugar plums and beautiful toys.
1t was nearly morning and all through
the house not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse. Father and Mother
Kansas had gone to bed at last to get
a little rest before tomorrow's storm.
Downstairs in the big sitting room a
long row of stockings hung in front
of the wide fireplace. The old clock
marked the passing seconds with a
solemn and sonorous tick which
sounded as loud as the crack OF doom
in that dark and silent house. An
hour passed by, and then another, and
the first red ray from the rising sun
came glancing across the snow and en-
tered the east window and broke into
a hundred little white arrows of light
against the mantle. This seemed to
be a signal, for suddenly the silence
in the Kansas house was broken by
wild warwhoop from the loft and a
series of short yelps caught up the
dying note of the first long yell The
silence was broken to smithereens
now. There was a melee on the stairs
and out of the darkness from above
was precipitated into the sitting room
like stones from a catapult one little
white clad form after the other and
the merry Christmas morn was here
a last. Willie the Red and Willie the
Slim were there and Charlie the
Black, Charlie the Sandy. and all the
rest. But Father Kansas. awaking
from a troubled sleep at the sound
of that first wild yell, only gathered
the bedclothes closer about his head
and grimly reflected that his bedroom
door was locked and barred. and he
so told his frightened wife. There was
sunlight in the sitting room now and
lots of presents and many children
but Santa Claus had business else
where. 1t is time for each kiddie to
take his present now from his stock
ing. 1t is also time TO draw the cur
tain IN front of that sitting room
Upstairs, old Father Kansas called
through the keyhole: Merry Christ
mas. boys"