Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1909-12-24

Vii Aslhias VI e II
nobody can. Why. Baby Deb alone is
material enough of which to make a
Christmas. and very rolieking jolly
sort of Christmas. too. but when TO
her you add Tom and Sue aud Ann
and Ike and Sam-well. the grim old
lighthouse fairly oyerflows with Christ
mas every 18th Of December
II It is lonely. old. one eyed light
house. has 1t not chimney? And do
not children there have stockings
good. long stockings? Indeed. they
have. And does not Christmas eve
see them all temptingly hung. so in
Willingly limp and empty. under the
mantelsheif? And does not Christmas
morning-verv early. mind yeu-see six
graduated. white ROBBED ghosts per
forming mysterious ceremonies around
six bullying stockings?
Al then. If You suppose that that
cunning cid gentleman Santa Claus
does not know how to find a chimney.
even when the cold waves are pelting
II with frozen spray drops ten miles
from hand. you little know what re-
markable gift he has that way.
And the Christmas dinners they have
there-the goose. the brown. crisp.
Juicy. melting roast goose. What
would that dinner be without that
goose? What. indeed,
But once-they turn pale at that
lighthouse now when they think Of it
they came very near having no goose
for dinner on Christmas day.
II came about In this way. Papa-ah.
II you could only hear Baby Deb tell
about it. It would be worth the jour
ney, but you cannot. of course. So
never mind-Papa Stoughton. the light
house keeper. you know. had lost all
his money in savings bank that had
failed early in that December
goose Is really not very expen-
sive fowl. bur II one has not the
money of course one cannot buy even
a cheap thing. Papa Stoughton could
not afford a goose. He said so-said
SO before all the family.
Ike says that the silence that fell
upon that family then was painful 10
hear. T'spy looked at one another with
eyes so wide thar It's mercy they
could ever shut them again.
mo GOOSE at last cried Tom. who
was the oldest.
NO goose," cried the others In
chorus, all except Baby Deb. who was
busy at the time gently admonishing
Scuipin, her most troublesome child.
for being so dirty Baby Deb said
No dooser' after all the others were
quiet.
That made them all laugh No doubt
they thought that, after all. % long 40
Baby Deb was there 1t would be
Christmas anyhow, goose or no goose.
So they were happy for moment untii
the thought came that roast goose vas
good on Christmas even with BABY
Deb. and then they looked dsmayeo
again.
Hovevss. when Papa stoushton e.
Dlained how II was they saw Il -
plainly as he did, and 30 they made
no more complaint. Only Tom fen
a-thinking, and when the others ~
what he was doing they did the same.
the difference being that Tom vas
trying to think what be could 40 70
get the goose anyhow and they were
trying TO think what be yas thinking
about % that they could think the
same-an except Baby Deb. Of course
who. being only four years old. ease
herself very LITTLE concern about tne
thoughts Of otherA Her own tnoosnts
took IN her time.
Tom finally said sAhr under NJ
breath and mysteriously vanished INTO
another room after beckoning nls
brothers and sisters TO follow MIN.
which they did almost before they nad