Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-10

lRSNssS-$M tured. His worklnen Selected from the
ryls, knocks pixies and fairies, live with
E3 SSYSKESA him, and every one is busy be
Eszzz=lssszSA from one years end another.
| 1t is called the Laughing Valley be-
cause everything there is happy and gay. The brook
chuckes to itself it leaps rockng between its green
banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees the
beams dance lightly the soft grass and the vio,es
and wild%iowers look sniingy up from their green
nests To laugh needs to be happy to .be happy
one needs to be content And throughout the laugh
ing Valley of Santa Claus contenn&nt regns supreme
On one side is the mighty Forest Of Burzee AT the
other side stands the huge mountain that contains the
Caves of the Daemons. And between them the Valley
lies smiling and peaceful ........
One would think that our good old Santa Claus who
devotes his days TO making children happy would have
no enemies on all the earth and, matter OF fact,
for long period OF time he encountered nothing but
love wherever he might go.
But the Daemons who live in the mountain caves
grew to hate Santa Claus very much and all for the
simple reason that he made children happy.
The Caves of the Daemons are FIVE IN number. A
broad pathway leads up to the first cave which is
finely arehed cavern at the foot OF the uounaiu the
entrance being beautifully carved and decorated In it
resides the Daemon of Selfsness Back of this is an
other cavern inhabited by the Daenon of Envy The
of the Daemon OF Hatred is next in order, and
through this one passes to the home OF the Daemon
of Malice-situaed in a dark and fearful i'll the
very heart of the mountain ! do not know what lies
beyond this Some say there are terrible pitfalls lead
ing to death and destruction, and this may very well
be true. However from each one of the four caves
mentioned there is SMALL. narrow tunne leading to
the fifth cave-a cozy little room occupied by the Dae
of Repentance. And as the rocky floors OF these
passages are well by the track of passing feet
judge that many wanderers in the Caves of the Dac
have escaped through the tunnels the abode
of the Daenon of Repentance who is said to be
pleasant sort of fellow who gladly opens for a
little door admitting YOU into fresh air and sunshine
again.
Well these Daemons OF the Caves, thinking they had
tgreat to dislike old Santa Claus held meeting
one day to discuss the matter
"Tm really getting lonesome" said the Daemon of
Selfshness For Santa Claus distributes so many
pretty Christmas gifts all the children that they be-
happy and generous, through his example, and
keep away from my cave"
I'm having the trouble" rejoined the Daemon
of Envy THE little ones seem quite content with
Santa Claus, and there few, indeed that
TO become envious
"And that makes it bad for meT' declared the Dae-
mon of Hatred For if no. children pass through the
caves OF Selhshness and Envy, none can get to my
cavern"
Cor to NINE" added the Daemon Of Malice.
"For my part" said the Daemon of Repentance "it
is easily that if children do not visit your caves
they have need TO visit mine so am quite as neg
lected yod are
"And all because Of this person tley call Santa
Claus p exclaimed the Daemon of Envy. He is simply
running business, and something must be done al
once"
To this they readily agreed; but what to do was an
other and more difficult matter settle They knew
that Santa Claus worked all through the year at his
castle in the Laughing Valley preparing the gifts ht
was to distribute Christmas Eve; and at first they
resolved to try tempt him into their caves, that they