Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

= CHEEKY, though toothless, old toy
maker in all the vast town who did not throw
UP his hands despairingly as the news was
rushed from shop to shop.
Santa Claus was i'll!
For the first time in the history of the
world, dear, old, burly, whte-halred Santa
Claus was unable to get up to breakfast
He had been little peeky little heavy
eyed, the night before. Everyone had no.
ticed it. All the same, he made the round OF
his innumerable toyshops in his well known
sleigh, and had laughed as heartily as ever at
golliwogs and Teddy bears, and had looked
just little sadly at the amazingly excellent
mechanical toy that had become more and
more the fashion. He had also, as usual,
deplored the fact that wide-eyed, pink
checked dolls were almost out of date, and
had criticized rather severely the cheap
jewelry that had taken their place. He had
been very kind and encouraging to the mem
bers of his great hive of workers, all nearly
as old as himself, and had hung several red
candles on the smaller Christmas trees. But
often, it was noticed, he had sat down and
breathed rather heavily, and complained
laughingly that he was growing no younger.
And next morning, the day before Christmas
Eve, when all the old men were able to take
a rest for the first time that year and look
round with pride at the result of their en-
thusiastic industry, the rumor arose like
windstorm and enveloped the town.
Santa Claus was i'll!
Thousands of little old men, some of them
bent double, came out into the long, winding
street which lay like an outstretched neck
lace between the snowcapped hills, and
talked. Their thin piping must have
sounded like huge orchestra of reed instru-
ments tuning up. They all talked together,
and as they talked they moved from group
to group of new arrivals and shook their
arms. and all their old hands trembled.
Some burst into tears like children, and
cried out through their sobs that there
would be no one to fill the stockings of their
beloved little ones all over the world. OtheS
sank down upon the banks of sparkling snow II at
of utter and complete detection and grief Il
worked every day from ten to six, spring, ST
autumn, and winter, to have manufactured co
thousands, millions even, of toys OF every conc
kind, and then, at the very hour of their compet
learn that Santa Claus would be unable to slil
into all the eager stockings! What would the c
say? Where could all the toymakers huddle ii
not to hear the great outburst of disappointmel
would rise up from the EARTH
A long and strange procession suddenly and
formed itself and wound its way up the street
the shops, alive with pristine toys, until at last
old men at it's head stopped beneath the prim h
the master And one who had the gift of tt
softly made his way through the open door and VI
He stood for moment on the threshold of the BIZ
with prayer on his lips When he went in he
Santa Claus in a state of high fever, tossing from
side and talking to himself almost incoherentlv.
Catching sight of his visitor, Santa Claus sat u
thick white hair and beard were ruffled his kind
full of anxiety. He beckoned to the old man t
nearer, and gave him instructions in a voice that
suddenly practical as well as excited. He babe
90 at once to the lodgings of the earth man w
been their guest for five years. He requested him
this person, this MIR. Conrad Lilywhite, to b
enough to come to his bedside at his earliest c.
ence on matter of the utmost Importance.
FILLED with a strange feeling of hope, away w
old man. Without word to the anxious Gro
of whose eyes searched his face, he made his wa
along the great street of workshops until he came
one in which cracker mottos were printed. At
stopped, watched by thousands of wistful eye
went upstairs, knocking on door at the top
house. A voice said @Come!" and the overseer
the rather brlsk invitation. In front of cheer
wrapped in very old and worn but fowery
gown, sat rather fat and puffy man. His 1are
was quite bald, and as polished as a crystal. Hi