The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-12-26
larry,
the Postnan
How He Delivered a
Cmld's Letter to
Santa Claus
By RUTH GRAHAM


presents?
The mother turned away to hide her
tears from her little girl and did not
reply for some time. Then she said:
mo. dear. Papa will not be home
for Christmas" She did not add. Papa
will never come home" 1t would have
been unnecessary, for by the time am
other Christmas came round his chill
dren, who were very young. would
have forgotten their father.
"Well, them" said Bob. boy of five.
Il suppose I'll have to write Il letter to
Santa Claus and tell him to bring me
twice as many toys, because my papa
isn't going to bring me any at ALL
Him." said his sister Lucy. I'D
like to know how you're going to do
that since you can't write"
"Mammall do it for me-"
Lucy. you'd better do it for him."
said the mother
So Lucy went for some writing mate
rails and brought them to the dining
room table. for. writing being no easy
matter with her. she required plenty OF
I.room and after much labor. including
the erasure of blots and number of
errors, completed the following letter:
Dere Santa Claus-My papa went to sea
on his ship, the Penguin, long time ago
and can't come home fur Christmas. So
, won't get any presents from him TINS
yere. So l want you to bring EN- all.
Bring me drum. trumpet box of
;,te, cbap ora n
Of ninepins. Your loving
BOB MARKHAM.
p. S.-Don't forget the drum.
The letter having been finished, the
children waited the arrival Of Harry.
the pOstman, who had delivered let
tiers at the house before the children
were born and who always had some
thing to say to them whenever he
handed them a letter-for Bob delight
! ed to receive the maitland as soon as
he came along Bob. handing him his
! misSive, said:
Harry. want you to be sure to
send it to Santa Claus. Will you!"
81 certainly will" replied Harry. IN
put it with the other letters for Santa
| Claus There are ten bags full for
him, all from little children
And Harry tramped on. making
| rounds day after day regularly. and
sometimes it seemed endless as the
| journeys of the earth around the SUM-
/ But he didn't put Bob's letter with the
other letters to Santa Claus; he put
it in his pocket. intending to find out
/ what the boy especially wanted for
Christmas and supply it himself. He
was very fond of the child and had
{ been the recipient of. many gifts from
! his parents.
| 81 WISH" unused the postman, that
! | could take his mother letter say
ing that Captain Markham would be
home for Christmas. Bad business.
the loss of his ship! l wouldn't like
to be master of vessel to see when
she is sinking, the crew saving them
selves and having to go down under
the black water myself. Ugh! They
| can talk about bounding over the bill
lows all they like. It's different
thing when the pillows bound over
i you"
So unused the postman at the loss OF
the Penguin. which he knew all about
and of which Lucy and Bob had never
been told. Those Of the crew who had
saved themselves reported that their
captain had refused to leave his post
and they had come away in the boats
without him. Some of them said that
they saw the stern Of the ship rise
out of the water and her bow plunge
down under a wave, after which she
was never seen again. Others declared
that at that very moment the fog be.
came thicker and shut her OF from
view.
4 The Penguin had struck an ice
berg and had never been seen again
Since four months had elapsed with
no news Of her no one doubted that
she had gone to the bottom.
4 1t was with heavy heart that Mrs
Markham made her preparations for
Christmas which was to take place
without her husband. Since their mar
Rage Captain Markham had not missed
q single Christmas at home, being II
command Of a coaster which made
short trips, which enabled him to part
!; ~ control his time. His widow would
have preferred to pass the day withou
noticing 1t. bat felt that 1t was due t
!. her children to throw OF as much o.
/ her sorrow as possible. that they nigh
enjoy the little peoples favorite ami
versary.
One morning Harry, the pOstman. wa
, arranging his mail for delivery whel
, his eyes fell upon letter that mad
them stand out in his head. That hand
writing he had seen on many q lette
before, but he had never delivered an.
OF them postmarked from so distant
port, for the letter had been males
from South Africa. 1t was addresses
to Mrs. Robert G. Markham and In he
husbands handwriting.
Suddenly the other men In the ger
eral delivery room saw Harry dane
about on the door.
"Whats up?" he was asked.
''Nothin', only there's likely to be
big Christmas gift to one of the partie
on my route"
Harry hurried through sorting th
holouco of his letters and began h1