The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-30
HANGING UP STOCKING
BY GUSSIE NEssIER.

J
in hangin' up my stocking'?" repeated
the girl from the clock department.
| We'll, should say l do! If all that
| part of 1t was taken out of my kid life
there wouldn't be much left to smile
| over. I'm not the only one who thinks
like that, either.
If Santa Claus doesn't do another
thing on earth, he keeps the kids
straight for while, anyway, and that
helps lot when there are several or
even more of them and only one
mother and father. With most girls
Santa Claus is good for a whole
months mindin' and dom as told, and
even the boys toe the line for a week
at least and the squally kids let them
selves be shook still when they are
told If they don't stop they won't get
anything in their stockin's
"Hangin' up your stockin'! Amt
that about the best that ever happens
to poor kid? Well, should say yes,
and rich ones get something out of 1t,
too, | suppose. The stockin' must be
the longest one in the house, not be-
cause you are greedy but because you
want to give Santa Claus chance to
be as generous as he wants to be.
1t must be hung right Then it will
not be overlooked or hard to find
You begin about six o'clock in the
evenin' to get your stockin' hung to
suit you, and you are spanked back to
bed at midnight for sneaking our in
your bare feet for the eighth time ~
place it more conspicuously. Then
you cry yourself to sleep, or what
passes for sleep on that night, SO
eventful and nerve rackin. Real
sleeps out of the question, as you
have been present all day at the din
ner preparations and are so stuffed
with odds and ends of everything you
can scarcely waddIe after you tumble
out of bed to arrange and rearrange
the stockin'. They can hardly get
whimper out of you when you are
spanked-not too much, just enough
to show you that ma is still on the job
Santa Claus or no Santa Claus. Final
ly you fall asleep feelin' about as you
do when you are ridin' on the cars
and are not undressed.
"At daylight or earlier you are
awake and, like fash, it all comes to
you. Santa Claus! The stockin'! You
are up with spring on the ice cold
floor and openin' the door to get a
peep at your present.
Il remember the first Christmas
that came around after pa died II
know now that ma didn't have any
more money than was needed to get
along with. so it took some work and
figgerin' to get that stockin' filed.
But I'll bet you, for every ounce she
put into 1t that time she has taken out
many pound of love since. She
never lost anything for what she
did.
1T was her own stockin', as mine
wasn't considered big enough, and /
had been assured that Santa Claus
would not know the difference.
When got the first glance OF it on
Christmas mornin' and saw it was
filed almost to burstin' and that
beautiful doll was beside it holdin' out
its arms to me, was SO frightened,
surprised and happy that ] woke up
ma with my cryin'.
In mercy's name, child, what ID
it?' she asked All could do was to
gasp and sob. He has been here!
Look!
Honest, II live till die I'll never
forget that mornin'. Nothin' would
make me touch the stockin' with the
mysterious gifts in it. Ma had to pile
out in the cold and hoist me and the
whole business into bed. where / could
examine everything at my leisure. Az
for breakfast! The idea Of any one
wantin' oatmeal on such mornin'!
Il had to get acquainted with that
doll and take bite OF the candy
cane and the candy dog. Who wants
bread and butter when there are an
orange, nuts, figs, dates and bonbons
to eat? Even dinner had no DRAWN
power against such attractions, for
was so happy over what Santa Claus
had brought me that / haven't got
over it yet.
kids are kids, with kids minds
and kids thoughts In 'em, and kids
hopes and; fears -and joys, too. and
Santa Claus belongs to EN-, and any
one who takes him away from them.
couldn't ever have hung up his own
stOckin'."