Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-12-24
Toms
Christmas Gift
A Tale That Will In
terest Children

BY r. A. mitchell

win went upstairs 10 bed In a very ex-
cited state Of mind He bad been given
20 understand that he WAS TO have
something FAR above the ordinary toys
aud candies which children expect or
that great OCCASION, While bis mother
I was helping him 10 undresa notwith-
( standing the fact that she had assured
| him that to know what this especial
gift would be would spoil Il all, he
piled her with questions concerning It.
els II made Of wood OF Of metal?"
us 1t sofiy' is 1t hardf" lis 1t on
wheels. or does II stand on legsr' His
mother WIS obliged TO confess that II
stood on legs. is 1t a hobby h0rseg~
| els II a woody lamb that viii hieat
when you bend It's headT' is II
music box?"
These questions being answered In
| the negative. when Tommy had got
into his pajamas his mother told him
that he must ask no more Of them. but
kneel and say bis prayers He obey.
ed. but tackled on 90 his prayer a re-
quest that he might know at once what
| bis Christmas present was 10 he
The morning light was coming in
| through the windows when Tommy
| lay dreaming He dreamed that the
| family were all In the breakfast room
| looking at that wonderful gift he was
TO receive II was a toy dos. IL stood
| on a table. and all OF sudden IL be-
| gan 20 bark. Then II ran around on
the table just like real live dog.
what wonderful thing to see a toy
dog that would run about and bark
| Tommy could hardly believe his senses.
Then all OF q sudden be was awak-
ened By the sound Of . dogs hark--a
| real bark this time. not one In drean
Tommy took In a great deal nj once
He saw ali the stockings hulgiug with
| wha, Santa Claus could get into them
and the mantei covered with what DO
could not get into them. Aud while
| Tom was looking at those things he
was thinking Of the toy dog he had
| dreamed about that had barkcd and
| run around. and he wished that when
he went downstairs into the dining
room be sAould find just such a Christ
mas gift.
sYcrpT'
Tommy's eyes opened wide with sur.
, prise and anticipation Surely that was
a bark. n real bark. from real dog.
| He had heard It with his own real live
ears. He listened. hoping that he
would hear II again. And presently
he did In one jump he landed on the
floor Could II he possible that a real
| live dog was downstairs and that It
was to be his Christmas giftI IS he
was In hts paJamas. without shoes ar
| stcc kings. he ran downstairs and.
bursting into the dining room. stood
as saucers There stood n little dog,
staring at him just as he was staring
at the dog. II was puppy. about
| eighteen inches long and foot high,
! OF the hunter breed with u pointed
nose. long ears. slender legs and an
! eye almost as intelligent as Toms,
| Being satisfied that Tommy was his
I friend. be made several JUMPS and
| landed In the boys arms
Tomlny's father WAS sitting before
| blazing coal IRE reading the morning
paper.
oh. papa" cried the child, Ifs he
mines"
Yes. Tommy. he's yours. He's your
Christmas gift from mamma and me"
''Oh. my. How love him.
He Rugged him. he petted him, he
| caressed him In cit those ways child
will eareSs a pet. row and again stop
ping 20 exclaim, He's mine. all mine
II was impossible 10 persuade Tom
| to go back TO his room to be dressed
| without the dog. SO the dog was taken
upstairs. Tommy carrying him In his
arms. In his chamber Tom put him
| down on the bed and covered him up
SO that he wouldn't be cold. for the
room was chilly. but the dog wouldn't
stay there. and. jumping down. ran
about the room.
The other children were rifiing the
stockings they had taken from the man.
tel. plunging their little fists down into
them and Juggling at articles that were
not fitted TO 20 into a stocking. But
Tom paid no attention to the children
/ or the stockings or what was being
taken out. He had a live toy, and the
/ inanimate ones did not interest him.
What was a iaek-in-the-box or magic
lantern compared with a real beautiful
dog that he could hug and run with.
that would bark and stand on his hind
legs with his fore paws up against his
| masterg
Toms mother had a hard time dress
Ing him. With one leg In his trousers,
he must hng his dog; with one arm in
a sleeve OF his jacket. he must pat him:
while his hair was being brushed be
| must take the brush from his mother
bad smooth bis dogs coat. But all
things have an end. and In time the
fainily-now added to by a dog-gatii.
cred In the dining room for breakfast.