The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-09-17

n
she set in little high chair at one
plate, a black Dinah doll she put into
q doll carriage and wheeled it close
beside another plate, a Teddy bear,
dressed in a soldier suit, sat up straight
on a little trunk at the third side of
the table, and May herself knelt down
at the fourth place.
When she finished her tea party she
looked around to see what else there
was. and then she discovered, hang
ing on a peg in the corner. red cap
with white fur around the edge. and
a red coat with white fur down the
front. and standing on the floor be-
meath them was pair of black boots
"Oh, am going to dress up like
Santa Clausi" May cried She put on
the boots. They were too large for
her, but she could manage to keep
them on. She put on the cap, too. 1t
came way down over her ears, but
she didn't MAD a little thing like
that. Then she tried to put on the
coat, but she couldn't because she had
on the large wings, so she took them
on and threw them down in chair,
Then she found the coat went on all
right. Now. if I only had white
beard, I would look just like Santa.
May said. There are his reindeer
now. l wonder If they would think /
am Santa" she cried as she heard
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle" out in
the snow.
She ran to the door and opened 1t,
| and there was the sleigh and there
were the reindeer. May jumped into
the sleigh. and away over the snow
| they went.
They hadn't been gone long before
Santa Claus came in from his work.
shop. He didn't have on any hat over
his bald head; he didn't have on any
coat, either. because he had been
working so hard, and he had on only
slippers.
| well, WE'LL" he said, gathering his
presents together in pack, its time
started for the earth" Santa hur-
ried over to the peg where he kept
his cap and coat, but he stopped and
| gaZed at it in amazement. They were
| both gone, and so were his bootsi
why, / always hang up my things!
| Am l getting careless like some little
boys and girls / Aaye heard about
down on the earth?" Santa Claus ex-
claimed. He looked here and there, but
nowhere could he see them. Out of
| his pack he emptied all the presents,
and he opened the little trunks and
peeped into the little bureau drawers,
but his cap and his coat and his uoots
were nowhere to be found. Wei"
said Santa, II shall have to go down
to the earth without them, that's all,
but do hope the children will all be
asleep, for 1 should be so ashamed
if they saw me like this, Just because
didn't hang up my things"
Santa Claus gathered up the presents
again, and strapped the pack on his
back. Then he went to the door and
called. Come, reindeer, come. Why
aren't you here? 1t is time to start.
The reindeer didn't come. Come,
come, reindeer!" Santa Claus cried
He waded through the snow with only
his slippers on, and he opened the
barn door. "Reindeeri" he cried
Why" The reindeer were gone!
Santa Claus went back to his house
and he sank down in a chair. Am
Santa Claus, or am l some one else?
he said. Here it is the night before
Christmas, and my cap, my coat, my
boots and my reindeer are all gone.
Santa sat there wondering how he
should get down to the earth, when he
happened to see something over in a
chair which he hadn't noticed before
What can that be?' Santa said. He
went over to Mays wings and picked
them up. Why, didn't make these. .
he said. II didn't know there was
anything here that didn't make"
4 Then an idea came to Santa Claus
He said, Perhaps I can go down to
the earth on these wings" He tried
to put on the jacket, but you know
what a broad back Santa Claus has
and he couldn't get into jacket that
fitted May. Then he tried to wear il
over his head, as you sometimes put
your coats when you are going to run
outdoors for just a few minutes, but
it wouldn't stay that way, and at last
he tore it in two, and fastened a wing
to each foot. Then he started toward
the earth; but, oh, childreni you know
how wings always go up in the air,
and up they went this time, and uF
went Santa's feet with the wings, and
down went his head, and out Of his
pack went all his presents, and at last
head first into a snow bank on the
earth went Santa Claus
Well. Santa picked himself up out
of the snow, and he was the most
angry Santa you can imagine. He took
of the wings, and he threw them just
as far as he could throw them. He
said, II don't think much of those
wings"
Just then he heard Jingle, jingle
jingle!" Santa Claus looked, and
coming down the street were his rein
deer and his sleigh, and sitting in the
sleigh was a little girl with his coat
and his cap and his boots. Santa
went right out into the middle of the
road, and he said, Stop" and the
reindeer stopped. He said, What
right have you, this night Of all
nights, to run of with my things? p
May laughed. She laughed. and she
laughed, and she laughed. "Oh, Santa
Claus" she said, Il have had the love-
lest ridei Would you sell anyyof your
reindeer? Perhaps my papa would
| buy me one"
Santa Claus said. well. / hayen't
had a nice time Here I am down on
the earth the night before Christmas
with every single present lost This
/ is the first Christmas since have been
, alive that the children won't have any
presents. I"