The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-06-21
Playing at Santa Claus.

Playing at Santa Claus.
Jack and sat gloomily in a corner
one evening week before Christmas.
We were thinking of the conversation
that had been carried on at the dinner
table. Father had looked worried and
thoughtful as he said, 81 wonder Mol
1y, if you and Jack would mind much
1T Santa didn't come very plentifully
supplied this year."
Of course we don't believe in Santa
Claus, for Jack is eleven and I am
thirteen but we've always had a sort
of celebration every Christmas.
"And," he continued, eff we could
get along without trimming the house,
we could have better Christmas din
ner"
Though we were disappointed, we
didn't want to complain and make
mother and father feel badly. Evil
IDENTIFY fathers business had not been
going well lately.
After supper Jack and I slipped
away to sit on the stairs and think
it over. Suddenly plan popped into
Jacks head. 1t seemed to have drop
ped from the ceiling and hit him on
,the head for he unexpectedly slid off
the stairs and down the step.
"I've got it," he exclaimed, in loud
whisper. "WeIl play Santa Claus, and
then papa and mama won't notice that
we are disappointed and We'll forget
it ourselves" ..
We at once adopted the plan and be-
gan to think out the details until it
was time to 60 to bed.
The next day we found an old red
suit in the attic, the coat of which just
came to Jacks knees. We slit the skirt
up the front to make a cape for me
and stuck strips of cotton each with
glue. We trimmed Jacks stocking
cap with more cotton, and, since my
cap was green, we took mothers red
scarf and wound it round and round
my head. AS think of it now, it was
more like Turks turban than any,
thing else, but at the time I was COM
pletely satisfied with the effect.
We were to each wear our shoes and
1eggins. With our dresses provided
for we began to think of entertain
ment. After luncheon we would go up
stairs and don our Santa Claus outfits
and then run down again. We would
tear through the house for awhile and
entertain father and mother and then
-Saff1o d0yvp and NAV
Since we had no house trimmings
we looked around for an idea. Mother
had little spruce tree in the garden.
Evergreen trees didn't grow well
where we lived so mother took double
care Of this one and was proud of it.
We decided that the occasion demand
ed that we use this for the trimming
of the house.
So the night before Christmas, Jack
and I stole out of the house. after
mother and father were in bed, and
ran down to the little tree. We cut
whole branches out in places where we
thought the holes wouldn't be noticed,
and in some places only took little
pieces out. When we were too sleepy
to work any longer and thought we
had enough we went back to the house
with our Christmas greens and hid
them under the bed.
Next morning when we came down
feeling that our plan had succeeded
we found mother and father waiting
for US in the dining room. Father
went without word to the window
and pointed to the tree. And a very
odd looking tree it was. On account
of our taking large chunks of
branches out in some places and small
ones in others, the tree looked ex-
tremely lopsided. Some of the
branches that we had cut and bent but
could not break were dropping down
toward the ground. No one said any,
thing but apparently an explanation
was wanted. A little frightened and
very sorry for having spoiled the tree,
we gave the explanation in turns,
telling our story and Jack filling in.
Father looked thoughtful, but said
nothing. Mother could scarcely con-
ceal the smile which played about her
mouth. All she said when we had
finished our story was, "Well, you
children do beat all to palm things.
Who but you two could have thought
of doing that ?" and we from her voice
and her smile knew that she was
pleased.
Evelyn Cawley, 1919.
"sNew Br0Oms Raise a Great Dust"
There is an oil dsaking that "new
brooms" sweep clean. l believe the
adage is wrong for have been inter-
~ested and have been watching "new
brooms" for some time. My new the
DRY is that "new brooms" raise great
dust. In the house, new brooms do
,osoz 49,, J,,c4 1,,% exxxoo- ~-J