Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-02-08

early at CHRISTMAS dme-the children
sat together talking about the coming
Of Santa Claus and how nice 1t was of
him to let them see him. Johnny said
that he was sure he would get the
prize, Zoos he was going to stay awake
all night"
"Pshawr' said Mamie. 1.-THE sand
man will get you before you've been In
bed ten minutes. don't believe Santa
will come In the night at all. l believe
he'll come just like any other person.
You can all watch the chimney; I'm
going to watch the front door,"
Twill he drive up with his sleigh
and reindeer" asked Billy.
| "Not If he comes in the daytime" re-
piled Mamie. He'd have all the chill
dren In town about him. including the
ragamuff1ns.'
isn't Christmas for ragamufiins ~
asked Johnnie.
At this Mrs. Elliott broke into the
dialogue. assuring her little ones that
| Christmas should be as much for poor
as for rich children, but often poor
children had very few gifts, for their
parents were too poor to buy presents
for them.
But there's Santa Claus" said Billy
"Why doesn't he give 'em presentsY'
This was poser for the mother,
who parted 1t by saying that the child
who only thought Of himself at Christ
mas time didn't deserve any presents
After supper the children were put
to bed. Johnny made a noble effort to
fight off slumber. He refused to get
into bed, fearing that he would 60 to
sleep. And so he did, but when his
mother lifted him into bed he opened
his eyes very wide and asked:
Has the sandman been around?"
He was asleep again as soon as his
head struck the pillow.
The children insisted that the stock
ings be hung upstairs and that they
sleep in the room where the fireplace
was SO that they could all watch for
Santa to come down. Mamie did not
try to keep awake She was old enough
to have an inkling as to who Santa
Claus really was, end she had a vague
suspicion as to this especial visit and
why they were to see him.
| Johnny was the first to waken in the
morning and he looked straight at the
chimney piece. The stockings looked
lank and lean. Disappointment con-
tended with satisfaction that Santa
had not yet come. He looked at Billy
beside him and saw that he was fast
asleep. Mamie, too, was wrapped In
slumber. Surely he would get the
prize. All he had to do was to wait
and watch, and he hoped that Santa
would come before the others awak-
ened.
Presently he heard the doorknob
turned softly, the door was partly
opened and face with q happy smile
on 1t and anticipation on every feature
peeped In. 1t was not Santa Claus
that Is, the old man with frosty hair
and beard and a stomach that shook
when he laughed like bowlful of jel-
ly"-but Johnny's papa, who had come
home the night before.
Johnny gave a cry Of delight that
woke the other children and, jumping
out Of bed, sprang into his fathers
arms.
Mr.. Elliott held large basket in one
hand, and after he had kissed all his
children he said:
Johnny has won the prize. Here 1t
is And he produced a new silver dol
lar. This year ! have taken Santa
Claus place: I wrote him not to come.
See the stockings; they are empty"
With that he set his basket on the
floor, and he and Mrs. Elliott began to
take out one package after another,
read the name marked on 1t and toss 1t
to the child to whom Ii belonged. 1t
was a happy scene, the father and
mother distributing the presents, the
children eagerly opening one package
after another. When the last had been
given and opened Billy looked up at his
father and asked:
/ "Why didn't you let Santa Claus
come too?"
well, Billy, the fact is wanted to
be Santa Claus myself one year, just
to see how 1t felt to make little chill
dren happy. don't see why papas and
mammas shouldn't give their children
their presents on Christmas morning
! just as well as Santa Claus"
II like 1t better" said Johnnie.
Santa Claus comes so early in the
morning that the children don't see
him, and that's not half the fun as
when papa and mamma give the pres
ents themselves"
Il don't see any use of Santa Claus"
said Mamie, when we have papa and
mamma. Anyway. don't believe
] there's any such person as
A look from her mother cut short
NAMES statement Of unbelief the
lady preferring that the younger chill
dren should find out the innocent de-
ception themselves when they grew
older.
Whether it was that papa was Santa
Claus or that he came home for Christ
mas, the children agreed that that was