Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-20


blue eyes Of his, that have seen into
so many children's heads and hearts
all these hundreds Of years. Then he
said:
dot vas all right, leetle Broder.
see Wy you vas not wish to go init. You
vas wrong about dat weight OF you
and her and doggy, but you vas right
about de wish in your heart. You vii
go on de Old Useful Vurk. He amt
flied away in the night yet, hey? Dot
vas two good children. hey, Schwes-
terchen, vot is it to eat in dot bundle9
Let Old Santa look"
Sister brought the bundle and he
looked in. He saw the tea and the pi
lot bread and the pepper. Then he
laughed, and tossed all the pilot bread
to Aristotle, who crunched it up and
got snow in his mouth by doing so.
whilst du leetle more useful vurk
dis day do2 Und du? Villst du a
toy make each one, vat Santa will put in
der sleigh for two leetle poor peeplesT"
eyes, indeed" shouted the children
together.
II can make a very good boat"
said Brother, "with my knife"
"And can make a whole doll IL
can get some rags. / will take my
apron. It's in the bundle there"
"An r-r-right!" said Santa Claus,
rolling the like ratchet on wheel.
Den will you some good pemmican
give, und some picked shrimps und
some reindeer cheese und some pum-
pernickell Coon mitI'
He went into the factory and they
followed. AS far as you could see
there were benches on either side, and
at these there were little men at work.
The little workmen were gnomes. They
were funny little fellows. Each one
had a smile and two big round eyes.
When they screwed their eyes up to
see a toy closer, they looked very
crOss-eyed. But the children did not
laugh. They knew very well that
they probably looked as funny to the
gnOmes as the gnomes TO them.
Santa Claus called one Of the gnomes
and asked him to go to Santa Claus
house and pack up the pemmican and
things. Then he found some pine
wood and some gay colored pieces OF
cloth and brought them.
Zach, We must you dose needles
get"
EMO, indeed" said Sister. 81 have
my own, thank you"
The Old Fairy found a piece Of work
for his own hands, and they all sat
down by the stove in the corner and
worked. Brother made a boat, Sister
made a doll, and Santa Claus whitfield
out a whole cuckoo clock, and made
it say "Cuckoop
you've got fifteen minutes yet,
Santa Claus" said Brother wont
| you please tell us how you came to
be Santa Claus? Were you born that
way? Please tell us. We won't stop
working"
Santa Claus picked up the cuckoo
clock and deity slipped the little bird
Off and held 1t In his hand. Then he
lifted it up and held it against his
cheek as if he loved it.
''You see dot leetle Vogel-bird? You
know w I likes to make dot leetle
bird ven sees vun leetle child? Vel
l will tell you Wy. Vunce Santa vas
q leetle boy, shoost like BrOder here
l always wish have a cuckoo bird
l have a cage naked, but hat nc
bird. Damn see vun leetle boy val
hat a bird. vent up to him and say
'Gif me your bird. gif you ten pfen
mig 'Nein,' say dot child. 4 lu1
my bird. viii not sell him for tel
pfennigs.' Damn kick him and tumble
him down and take his VOgel-bird anC
put in my cage. Dat child not gOt
up, we'll his leg broke. Bad Claus! Il
vas Claus vat broke his little leg.
.sYell, dot night lies in mein bet
und not sleep. looks at mein birC
in dat cage made BY and by alret
ty see a light dot cage above, anC
damn see vun leetle child all burn
ing bright. Dat vas Christ Child. You
unnerstandY
Both the children whispered, Yes
''Vell, dat leetle Christ-Chiid he say
to me, Claus Clausr Shoost Xix,
dat. 1 say nottings. Damn dat leetlt
bright babe he tell me about dat leetlt
child whom from take away da
bird for mine. Dat vas vun poor leetl'
bOy-sO awful poor. And not vas onl!
his leg broken, but his poor heart was
broken, und dat night he died. AnC
dat bright Christ-Child he ask me va
will do now. Damn he grow pale an(
pale and go away"
what did you do, Santa Claus?'
Santa Claus silently held out thu
little wooden bird.
dis" he said. "All dis''-and h,
swept his arm around toward the grea
shop with it's twinkling lights. Eve
since dat night 1 make toys. 1t is 81
lOng-hundreds and hundreds Of years
It is forgiven. But l make toys al
ways"
There was silence for moment
and then Sister put up the rag dol
to her eyes and patted away two BIZ
tears. She could not get at her hand
kerchief very well.