Newspaper Page Text
How Doggie Puck
Played
Santa Claus
T Was tin- day before Christmas,
und sweetest smells wer? Is
suing from the kitchen, und park
Ilgen wore hoi tig lefl ill Ihw door
every few minutes with loud ringings
of tin* doorbell,
Tuck hud uevor In nil hi* llttie doggie
life been treated ns |p> bud beet: the
Inst few days Nobody bud uny time
for him.
When Daisy, bis little mistress, bud
gone oui thiit morning. Instead of tak
ing her dog she
had sitld: "I can't
t:ike yon today.
Old fellow. Ill
have too many
packages to man
age you."
Puck went to
Hie kitchen, led
the-o. no doubt,
by the delightful
odoi s.
'?(.Jet out of
her.-!" said Urid
?*! can'T TAKK you Jjot, Mild she I'.Otir
toiiav. oi.n tr.i. Ished n hr-vun at
low." hitu The tnsultl
It nearly broke Puck's heart,
Puck Walked out of the kitchen up
Into the piny room on the top floor
He crawled under ih?> curtail: willed
adorned the bed <>f Prances, Hie l ist
doll to arrive from Paris.
Puek grew drowsy, and the last thing
bis eyes rested upon before sinking
into sleep was a huge book cut in the
shape of Santa Claus and colored to
look like htm as well. The book con
tained (bo story beginning "'Twus the
night before Christmas," nnd Puck bad
heard Daisy road that story only the
night before What was his surprise
to see that book straighten Itself until
It looked like n soldier on parade, but
of course It was not n soldier, only
8anta Clans, the very being fron
whom he was trying to picapo. Santa
Clans began talking to him.
"Puck, I do not like to see you show
anch an ugly spirit this day liefere
Christmas. Christmas is my day. you
know, and I like every living thing to
be happy when it comes around
"If you want to net fun out of Christ
mas rjnlt OX|iecttng a merry Clu'lsl mas
for yourself. Try to give it to some
one else." went on Santa Clans
"Mr. Santa Claus." said Pink, look
ing offended, "nobody will nl'ow mo lo
help in any way. AI! I can do is to
keep out of the wny until your day Is
over."
"Nonsense." replied Santa. "You are
all wrong The festival is in my hon
or, true enough, but that docs not shut
out other people from helping."
Puek was wide awake nnd poIPfl
enough to crawl out from beneath the
bed and listen to his visitor.
"You know Daisy is to have n party
tonight." said Santa. "There Is to be
a splendid tree with presents on It. ami
1 have made that tree the handsomest
] ever trimmed. I had planned ro
make my appearance myself to wish the
boys and girls a merry Chri3'.mns, but
] simply cannot take ihe iime. If you
would like you can lake my place. I'll
dress you for the parly,
allow nie I shall looi< iirour,
what I can find In Miss Dttlay's play
room. Good, the very thing. Ws'll
make a hit!" And Puek looked toward
the waatebnsket, where he saw a false
fnee of Santa Clans with It* Ion-;
white beard nnd the remains of ? ?'i.e
ihu warranted to mend or stet? nny
tning.
Santa Claus bent t > fV.e cats o' PueV
and whispered Ida pbir, it", a s-er.-t.
The secret seemed to im et v ltb P ick'n
approval, for he wagged h's t?li nnd
wriggled his hotly Just ns he did wL?*:<
Daisy fexl him a bit of bis faorltc
enndy.
It grew dark very early, for n snow
atonn was on the way. Sound? of ar
riving visitors came to Puck's ears as
the boll pealed again and again Ills
absence was not
noticed os b<?nu
tifuiiy dressed
Kiri.s came luto
Hie nest room to
r p m ovo l heir
wrnps. w h I I e
shouts of laugh
ter sin! merry
Christ in a ses
floated to Pe.ek
In bis retreat, he
neath the doll's
?>od.
The voice of
Daisy's father at
last sounded, a nd
aa this was the cue Santa had glveu
lilin to appear Puck crawled out. ap
proached the wastebasbot, knocked !t
over. ruhlH'd bis face in Ihe alowly
trickling glue and (hen stuck it In,:, tho
Hanta Claus false face lying ronven
lently near.
F.. ? nilnuif the queer Puck-Santa
Cfaua ran down the stairs n> d ln*o ihe
room, arousing shrieks of laughter UU
ooe boy screamed. "Why. It's 9amu
cm ?ar
"No, It la not!" shouted another. "Did
700 over see a Santa Claus with four
legs? It'a a dog, that is what it la."
"It's my IMck," said Delay, taking
the queer specimen In her nrma, "but
how In the world did he ever get him
?elf up In this clever fashion?"
Pock wsB not telling. bHi the fun
this odd looklug Hanta started mad>
the party a success.
It you w11
ICJ ar.-.l f ee*
*?
he i>a.n r<ow:.*8TAir:a.
ENTERTAINING THE
YULETIDE ANGELS
cry sense of tho word, we nre tinging
wide the portals to tho winged ones
and spreading tho banquet they love.
To come down to plain, everyday
speaking, hero aro a few of tho sins
tho most well-meaning persons com
mit against tho holiness, lovo and
comfort of the Chrlatmastido.
Everybody known that year by year
the shops make a strenuous effort to
encourage tho early buying of gifts.
Christmas goods are put on sale quite
six weeks before they are needed,
whllo many a mercantile advertise
ment openly pleads the case of the
shop people. When we put off our
buying until the eleventh hour, men,
women and children?all of whom
have a right to their own share of
Christmas ? must work overtime.
Nothing Is said of the awful heat of
the crowded shops, of the exhausted
air, of the tolling beings who swolter,
atand In icy draughts, who faint and,
perhaps, are sometimes discharged for
Inadequacy with the last hideous bat
tle of buying, nut those who are be
hind tho scenes know it all and every
I heart open to human justice must
j surely see this sldo of late Christmas
?hopping?the bitter side.
By PRUDENCE 8TANDI8H.
HERE are these an
gels, Invisible to
mortal eyes, and
bow may we enter
tain them? They
are In the spirit of
Christraas, in that
glad feeling In the
heart which knows
there Is reason for
Joy and which tells
us to do all we can
for others.
When wo trans
gress against tho
laws of Joy and
kindness we are
turning the Yule
tldo angels from
our doors. When
we open our hearts
fully to tho Christ
mas spirit, in ev
How inadoquato la tha last-moment
present bought under such conditions
?the usual conditions in cities?to
express the rightful Christmas senti
ment. Instead of telling of Christmas
Joy if it could but speak the gift
would say:
"I bring you a friend's irritabilities,
and a sales-woman's white cheeks,
and a little cash girl's sobs, and wish
you a miserable Christmas." In short,
this belated purchase, obtained with
j such effort to all concerned, carries
' with It the unheard tears and sighs
! of the Yuletlde angels, those shining
spirits of gladness we turn from our
) doors. There is a way to escape this
! very great annoyance to ourselves and
Injustice, to others. The shops are
never crowded In the early morning,
bo do the shopping then with the very
first hour. Or if you are a business
person and cannot spare the time,
write the friend whom you recall at
this late hour a nlco little note full
1 of Christmas feeling or else run
around the corner and buy her a
bunch of bright berries from any of
tho temporary stands, which if not
patronized would mean ruin to their
owners. At any rate, however, you
solvo the problem, keep ono thought
in your heart:
Peaco on earth and good will tow
ard all tho poor souls hired to sell
Christmas presents.
Tho next sinners against tho Yule
tido angels are tho family ogres who
deny the home children their rightful
share of Christmas Joy, who fret
about having the l'ttle ChriBtmns tree
with Its trifling gifts, who shatter In
fantile idols by revealing tho sacred
mystery of Santa Claus, and so and
so on. Ah, me, ah, mo. could I not
tell weeping stories myself of the
hardness of grown-up hearts at this
tlmo?stories of tho dark and dread
t ful day when a silly aunt of soven
i teen mocked me for my belief In good
Krlss Kringle and when, a little later,
the edict went forth that I was too
old to "think much of Christmas" any
j more. Is anybody ever "too old" to
; think of Christmas? Is the heart ever
1 too hardened not to suffer when the
I doarest of its saints is ruthlessly ta
{ ken away?
As to this rubbishy talk of the Christ
' mas tree being too much trouble, or
i too much expense, It only menus
that the grown-ups are thinking en
' tlrely of themselves. There are Christ
' mas trees and Christmas trees, and
? tho cheapest and littlest may bring
Just as much Joy to small hearts as
I the most expensive ones. In fact, 1
: have seen little Christmas trees bur
! dened with tiny fts, and gay with
! candles, that cc no more than a
! couple of dollars. They were set up
with love, and trimmed with love, and
revealed with love; and the children
and tho grown-ups were all as happy
as happy could be because they had
Invited every one of the Yulotlde an
gels to the fun.
So don't rob the children of theii
good ChrlBtmas snlnt, Santa Claus,
but leave them to find out the facte
of Christmas giving themselves. And,
bo your home ever bo poor, save some
thing from the housekeeping money
to give the children their rightful
ChrlBtmas Joy In another way when
thn tr?o rAiinot be managed. An
orange, a big, rosy apple, and a walk
j ing stick of striped peppermint candy
I cost but little. Yet tho bunch of cheap
' things will seem like Christmas, the
j real true?true Christmas, when It is
dumped out of tho little stocking.
Concerning more Important gifts
than these, they also may bo of the
cheapest sort. All a little child ex
pects Is 8i?methlng new, so the trifles
bought at a reasonablo hour at tho
ten-cent store, tho cheap, home-dresB
ed doll, the nickel watch or fifteen
cent box of paints, are all equally
prized. \V?iit the kiddles want is to
feel their Yulotlde angels near thorn,
and a little extra bother, a llttlo ex
tra patience, will achieve tills bless
ing. Remember, too, tho child with
out the gates, for It needs a share of
your joy. Sit up a little later for tho
next six nights and see what you can
make out of pretty scraps of stuff on
hand, the colored pictures In tho old
fashion books, etc. Let all tho chil
dren who cross your way feel some
of the gladness thut 1? In your own
hoart. It 1b so easy. Don't grumble;
do what you can with enthusiasm and
give everything with love.
The worst sinners against Christ
mas peace are those who feel the
reason Is a nuleanco and who do their
level best, to make others feel the
same thing. They hato the excite
ment, the exchang" of presents, tho
letters or cards they must send, tho
idea of having to give servants monej,
the dinners they must get up. those
which they must attend. And In hat
ing these, and all the dozen and one
duties of the ChrlBtmnBtldo, they
hate everything?the Joy that Is In
the air, tho sweet church bells, tho
cherubim and seraphim of P?ethlehom,
and oven him whoso coming the
prophet Micah foretold so long he
fore.
NAN nticl Jack and little black
Topsy rubbed their eyes ami
stared about them. A big
wave had landed them high
and dry on a Baddy island.
"All shipwrecks are horrid." said
Jack. "Hut 1 think 1 cnu tind some
thing to eat. and
If you are cold,
why. you and Top
ay can lie down
nnd let me cover
you with warm
sand, and then
I'll go aud look
about
"Now. goodby."
said Jack. "I'm
going to look for
food." Aud he
marched off like
a man. with his
hands In his |>ock
ets.
"Topsy." 8 a I d
Nan after he had
"I'll AWKUl.l.Y G1.AD Rone .>d<) ym,
YOU CAMP." bnow ,t j8 tue
day before Christmas nnd we won't
get a single present tomorrow?"
Hut Topsy was not despondent
"What's de tnattah wld Marse Santa
Claus?" she demanded "Aln' he com
lu' to dls islan'V Dot's whut I ask."
"Why. Topsy." explained little Nan
patiently, "bow could he? His rein
deer couldn't cross the water."
"Let him come in a hoat. den. Hat's
whut 1 say. Let him come lu a boat.'
said Topsy fiercely.
"Oh." said Nan. "but 1 nm afraid he
cau't."
Suddenly Topsy sat up and pointed
a skinny black linger toward the sea.
"It's a boat." she said, "u little boat,
and It's coming here"
Nearer and nearer came the little
boat, and presently Topsy shrieked
"It's Marse Santa Clans Miss Nannie.
It's Marse Santa Clans, and he's com
In' straight t<> dis yer Isbiu". Didn't I
tole yer? Didn't I tole yer he d come?"
The man In the hoat had a nice
white beard He had on a red sweater
nnd wore a soft hat pulled well down
over bis ears. As he climbed out of
the boat they saw that he was very
round and fat and had a folly red face
When be had pulled the boat up out
of the water he leaned over and picked
up a great hag and siting it over his
sboulder and came trotting up the
beach
"It truly Is Saute" said Nan breath
lessly, ?and be Is coining straight to
ward us I am jmlng to run right
down and meet him."
Away she sped, her golden curls fly.
Ing behind her. and when she reached
the old man she slipped tier hand Into
bis confidingly
"I'm awfully glad you cnmo. Santa."
she said "We were so frightened and
lonely, and maybe you tain tell us what
to do "
The old man stood still and stared nt
her. Then he chuckled
"Well, welll" he said "Where did
you come from?"
Just then .luck came running down
the beach.
"It's Santa Clans." cnlled Nan as
soon as he was within hearing.
But .lock was older than Topsy nnd
Nan. and he bad bis doubts. "Are you
really Santa Claus?" he asked gravely
The old man winked "Don't I look
like him?" he suld
"Yos." snid Jack, "you do."
"Ain't I got a pack on my back?" he
asked
"Yes." Raid Jock, "but It looks like
potatoes and not toys."
Then the old man leaned down nnd
whispered lu bis ear: "That's Jes' what
it Is. but if them
little dears wants
to think I'm San
ta. why. let 'ein
think It It won't
hurt anybody, will
It?"
"No." said .lack.
"It won't"
"Well. then."
said he out loud,
"that being de
elded, we win go
a n d h a v e din
ner."
"Dinner?" said
Jack. In surprise
"Why. where do
you live?"
"Follow me."
?aid the man and
they trotted jjnyly
after him
Away among the sand bills they
came suddenly upon a little bouse
Within was a glowing lire, aud a great
pot was bubbling on the stove, and
each of the little folks had a hot bowl
of soup und u big piece of bread, and
when they had finished their eyes
drooped
'Now hang up your stockings," said
their host, "and go to bed."
How the old sailor found things to
fill those Stockings was a wonder Rut
there was a quaint sandal wood fnu for
Nnn, a pnlr of Chinese shoes for Jack
and a Japanese dolt for Topsy Then
he filled up the corners with beautiful
shells nnd with little boxes of dried
fruit and such things as sailors pick
up in mnny voyages
Such n Jolly Chrlstmna morning as It
was! The children were delighted
with their gifts aild afterward Santa
rowed them nv-fti to the mainland and
put them oi> the rood for home
TIIOTTR0 OAYl.Y
A KT KII IIIM.
Little Jack
Guessed
A Christmas Secret
T was the after
uuuD before
Christmas, a u d
the j'ir was full
of big, feathery
suowrlakes. Jack
and Mar;.- stood
at the window
watching t t? e m.
and Baby Jane
sat on the tl?>or.
"See how pret
ty they ere!"
cried Jack. Clap
ping his bauds.
"They're Just like
fairies going to a Christ nuts party."
Mary clapped her hands, too. and
Baby Jane ihuuiped her rattle on the
Boor and crowed Bill Mrs Brown
looked out of the window rather uux
lously.
The store was n tulle away, and the
snow seemed to come thicker and
faster every minute
"How do you s pose Santa t'laus can
get here in such a storm V" asked Jack,
at which Mary s face clouded.
Perhaps this tbourlll was troubling
Mrs Brown She didn't answer for
more than a minute, not uutil Jack
spoke again.
"Booh 'n' oonsense!" he said. "This
Isn't much of a snow. 1 could go io It
myself well's not."
"Could you. dear?" asked his mother
quickly "I'm afraid It's a chance If
papa gets home liefere tomorrow, the
wood road will bo so blocked, and 1
want some things from the store to
night. Do you suppose you can go
with your sled. Jackie?"
"Why. yes!" cried Jack, delighted
enough, and in a very few minutes '
he was ready to start. *
"Give this note to Mr. Slmpklns."
said his mother, "and then you won't
have anything to remember. And be
careful, dear, and hurry home as fast
as you can "
Mr. Slmpklns' eyes twinkled when ho
read that note.
"I can't attend to you right away."
he said to .lack, "and I wish you'd Just
JACK STnUOOI.KD 0.4
run over to the house with a line to
Mrs. Slmpklns for me"
"Yes. sir." answered Ted.
Mr. Slmpklns had the bundles tucked
away In the sled box and covered with
thick brown ,<aper. that the snow
couldn't got through, when Jack cuine
back.
"Hard night for Santa Clans to get
around." lie said, pinching the boy's
red check "Do you suppose you'll see
him at your house?"
"1 hope he'll come." answered Jack
politely, "but 1 don't guess I'll see him,
sir."
"I saw him once." Mr. Slmpklns snld
soberly, "when he was a little boy,
about your size. He looked a gteat
deal like you too"
When he got home mother bad a
plate of hot oatmeal pudding with
sugar ami real ( ream waiting for him,
and she whisked the bundles out of the
sled box and Into the pantry In a
hurry
All this time the snow kept falling,
falling, and the wind blew until the
little house fairly shook. If it had
been set on a bill there Is no saying
what might have happened Jack felt
a good deal troubled He told his
mother what Mr Slmpklns had said
about Santa Clans when she was tUckt
Ing him Into bed for the night,
i "I'm 'frald he can't get here," snld
he. "and then Mary will be so disap
pointed"
But Ids mother laughed, stooping
down for the good night kiss. "Don't
worry, dear." she said "Santa Cluua
won't mind this little storm."
And. sure enough, when morning
came the three little stockings hanging
beside the chimney were stuffed as
full as they could hold.
"So Santa Claus did come." snld Mrs.
Brown, laughing at the children's nn
tlcs
Jack looked thoughtful a minute
His eyes danced He put his lips closo
to his mother's enr
"1 do b'lleve I know whnt Mr Simp
kins meant." he said, "but 1 shan't tell
Mary And It's lots of fun. Just the
name."
