CHAPTER VI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1818, 1 March 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VI.

HOW SANTA KLAUS CAME. Christmas Eve had come round, and Urbain and Isette had been George Tostevor's pets for over a year. The first Christmas Eve they had only been a few days with him; he cared nothing for them then, butaow they were his children, and for weeks he had been scheming and thinking how best he could amuse them and give them a little treat. The idea ol a Christmas tree had at last prevailed, and for many evenings Mr. Tostevor had been busily engaged on it after the children had gone to bed. There were little wax candles to fix among the branches, packets of sweets, dolls, sugar pigs, tin fry-ing-pans, and tiny toys to tie one, and no end of delicate operations to perform before the task was complete, and there was one special prize labelled, " For Urbain and Isette, with beat love," which required a deal of care and attention. The children had gone to bed, specially warned by Mrs. Peters to hang their stockings out, as Santa Klaus was bound to come round and drop something in. Urbain and Isette did as they were bidden. They carefully suspended their stockings from tha bottom of the bed and prepared to go. to slep. But sleep was out of the question ; they were much < too exoited, and. besides, they "Wnted to see Banta Klaus. TT^fciiP had a notion that Santa^Klaus was

a gentleman, but Isetle was sure it was a lady. Fiora talking of Santa Klaus their thoughts ivandered back to the dim remembrance of their early home, and they talked o£ their mamma. She was only a dream to them now. They weie too young to grieve that they never saw her, or to speculate much as to the cause. One tthin'n n ' they had never forgotten, the simple English prayer that so astonished the good stewardess of the FJauderp. Night after night in theiv snowy bedgowns Uibain and Isette joined their little hands and prayed that God would bless their dear mamma, and still asked Him to bless their dear papa and turn his heart to love dear mamma. Mrs. Peters had not liked to stop them saying it. She was superstitious on the point. But the prayer sounded odd to her, for the children always called Mr. Tost?vor "Papa " now, and as she explained to Mrs. Twiggs, "it do sound rayther queer them poor innocents a-askiu' God to turn Mr. Tostevor's heaitto love their poor ma, as may be dead and buried, poor soul, who know?." The children had said their prayer as usual this Christmas Eve, and Mrs. Peters had left them vifch parting injunctions about Santa Klaus. % " I wonder whether we shall ever see dear mamma again," said Urbain with a sigh. " Praps when we're old enough to go back over the sea," answerer! Isette. Then she got up to feel in her stocking. There was nothing in it. Santa Klaus had not been. Presently Isette Miggcsted that Urbain bhould get up and look out of window, and see if Santa Klaus was in the street anywheie. It was a bright moonlight night, bitteily cold, and the snow lay frozen in hard patches on the pavement. Urbain slipped out of bed, and climbing on a chair near the window, peered through the Venetian blinds. Piesently he uttered a cry of joy. " Sister, sister ; come and look ! Here's Santa Klaus on the doorstep. Perhaps she can't get in." Isette rolled out of bed and went to look too. Yes, there was Santa Klaus. Santa Klaus was a lady, then, and all in black. "0, look, Urbain! " cried Isette. " Santa Klaus has fallen down. She's tired perhaps with going to so many places. Eun and tell Mis. Peters to let her in with our presents." Down the stairs tore Urbain in his nightgown, shouting, at the top of his voice, "Nurse I Nurse! " George Tostevor heard the child's voice as he sat among the toys and the sugar pigs in his study, and rushed out. "My boy, my boy; what is the matter? Where is Isette ? " The man's voice trembled with emotion as he picked the child up and clasped him to his breast. " Don't 1 " gasped Urbain. " It's Santa Klaus. Santa Klaus on the doorstep." "Thank God!" The energy with which he spoke the words told how great had been the fear of evil in the man's heart. "It's Santa Klaus," cried Urbain. "0, please let her in. She's fallen down on the doorstep." " What, Santa Klaus on the doorstep ! Why what does my pet mean ? " said George Tostevor, laughing. He walked to the window of his study, the boy still in his arms, and looked out. There, on his doorstep, lay the fallen figure of a woman. Half an hour before he had sent out and brought in a lost and shivering puppy that whined on his doorstep. Should he call the police or take this poor wretch in ? But little of the old cynicism lemained. For a moment he wavered, then glanced at the face of the eager boy, trembling with excitement in his arms, kissed him and rang the bell. Mrs. Twiggs came up. "Mrs. Twiggs, there is a poor creature on my doorstep." " What, another dawg, sir ? " " No, a woman. Take her in ; sec what is the matter, with her, and let me know." Mrs. Twiggs raised her eyes to heaven, turned sharply round, and flounced down stairs. "I never see sich a man. The dawge' 'ome was bad enough — now it's a-goin 1 to be a workus and a orsepital. He ain't right in his 'ed ; he ain't really." Grumbling to herseH, Mrs. Twiggs proceeded leisurely to the front; door, calling Mrs Peters to come too. Theie lay a woman, sure enuugh. They poked their fingers into her ribs, and called her " Young 'oman " and " My dear," but she never moved. "Poor thing 1 " said Mrs. Peters, "she's reg'lar bad." " Master says as 'ow we're to take her in." " Well, then, the best thing we can do's to do it." With which practical remark Mrs Peters put her strong arms under the fallen woman's shoulders, and half carried, half dragged her into the hall. " She's friz to death," said Mrs. Twiggs. " Not she," answered Mis. Peters, putting her hand on the woman's heart- " She's only fainted. Get her to the fire." Mr. Tostevor had carried Urbain up stairs again, and was sitting with the children. lie did not want Uibain to see the poor wdman, or to know anything of such dreadful things. "It isn't Santa Klaus, dears," he said. " Santa Klaus never comes till little girls and boys are asleep." Bruno had gone to see what the disturbance was, and having satisfied himself, came bounding up into the study. His master heard him, and suddenly recollected that in his confusion he had left sweetmeats and sugar pigs about unprotected. Sweets were Bruno's weak point, and he had even been known to steal Mrs. Twigg's peppermints. Mr. Toatevor rushed down to save his pigs. When he entered the room Mrs. Peters was there. "She's a lady evidently, sir, and she's reg'lar bad. We've took her to Mrs. Twigg's room. What shall we do with her ?" "Do ? Why, let her stop there, and send for a doctor at once." " Yes sir. Will you see her ? " "No. Why should I?" Mrs. Peters remembered what she had heard of Mr. Tostevor's dislike for women, and went her way. An hour later she returned and told her master that the poor woman was put to bed. The doctor said it was want and fatigue, and had ordered her food and warm drink, and that she seemed light-headed like, and had dropped off to sleep in Mrs. Twigg's bed. " I'm an awful fool," thought George Tostevor to himself ; "but somehow or other I feel ten years younger for taking that poor wretch in. If I go on at this rate there won't be room for any animals presently — I shall begetting married next." Then his face darkened suddenly, and he murmured — " 0, Agnes, Agnes, how happy we might have been ! " (Concluded in our next.)

Little Tommy was having his hair combed, and grumbled. " Why, Tommy, you, oughtn^t to make such a f qss. I don't when my hair is combed." ''Yes, but your hair ain't hitched to your head."