Five Little Peppers And How They Grew [54]
hammer and one or two nails.
"Phronsie's a-goin' in the middle," he said, with a nail in his mouth.
"Yes, I'm a-goin' to hang up my stockin'," cried the child, hopping from one toe to the other.
"Run get it, Phronsie," said Joel, "and I'll hang it up for you.
"Why, it's two days before Christmas yet," said Polly, laughing; "how they'll look hanging there so long."
"I don't care," said Joel, giving a last thump to the nail; "we're a-goin' to be ready. Oh, dear! I wish 'twas to-night!"
"Can't Seraphina hang up her stocking?" asked Phronsie, coming up to Polly's side; "and Baby, too?"
"Oh, let her have part of yours," said Potty, "that'll be best-- Seraphina and Baby, and you have one stocking together."
"Oh, yes," cried Phronsie, easily pleased; "that'll be best." So for the next two days, they were almost distracted; the youngest ones asking countless questions about Santa Claus, and how he possibly could get down the chimney, Joel running his head up as far as he dared, to see if it was big enough.
"I guess he can," he said, coming back in a sooty state, looking very much excited and delighted.
"Will he be black like Joey?" asked Phronsie, pointing to his grimy face.
"No," said Polly; "he don't ever get black."
"Why?" they all asked; and then, over and over, they wanted the delightful mystery explained.
"We never'll get through this day," said Polly in despair, as the last one arrived. "I wish 'twas to-night, for we're all ready,"
"Santy's coming! Santy's coming!" sang Phronsie, as the bright afternoon sunlight went down over the fresh, crisp snow, "for it's night now."
"Yes, Santa is coming!" sang Polly; and "Santa Claus is acoming," rang back and forth through the old kitchen, till it seemed as if the three little old stockings would hop down and join in the dance going on so merrily.
"I'm glad mine is red," said Phronsie, at last, stopping in the wild jig, and going up to see if it was all safe, "cause then Santy'll know it's mine, won't he, Polly?"
"Yes, dear," cried Polly, catching her up. "Oh, Phronsie! you are going to have a Christmas!"
"Well, I wish," said Joel, "I had my name on mine! I know Dave'll get some of my things."
"Oh, no, Joe," said Mrs. Pepper, "Santa Claus is smart; he'll know yours is in the left-hand corner."
"Will he?" asked Joel, still a little fearful.
"Oh, yes, indeed," said Mrs. Pepper, confidently. "I never knew him to make a mistake."
"Now," said Ben, when they had all made a pretence of eating supper, for there was such an excitement prevailing that no one sat still long enough to eat much, "you must every one fly off to bed as quick as ever can be."
"Will Santa Claus come faster then?" asked Joel.
"Yes," said Ben, "just twice as fast."
"I'm going, then," said Joel; "but I ain't going to sleep, 'cause I mean to hear him come over the roof; then I'm going to get up, for I do so want a squint at the reindeer!"
"I am, too," cried Davie, excitedly. "Oh, do come, Joe!" and he began to mount the stairs.
"Good night," said Phronsie, going up to the centre of the chimney-piece, where the little red stocking dangled limpsily, "lift me up, Polly, do."
"What you want to do?" asked Polly, running and giving her a jump. "What you goin' to do, Phronsie?"
"I want to kiss it good night," said the child, with eyes big with anticipation and happiness, hugging the well worn toe of the little old stocking affectionately. "I wish I had something to give Santa, Polly, I do!" she cried, as she held her fast in her arms.
"Never mind, Pet," said Potty, nearly smothering her with kisses; "if you're a good girl, Phronsie, that pleases Santa the most of anything."
"Does it?" cried Phronsie, delighted beyond measure, as Polly carried her into the bedroom, "then I'll be good always,
I will!"
CHRISTMAS BELLS!
In the middle of the night Polly woke up with a start.
"What in the world!" said she, and she bobbed up her head and looked over at her mother, who was still peacefully sleeping, and was just going to lie down again,
"Phronsie's a-goin' in the middle," he said, with a nail in his mouth.
"Yes, I'm a-goin' to hang up my stockin'," cried the child, hopping from one toe to the other.
"Run get it, Phronsie," said Joel, "and I'll hang it up for you.
"Why, it's two days before Christmas yet," said Polly, laughing; "how they'll look hanging there so long."
"I don't care," said Joel, giving a last thump to the nail; "we're a-goin' to be ready. Oh, dear! I wish 'twas to-night!"
"Can't Seraphina hang up her stocking?" asked Phronsie, coming up to Polly's side; "and Baby, too?"
"Oh, let her have part of yours," said Potty, "that'll be best-- Seraphina and Baby, and you have one stocking together."
"Oh, yes," cried Phronsie, easily pleased; "that'll be best." So for the next two days, they were almost distracted; the youngest ones asking countless questions about Santa Claus, and how he possibly could get down the chimney, Joel running his head up as far as he dared, to see if it was big enough.
"I guess he can," he said, coming back in a sooty state, looking very much excited and delighted.
"Will he be black like Joey?" asked Phronsie, pointing to his grimy face.
"No," said Polly; "he don't ever get black."
"Why?" they all asked; and then, over and over, they wanted the delightful mystery explained.
"We never'll get through this day," said Polly in despair, as the last one arrived. "I wish 'twas to-night, for we're all ready,"
"Santy's coming! Santy's coming!" sang Phronsie, as the bright afternoon sunlight went down over the fresh, crisp snow, "for it's night now."
"Yes, Santa is coming!" sang Polly; and "Santa Claus is acoming," rang back and forth through the old kitchen, till it seemed as if the three little old stockings would hop down and join in the dance going on so merrily.
"I'm glad mine is red," said Phronsie, at last, stopping in the wild jig, and going up to see if it was all safe, "cause then Santy'll know it's mine, won't he, Polly?"
"Yes, dear," cried Polly, catching her up. "Oh, Phronsie! you are going to have a Christmas!"
"Well, I wish," said Joel, "I had my name on mine! I know Dave'll get some of my things."
"Oh, no, Joe," said Mrs. Pepper, "Santa Claus is smart; he'll know yours is in the left-hand corner."
"Will he?" asked Joel, still a little fearful.
"Oh, yes, indeed," said Mrs. Pepper, confidently. "I never knew him to make a mistake."
"Now," said Ben, when they had all made a pretence of eating supper, for there was such an excitement prevailing that no one sat still long enough to eat much, "you must every one fly off to bed as quick as ever can be."
"Will Santa Claus come faster then?" asked Joel.
"Yes," said Ben, "just twice as fast."
"I'm going, then," said Joel; "but I ain't going to sleep, 'cause I mean to hear him come over the roof; then I'm going to get up, for I do so want a squint at the reindeer!"
"I am, too," cried Davie, excitedly. "Oh, do come, Joe!" and he began to mount the stairs.
"Good night," said Phronsie, going up to the centre of the chimney-piece, where the little red stocking dangled limpsily, "lift me up, Polly, do."
"What you want to do?" asked Polly, running and giving her a jump. "What you goin' to do, Phronsie?"
"I want to kiss it good night," said the child, with eyes big with anticipation and happiness, hugging the well worn toe of the little old stocking affectionately. "I wish I had something to give Santa, Polly, I do!" she cried, as she held her fast in her arms.
"Never mind, Pet," said Potty, nearly smothering her with kisses; "if you're a good girl, Phronsie, that pleases Santa the most of anything."
"Does it?" cried Phronsie, delighted beyond measure, as Polly carried her into the bedroom, "then I'll be good always,
I will!"
CHRISTMAS BELLS!
In the middle of the night Polly woke up with a start.
"What in the world!" said she, and she bobbed up her head and looked over at her mother, who was still peacefully sleeping, and was just going to lie down again,