er bed--or that he should have crept
breathless and fearful to the door where the stocking hung.
Notwithstanding the ripe experience of years past, when each Christmas
found the generous stocking stuffed with good things, there was always
the chance that Santa Claus might have forgotten, this year--or that he
might have miscalculated his supply and not have enough to go
'round--or that he had not been correctly informed as to just what you
wanted--or that some accident, might have befallen his
reindeer-and-sleigh to detain him until the grey dawn of Christmas
morning stopped his work and sent him scurrying back to his toy kingdom
to await another Yule-tide.
And so, in the fearful silence and darkness of that early hour, with
stilled breath and heart beating so loudly you thought it would awaken
everyone in the house, You softly opened the door--poked your arm
through--felt around where the stocking ought to be, but with a great
sinking in your heart when you didn't find it the first time--and
finally your chubby fist clutched the misshapen, lumpy, bulging fabric
that proclaimed a generous Santa Claus.
Yes, it was there!
That was enough for the moment. A hurried climb back into the warm
bed--and then interminable years of waiting until your attuned ear
caught the first sounds of grandmother's dressing in her nearby
bedroom, and the first gleam of winter daylight permitted you to see
the wondrous stocking and the array of packages on the sofa. It was
beyond human strength to refrain from just one look. But alas! The
sight of a dapple-grey rocking-horse with silken mane and flowing tail
was too much, and the next moment you were in the room with your arms
around his arched neck, while peals of unrestrained joy brought the
whole family to the scene. Then it was that mother gathered you into
her lap, and wrapped her skirt about your bare legs, and held your
trembling form tight in her arms until you promised to get dressed if
they would open just one package--the big one on the end of the sofa.
After that there was always "just one more, please!" and by that time
the base burner was warming up and you were on the floor in the middle
of the discarded wrapping-paper, uncovering each wonderous package down
to the very last--the very, very last--in the very toe of the
stocking--the big round one that you were sure was a real league ball
but proved to be nothing but an orange! ...
No Santa Claus? Huh! ...
If there isn
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