in' scared--for you
were jolly and smilin' like, and you chuckled as you went around to
each stockin' and filled it up."

"Yes, I can remember the night," said Santa Claus. "I brought you a
sled, didn't I?"

"Yes, and you brought Otis one, too," replied Joel. "Mine was red and
had 'Yankee Doodle' painted in black letters on the side; Otis's was
black and had 'Snow Queen' in gilt letters."

"I remember those sleds distinctly," said Santa Claus, "for I made
them specially for you boys."

"You set the sleds up against the wall," continued Joel, "and then you
filled the stockin's."

"There were six of 'em, as I recollect?" said Santa Claus.

"Let me see," queried Joel. "There was mine, and Otis's, and Elvira's,
and Thankful's, and Susan Prickett's--Susan was our help, you know.
No, there were only five, and, as I remember, they were the biggest we
could beg or borrer of Aunt Dorcas, who weighed nigh unto two hundred
pounds. Otis and I didn't like Susan Prickett, and we were hopin'
you'd put a cold potato in her stockin'."

"But Susan was a good girl," remonstrated Santa Claus. "You know I put
cold potatoes only in the stockin's of boys and girls who are bad and
don't believe in Santa Claus."

"At any rate," said Joel, "you filled all the stockin's with candy and
pop-corn and nuts and raisins, and I can remember you said you were
afraid you'd run out of pop-corn balls before you got around. Then you
left each of us a book. Elvira got the best one, which was 'The
Garland of Frien'ship,' and had poems in it about the bleeding of
hearts, and so forth. Father wasn't expectin' anything, but you left
him a new pair of mittens, and mother got a new fur boa to wear to
meetin'."

"Of course," said Santa Claus, "I never forgot father and mother."

"Well, it was as much as I could do to lay still," continued Joel,
"for I'd been longin' for a sled, an' the sight of that red sled with
'Yankee Doodle' painted on it jest made me wild. But, somehow or
other, I began to get powerful sleepy all at once, and I couldn't keep
my eyes open. The next thing I knew Otis was nudgin' me in the ribs.
'Git up, Joel,' says he; 'it's Chris'mas an' Santa Claus has been
here.' 'Merry Chris'mas! Merry Chris'mas!' we cried as we tumbled out
o' bed. Then Elvira an' Thankful came in, not more 'n half dressed,
and Susan came in, too, an' we just made Rome howl with 'Merry
Chris'mas! Merry Chris'mas!' to each other. 'Ef you children don't
make less