Amy Ella Blanchard

“ Do you fink Santa Claus got Bill's letter? I hope he did, for it seems dreadful for anyone to have no Santa Claus and no Christmas; it makes me feel sorry inside, as if I had eaten too many cakes. Do you fink he got it?"
"That depends upon where he mailed it."
"Why, in the post-office box, of course. The one on the corner, by the square, that says U. S. mail on it. What makes them turn it hind part before? Why don't they say mail us? It means the letters you put [49] in, of course. It's so the man with the funny little wagon will know."
The doctor frowned; then he laughed. ”

“ I believe that poor little wretch of a red-headed snipe supports the family. Ah, doctor, I say we're nowhere with my Lord William. Such airs; bluffed me off at first."
He sat on the arm of the chair, swinging one foot thoughtfully. Dr. Brewster looked at him. Young, good-looking, rich; what the public called "a howling swell;" a dilettante in his profession, yet possessing ability, if but the proper motive stirred his impulses. He had been wont to maintain that half the world's poor were whining impostors, and the other half incorrigible reprobates. ”

“ Don't be too hard on us if things aren't just on time. There is a great rush from now till after the holidays, and you old bachelors are so methodical that, if a letter is a minute [17] and a quarter late, you think the entire Post Office system is tottering. Sit down."
"No," replied the doctor. "I didn't come to complain, Hardy, I came to see if I could collect the mail for Santa Claus."
Mr. Hardy put down his pen, and stared at his visitor. "What are you driving at, anyhow?" he asked. "Oh, I see; some charity Christmas tree, or something. How much will let me off, doc?"
The doctor smiled. ”

“ CHAPTER IV
"I must look after that family," mused the doctor. "Bless the young things! a frolicsome kitten and a little earnest child, full of faith and love of human kind, can be wonderful factors in the matter of happiness. Strange how I have gone along missing both and not knowing what I missed. Let me see. I'll send Hooper to look after grandfather's 'bronicles;' he smiled broadly at the remembrance of the garbled word. ”

“ You see it fooled me to see Bill selling vi'lets. I kind of fought he had a big garden full, or his grandfather had. He said his grandfather used to go out selling flowers till sumfing got the matter with his bronicles, and they couldn't stand the east wind."
The doctor laughed so heartily that Elinor looked quite aggrieved.
"I'll not tell you any more," she said, "if you make fun of me, and I was going to tell you lots."
"Oh, please pardon my laughter. I'll try not to be so silly again. You see, I sometimes laugh at nothing at all. It is a habit I have formed from living alone." ”

“ You are none too well fed, I see," he remarked; and, rising, he took his way to another room, where, after hunting around, he found in the larder a pitcher of cream, set away by the housekeeper for her master's morning coffee. All unconscious of bringing dismay to the worthy woman, Dr. [12] Brewster emptied the contents of the pitcher in a saucer and set it down, watching Kittyboy eagerly lap up this unexpected treat.
"Now you must go," said the doctor; and Kittyboy followed confidently at his heels. ”

“ I certainly am [16] glad to see some sort of a young creature about the house." The housekeeper gave a sniff, but even she smiled furtively a moment later at sight of Kittyboy wildly chasing his tail.
Buttoning himself up well in his overcoat, the doctor, after breakfast, took his way down town, and went straight to the city Post Office. He did not stop as he passed through the long corridor till he reached the private office of the Postmaster himself.
"Hello, Brewster, what brings you here so early?" questioned that worthy, looking up from his desk. ”

“ Every year, about Christmas time, a [14] number of letters find their way to the Post Office; they are variously addressed to Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, or St. Nicholas, and are the outcome of childish faith. One is forced to wonder how often they must be followed by disappointment, since there can appear no claimant for them. ”

“ Temple, who was glad to leave her treasure so well satisfied to stay at home, while she attended to some Christmas shopping.
"Let's talk about Christmas," said Elinor, cuddling down by the side of the doctor, after watching her mother out of sight.
"Isn't there a Santa Claus?" she asked. ”

“ Bill's face took on a little sunshine. Ten bunches! Why, it would nearly clean out his stock. What luck!
"Say," he said, in a low voice, "'bout that Santa Claus, you know. Time's gittin' clost."
"Yes," said Elinor, eagerly holding out her hands to receive the violets.
"I don't believe he comes to poor folks," continued Bill; "mind, I don't say there ain't no Santa Claus; but I say he ain't no friend o' folks what lives in Hitchen's court."
"Oh, but he is. Dr. Brewster says so, [56] and he knows everyfing—he does truly—and he told me to tell you that there was a Santa Claus, really, really." ”

“ Bill as little knew that the letter over which he had spent much thought and hard labor was resting in the doctor's pocket, for he imagined it to be in the hands of a red-nosed, white-haired individual, with a jolly countenance and a twinkling eye—such a one as could be seen, more or less realistically represented in shop windows. A very different looking person, indeed, from this portly, prosperous-appearing [54] man with the keen eyes, who wore "swagger clothes, and didn't care nothin' fer poor cusses, or he'd 'a bought somethin' from a feller." ”

“ Bill looked at her half-admiringly. Such temerity was beyond his mental stature, although, given a proper field for physical [58] valor, and he'd show no white feather, as various urchins in the neighborhood could testify.
"How long is it before Christmas?" asked Gerty. "Three days, ain't it?"
"'Bout that. Say, Gert, we ain't ast fur nothin' fur grandpop in that letter."
"Why, yes, we did. We ast fur a doctor to cure his bronicles. Don't you know?"
"So we did. How is he?"
"I don't know, he's kinder yaller yit, an' he can't eat much." ”

“ Why doesn't he wash it?"
"I reckon 'cause he hasn't any soap or towels."
"But he can get water easily."
"Yes; but, doctor, don't you know how horrid it is to have your face washed, and to stand with it all dripping, 'specially in cold weather? and if you had no towel, you know, you wouldn't want to wash your face, either."
"Perhaps not. Well, Bill is a boy with a dirty face. Is that all? Has he nothing else to boast of?"
"Yes; he has a sister named Gerty. I s'pose she has a dirty face, too. I never saw her, 'cause she's got the rickets, and her grandfather has had yaller janders ”

“ Bill gave voice to a low whistle, and glanced at Gerty, who had taken the card with a funny little air of polite acceptance, and, at a word from her brother, led the way into a hole of a room, [60] hardly more than a closet, where an old man lay.
The doctor remained about fifteen or twenty minutes, and when he again came into the presence of the boy and his sister, he said:
"I think your grandfather will be better under my immediate care, and I will see that he is removed—if—if you don't object—to a pleasant room in a pleasant place." ”

“ It's too cold a night to turn any creature out of doors," and Kittyboy's triumph was complete when he was put down on the hearth-rug and allowed to continue his ablutions, while the doctor resumed his paper. ”

“ The next was printed.
"I am a good girl bring me the doll. Fill wants a bow narrow,"
—but there was no address, and this, too, was laid aside.
Then came a queer little, half-printed, half-written epistle:
[20]
"Dear Santa: I want a new papa and a new kitten. Conny says kittens are easy enuff to get, but papas are much harder and very spensive. but I dont want just any kitten please, cause my dear Jollity was black and all the kittens this year are grey. if you have any black ones to spare please bring me one and a papa with a red ribbon around its neck. ”

“ The housekeeper confided to Maggie that something had made the doctor grow ten years younger, and the housemaid [69] immediately attributed the fact to the presence of Kittyboy. Certain it is that the doctor busied himself with many things to which he had heretofore seemed indifferent, and his sober establishment underwent all sorts of changes. "All on account of the cat," said Maggie.
A well-to-do physician who has retained just enough practice to keep him contented is rather an enviable individual, and Dr. ”

“ So, presently seeing a figure coming up the street, he rose from his compact attitude and ran along by the railing of an area, rubbing his sides against the narrow bars, and finally followed the figure up the broad steps ”