Winifred Sackville Stoner

“ When Santa finished all his toys, he put them in a sack,
Where he intended carrying them upon his great broad back,
But Mother Earth surprised the saint and to his palace led
Eight lovely prancing reindeer and a large commodious sled.
These reindeer were the cousins of swift Pegasus, the steed
Who helped the hero Perseus when he was in great need;
And like the flying hero horse, they lived up in the sky,
'Till Mother Earth had need of them to help old Santa fly. ”

“ They have no arms or funny bones
That causes folks to let forth groans,
Their victuals they all swallow whole
And use a craw for a chopping bowl.
They have no hands, they have no wrists,
And without hands they can't make fists,
But for one thing they should rejoice
And cluck aloud with cheerful voice;
Not having hands, they have no nails,
Which are the cause of many wails,
For once a week we girls and boys
Must put aside our games and toys
And all our nice exciting tales,
While mother trims our finger nails. ”

“ To tie the lovely ribbon on the neck of "PUPPY DEAR."
So they decided that despite his wondrous pedigree
There yet was something in his blood that ought not there to be
And gave the prize, a silver cup, to a more common dog,
Who lay so still and quiet that he might have been a log.
But when that evening our Lord Dent beheld with great surprise
That a less blooded terrier had won the noble prize,
He felt so very angry that he wished to beat Pup Kent,
And ordered that the beastly dog should quickly home be sent. ”

“ And fast the good Wright aeroplane it flew both low and high,
So Santa took the Earth's advice, and though he heaved a sigh,
He dropped the poor old worn out sled as he was passing by,
And people said, who saw it fall, "A METEOR FROM THE SKY!"
Then kissing each good reindeer, he bade them all farewell,
And left them in the MILKY WAY, forever there to dwell. ”

“ Nissen, The Santa Claus of Norway
[Nissen]
(The story told in this rhyme was sent to the author by her globe-trotting friend, Mrs. William Westcott, from Christiana, Norway.)
How glad I am that I was born in this land very dear,
Where children have a Santa Claus of whom they have no fear;
A Santa who is always kind, remembering one and all,
When every year at Christmas time, he pays us all a call. ”

“ Which love to haunt the kitchen of the cleanly Bridget Bryce.
While little Mikey loves dear Kent far more than all his toys,
And says he'd rather play with him than any girls or boys,
Because he never minds a bit to jump right in the pond
And bring to land a stick or stone or weeping willow wand.
He always acts politely to all who may come near,
And so all strangers pet him and think he is a dear.
They like his soft and silky hair, which proves he has good blood,
And never does he make folks mad by tracking floors with mud. ”

“ Eating like a greedy boy from off the kitchen shelf.
But mother couldn't scold aloud for fear the guest would hear,
And so she softly whispered, "Don't eat that way, my dear."
Then Mrs. Dean, the company, she patted Lillie's head,
And smiling at the jellied face, she to the culprit said,
"I've always liked the jelly good which makes my bread so sweet,
And surely it tastes better still when with a spoon we eat
This lovely, wobbling dainty, which is loved by one and all,
From little girls and tiny boys to great men, large and tall." ”

“ Big Pat he gazed in wonder at the clever little dog,
And sitting down upon a large and green moss covered log,
Said, "Shure, ye bate this lazy hound that kennot catch a rat,
And if ye'll stay right here, me boy, I'll trate ye well," says Pat.
Then proudly Kent he wagged his tail and tried so hard to smile
Upon the good old Irishman, who patted him awhile,
Then coaxed the stranger after him right through a broad green lane,
Which led to the fine country home of good Sir Michael Kane. ”

“ Santa's Reindeer In The Sky (Written for Grandmother Sackville.)
[SANTA'S AEROPLANE]
Long, long ago, before this earth had any girls and boys
To hang their stockings on the shelf, expecting Christmas toys,
Good Santa was a big white cloud that floated in the sky;
if you had lived in those old days, you'd seen him floating by.
But when the children came to rule upon good Mother Earth,
She took kind Santa from the sky and made him God of Mirth;
To bring at every Christmas time good gifts to girls and boys
And make them all so happy with a lot of lovely toys. ”

“ Young Billy from his lovely home disappeared one day,
And when his mother missed her lad she thought he'd run away,
But soon the sprightly little chap came quickly running back,
Bearing on his shoulders small, a large round leather sack,
And said, "Dear mother, I have been a very good, kind boy,
Trying like the Bible says, to bring our neighbors joy.
I played I was a postman and I paid each one a call,
And to the people in this block, I gave them letters, all."
MOTHER: "But where, my precious little lad, my darling, honey pet,
Where in the name of goodness these letters did you get?" ”

“ And loses her voice so she can't even scold?"
"No, darling," said mother, "your brother can't talk,
Eat sugar candy, nor even yet walk,
As he is a baby the size of your doll,
And babies can't talk when they are so small."
"Then, mother," said Lida, "the kids nowadays
Are not half so smart in all of their ways
As babies who lived in the long, long ago,
For dear teacher told me (so 'course it is so,)
That Job in the Bible cursed the day he was born,
I 'spose like big Tom, when he can't play his horn." ”

“ The "Billy Possums" are in style for one and all,
We little girls, like older folks, are bound to keep in style,
And so we have to change our toys most every little while.
When Roosevelt or "Teddy," was ruler o'er this land,
All stylish girls and clever boys kept bears on hand
To play with and to walk with and to put to bed at night,
As "Teddy Bears" were symbols of the Rooseveltian light. ”

“ By naughty kids and grown up folks,
Who like to play most wicked jokes.
But good young girls and gentle boys,
The kids who are their mothers' joys,
They like the dark just as the light,
For spooks ne'er come within their sight,
And in their dreams the lovely elves Show them bright scenes from fairy delves. ”

“ The aeroplane could carry well a larger load of toys,
So he could visit more good girls and also little boys,
Who live in far off heathen lands where everyone's a sinner,
But that's no reason each should do without a Christmas dinner. ”

“ For this one night in all the year,
They rule the earth and bring great fear
To all the naughty little boys
Who tease good girls and break their toys.
These spooks they also make girls sad
When they are selfish, cross and bad ”

“ The Giant Arithmos This story was told to the author by her teacher, Mrs. A. R. Hornbrook, of the Hornbrook Correspondence School of Mathematics, 5622 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
Great Jack-the-Giant-Killer brave, he killed all giants bad,
But one good giant's life was spared by this bold warrior lad.
ARITHMOS was this giant great, and all bright girls and boys
Should love the famous Giant-King far more than all their toys.
He's very old, and very great, and also wondrous wise,
For he can count all things on earth and even tell their size.
He knows how many birds there are ”

“ And here Pat introduced the pup to all the family,
And they were all so very kind as any folks could be,
They patted his soft silky hair and praised him to the sky,
And gave him a big gravy dish all filled with nice meat pie,
And likewise a huge saucer, which was full of real sweet cream,
Which made the hungry doggie think that he was in a dream.
So here Dog Kent decided was the best place for to dwell,
And here he still is living and is feeling very well.
He goes each morning to the barn and helps his good friend Pat
To catch the naughty rodents, who are called the name of RAT. ”

“ What causes the sun to set in the west
And always to sleep in one golden nest?
When will the time come for children to fly
And play in the clouds with the birds in the sky?
Such foolish, vain questions, they trouble your dad
And sometimes I fear they make him quite sad."
"No, mother," replied the inquisitive lad,
"It's the ANSWERS not QUESTIONS that trouble poor Dad."
[28]
The Pure Blooded Pup (Written for Mrs. Anna Chase Brainard, of Buffalo, N. Y.)
Once there was a little pup who lived in far off Kent,
Where he was born some years ago in kennels of Lord Dent ”

“ So mother, dear, I think 'tis best for you to keep aloof
From the old ugly Indian thing and send it to Stork-land,
Then you and I'll be glad again and go to hear the band.
[16]
Woes Caused By Whooping Bugs (Written for Cousin Harvey Stoner, Jr.)
If you don't believe that whooping cough causes lots of woe,
Just catch a few of whooping germs and then I guess you'll know
That whoopee-whoop! and wheepee-wheeps! are not one bit of fun,
When you see others playing games where all must jump and run,
For if you jump or if you run, you start the whoop-oop-oop! ”

“ And pants so tight he could not take a single manly stride,
His moustache curled and round his neck a ribbon pink and wide,
While in his hand a gold head cane, which he twirled round and round,
So that the people all would know a great man was in town ”

“ But mother would not answer and daddy went away,
So I sought the kitchen, where Bridget holds her sway,
And asked her if she ever saw, since she began to cook,
A chafing-dish on pantry shelf or pictured in a book?
Then Bridget turned her pug nose up with a "contempshus" air,
And gave a twist to her small knot of brick dust colored hair,
And said, "A chafing-dish, my dear, so says Miss B. Moriety,
Is but a common skillet pan that's got in High Society."
[44]
Autos Change Good Luck (Written for Uncle Cicero Stoner.) ”

“ Paul's Episcopal Sunday School, Evansville, Ind.
CUPID: "I'm glad to see you all to-night,
And it will give my heart delight
Some lovely valentines to show
And make you wish you had a beau." (SHOWS BOW.)
FIRST PICTURE—A SUNBONNET BABY.
CUPID: "Here's a little baby fair,
But you can't see her face or hair."
BABY: "I'm some one who loves you (POINTING AT AUDIENCE) .
Can't you guess who?"
SECOND PICTURE—BOY WEARING A LARGE HAT AND WITH
BACK TURNED TO THE AUDIENCE.
CUPID: "Here's another, called 'GUESS WHO,'
Come to say, 'How do you do.'"
BOY: "I'm for my own dear valentine. ”

“ Then suddenly the teacher cried, above the school room's din,
"Take that gum from out your mouth and put your feet right in."
The Tersest Bathing Suit This story was told to the author by Mr. Marshall White, Evansville, Ind.
When to the seashore Robert went, with Ma and Sister Nell,
He met a wise professor, who soon taught him to spell,
Likewise to read of fairy lore and use a real steel pen
To write to his own father dear, who like most all the men
Must ever stay at home and work to earn the cents to pay
For wife and children's outing 'till the summer slips away. ”

“ And when they'd finished Simon lad of Mother Goose's fame,
By virtue of his knowledge great, WISE SIMON, he became.
Plate 2
[AUTHOR AT TWO YEARS OLD]
[17]
Too Many Dolls (Written for Wydie Webb, of Norfolk, Va.)
Miss Margaret Mary Elizabeth May,
Had one hundred dollies with which she could play,
There were bisque dolls and wax dolls and dolls with real hair,
Red dolls and black dolls and dolls that were fair,
Fat dolls and plump dolls and dolls in the style,
Hipless and jointless and dressed in a smile ”

“ As in this Hippo-battle I'd the time of my whole life."
[23]
King Teddy, The Fearless The names of tropical diseases mentioned in this rhyme were given to the author by a young doctor who thought they could not be made to rhyme.
King Teddy has much courage to fight both beasts and men
With pistols and with broadswords and with the mighty pen. ”

“ A Skillet In Society (Alias A Chafing Dish) (Written for Mrs. Katherine Brown, Indianapolis, Ind.)
I heard my mother, just to-day, asking dear old dad,
To buy her a nice chafing-dish and make her very glad ”