The Hollis Tribune. (Hollis, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, December 26, 1913 Page: 4 of 4
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HOLLIS, OKLA. TRIBUNE
i A Defective Santa Claus
James Whitcomb Rileoj^
* V *
I - j*- V . * 1
LLUS when our Pa tie a
t s~ away
-'Nen Uncle Sidney
( r comes to stay
A>f«ir house here—so
| tvf.i an* me
An, E«y an' Lee-Bob
won't 4m>
Afeard ef Anything at
night
Might happen! like Tula
■ rT**'-" « s. ys it might.
(Ef Trip WUZ big, T bet you he
TJz best watch-<log you ever see!)
An' so last winter—1st before
It's go' be Chris'mus Day,—w'y, shore
Enough, Pa had to haf to go
To 'tend « lawsuit An' the snow
1st right fer Santy Claus!" Pa said,
As he clum in old Ayersuz' sled.
An' said he's sorry he can't be
With us that night—" Cause," he-says-e«,
"Old Santy might be comln' her*—JL
This very night of all the year^,
I got to be away!—so all < L
You kids must tell him—ef he call-^vly
He's mighty welcome, art' yer Pa
He left his love with you an\Ma * :
An' Uncle Sid!" An' cJucked^n" faint
Bacl laughin'-^an^waj^lwy, wend
Illustrations
C. M.Relyea Will Vawter
V'V- :
<. X t
J
iAnK«ro(( tfiem o(d Big
'inter* in pfac
COPYTUCHT BV JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY
o<PO
Decorations t>y
Ellsworth Youru^
/iVr' Tlncfe toave' fiii
°o17pS
AajieA an'ye fir* ^ / jj
An' L'r.cle^'uue'-liis hands an^yells '
"Yer old horse ort to have on bellsl"
But Pa yell back" an' tough an'say
"I 'spect when Santy come this way
It's time enough Jfer sleighbells ncn!"
An' holler back VGood-by!" again,
An' reach out with the driver's whip
An' cut behint^rCdrive back Trip.
An' so all day jwed an' snowed!
An' Lee-Bob he i,ti watched the road.
In his high-chnir af^' Etty slie
YUksr* r*T<z *xh. € *l U7l
%&*!•** A~, .. .
U'd play Wjth Uncle Sid an'
Like she wuz"hc'ppin' fetch in wood
An' keepin' old fire goin' good,
Where Ma she wuz a-cookTtf Hjero
An' kitchen, too. an' ever'wherek -J~o
An' Uncle say. " At's ist the w'ay\r^\^T
Yer Ma's b'en workin', night an' «iay,YN.v
Cencc the hain't big as Etty is I •)
Er Lee-Bob in that chair of his!" rt-'A
h I
Nen Ma she'd laugh't what Unclej futd:
An' smack an sinoove his old buld.hitjd
An' 'iiiv ' Clear out the wav till 1_ ^ J
Can kacp that pot.froij b'ilin' dryl"
With Santy!—Wisht Pa'd be here, tool**
Nen Uncle sigh nt Ma, an' she
Pat him again, an' say to me
An' Etty,—'You take warning falrt—
Don't talk too much, like Uncle there,
Ner don't fergit, like him, my dears,
That 'little pitchere has big earsl'"
But Uncle say to her, "Clear out!—
Yer brother knows what he's about—
You git your Chris'mus-cookin' done
Er these pore children won't have noneP
Nen Trip wake up an' raise, an* nen
Turn roun' an' nen lay down again.
An' one time Uncle Sidney say,—
"When dogs is sleepln' thataway,
Like Trip, an' whimpers, it's a sign
He'll ketch eight rabbits—mayby nino—1
Afore his fleas'11 wake him—nen—
He'll bite hisse'f to sleep again
An try to dranm he sW keyh ten."
Ncn Uncle, when she's gone back "to
The kitchen, says, "We ust to do V
Some iipokin' in the ashes.—Say, ^
S'posin'-we uy.'$ome, thataway!'* , ;*
An' nen he send, us to tell Ma \}
Send two big 'taters in he saw ■
Pa's b'en a-kcepin' 'cause they got
The premium at the Fair. An' what ')
You think?- He rake a giea'-big hole
In the hot ashes, an!-he roll .. ...
Them old big taters in the place. J
An' rake the coals back-van' his face
Ist sSvettin' po's he purt'-nigh swear
'Cayse it's so hot! An' when they're there
'Bout-time-'at we fergit em, he
Ist rake 'em out again—an' gee!—
He bu st 'em with his fist wite on V~
-i •
A' old stovr-led, while Etty's gone AVy\v-
To get the salt, an' butter, too— >'£'
Ist like he said she hnf to do, r'1/ J(
Si-hat Ma say! An' so .- '
No matt
y
• aij&l rx.&6its
^ — zna.yhy "
An when Ma's gone again back ift^'
The\fcitchcn, Uncle scratch his,.chin
An' s;iy, "When Santy Claus an' Pa
An' mc\vuz little boys-^n' Ma,
When she<s 'bout big as Etty there;—
W'y,—' Whelvjve're ,g rowed—no matter
wherer^M?
Santy he cross' his^h^art an' ^
'I' U come to see youVall, some ci^V 1-1
When you' got chi'.derns—all bitttncs.
An' pore old Sid!' "'. Nen Uncle he \
Ist kindo' shade his^yes an' pour' J
Bout fortT-'levet^iphelsmore ^ /
O' popcorn^out th^sijjllut theto ^
In Ma's ijew bae£et oi^the ch^S^
I ^ j tAe Beat LijA-ter <
\ ever -muz"
Kj salt a .abutter 'em, an' blow
'Em cuoy enough to eat—
An' mc'o-mykUiey're hard to be
An' Trip ud ist liy there an' pant
Li>x hc'J laugh ou\ loud, but he can'
Nen Uncle 811 his piT*-an'wc
'Ud he'p hiio light it—^Sjs eiV^rne,-^-
But mostly little Lee-Bob, 'cause
"He's the best Lighter evtfr wuz!"
Like Uncle ttlled him wunst when Lee-
Bob cried an" jerked the Itjjht fr m me.
He wuz so mad! So Unc'c pat
An' pet hirn. (Lee-Bob1.-; ust to that—
'Cause he's the lit tie rest, you know,
iuanoi
'. I ItCcome 'to «rce you^
v x3airiac*~a£f *
An' nen he telled us—an talk' k>w, \
"So Ma can't hear,'' he say: "You ktii
Yer Pa know", when he drived away, \
Tomorrv's go' be Chris' mus-Day; - (!|
Well, nen tonight," he whisper, "see?-;/
It's go' be Chris'mus-Eve," says-ee.
"An', like yer Pa hint, when he \
Old Santy Claus (now hush) he'>ssent
Yer Pa a postul card, an' write
He': shorely go be here tooightl\
That s whv your py^^jboted to b«
K
c_/Jti cicL ifur**-IC&Jud.
NenaOnc'.e gits the flat-ant out
An'..While he's telhn' us all 'bout
OldJbhris'mus-times when he's a kid,
He Is; cracked hickemuts, he did,
T'D they s acxurkful. mighty nigh! ^
An' when they're h11 done by on'.fey,
He raked the red awls out again
An' telled me. "h e/ch that pOpcom in,"*
An' old three legglid skillut- -ar
The led an' all r^vi. little )nan
An' yer old Uncle herc^ull show
You how corn's popped, U>ng >-enrs
When me an' Santy Claus wyz boys'.*
On Pap's old place in Uhnoisetr?
An' your Pa, too, wuz chums, aii tiirougb,
cHe's jJiortt.
/i€,re. tonijAt •
■ ' ...
"Hush! Listen there! Hain't that a sleigh
An; sleighbells jinglin ?" Trip go ' Wlioohl"
Like he hear bells an' smell 'em, too.
Nen we all listen. An'-sir, short
Enough, we hear bells—more and more
A-jinglin' clos'ter—clos'ter still
Down the old crook-road roun' the hill.
An' Uncle he jumps up, an' all
The chairs he jerks back by the wall
An' th owa a' overcoat an' pair
O' winder-curtains over there
An' says, "Hide quick, er you're too late!—
Them belto is stoppin' at the gate!—
Git back o them- air^ehairs an' hide,
Cause I hear Santyp-roice outside!"
An' Bang! bang! bangle heerd the door—
3ut tlncJa. 'L.
1 S'Q&v
Away'tonight, when Sajity he-^o \
Is go' be here, sleighbells an" all, J
To make you kids a Chris-mus-cali!''
An' wer re st>-glad^o know fer shore
He's crimirf, I roll on the floor—>
An' hart; come Trip a-waller'n' roun'
An' ^purtftjigh- knock the clo eshorso
"\^i.doS5m!—
An' Etty gTab L^e-Bob an prance
All roun' the room like it's a dance-
Till Ma she come and march us nen
To dinner, where w^'re still again,^
But tickled so we Jsrcan't eat
But pie, an' ist th^.hijt mincemeat '
With raisins in.?-But^Jncle et,
An' Ma. 'ApffiKre tfte^et and set ■
ffi-n itjfawcd ojzezv
(cut I Jr.txoa)
A-lanao' scufflin' roun' the floors—J
An' openin' doors, an' shettin' doors—
An' could hear Trip a-whinin', too.
Like he didn't know ist what to do—
An' tongs a-clankin' down k'thumpl—
Nen some one squonkin' the old pump—"
An' Whoohl how cold it soun' out there]
I could ist see the pump-spout where
It's got ice chin-whiskers all wet
An' drippy—An' I'see it yet!
An' nen, seem-like, I hear tome r
A-talkin' out there by the fnrx^Y
An' one says, "Oh,'bout t^cive o'clockT
"Nen^'nGther'n says/^Here's to yuiv
f Doc!— y ^
Nen it fltwed o|>en, and the floor/
Blowed 1U1 o' snow—that's first we saw.
Till little iLee-Eiob shriek' at Ma
"There/Santy Claus! I know him by
His bi^ white mufftash!—jan' ist cry
An' lau^h an' squeal an' dknee arr"jwll—
Till, wheivhe quietajown a spell, \ 1
Old Santy boW-an ti^'ow a kiss
To him—an' one to me an' Sis-^1- ^
An' nen go clos t to Ma an' stoop" ^
An' kiss her—An' nen give a whoop
That fainted her!—Cause when he bent
An' kiss her, he ist backed an' went
Wite ginst the Chris'mus-Tree ist where
The candle's at Lee-Bob lit therel —Q
An' set his white-fur belt afire— f?
TDAcn a)e af iincCaCC* 6a.ak,t
taHA. it
till purt'-nigh supper-time; nen we
TSell him he s got to fix the Tree
'Fore Santy gets here, like he said.
W^ go nen to the old woodshed—
AH bundled up, through the deep snow
"An' st^owin yet, jee-rooshy-O!'
Uncle he-s.ud, an' he'p us wade
Ba(£k yvherfcjs the Chris mus-cTree' h
Out of a little jackoak-top ^
He git down at the sawmill-shop— Q jX
An' Trip 'ud run ahead, you know!
An' tend-like he 'uz eatin' snow—r
When we all waddle back with it;
An' Uncle set itupL-and git
An' blaze streaked roun h
higher o
To* t*t qrot to Vtctyoix, oict
wn one Aarzcfe froze, -too
m ~^w n- o
Jfaint. that a. <r/ej<rSi ctn\ y I
It WMe fn front the fireplace—raw
He says "Tain t so at Santy Claus
C^mes down all chimbhes, least.lonicht
Hi s comln' in this house all riglil—
By \he front-doftfvas ort to be!
We lr&H-be hid where we can see!'
Nen tie look up. an' be see Ma
An say, ""It's ist too bml their Pa
Can t be here, so s to aee the iun j ^
The chtldern will have, ever one1"' '
Well, we! -We hardly couldlVt wjjiit
Till it wuz dusk, an' dark an; late
Enough to light the lamp! -,An Lee-
Bob light a candle on the treV 0
"Ist one cause I'm The Lighter!"
He dumb on Uncle's knee again
An hug us bofe-.—an Etty git
Her hrtle chist an set on it
Wite clos t while Uncle telled some
Bout Santy Claus, an does he' woi
"All maked o furs, an trimmed
As cotton is, er snow at night!'
An nen. aO sudd.-n-like, he say,-—
Wite u^iis old white beard an th Mtlp-
Nen Uncie grabs th' old overcoat ajy V
An' flops it over Santy's head, /y ^vr"
An' swing the door wide back an' saim
"Come put, old man!—an' quick about^
It!—I'vet ist got to put you outl" wi'°
An out ne sprawled him in the snow/—
"Now roliKhe says—"Hi-roll-ee^r'
An Santy,-sputter tr^Quchlrtiee-whizT
Ist roll an' roll fer all they is!
An' Trip he's out there, too,—I know,
'Cause I could hear him yappin' so—
An I heerd Santy, wunst er twte't.
Say, as he s rolHn, ' Drat th
Nen Uncle come back in, an'^l
Ma up, an' say. "Fer mercy -sdket-=-"
He hain t hurt none!" An' nen he said,—
"You youngsters h ist up-stairs to bed!—
Here! kiss yer Ma 'Good-night,' an' nn—
We 11 he'p old Santy fix the Tree—
An all yer whistle^ tiVms an' drums
I'U he'p y<fv-i Umytyfen moming comes!"
It's long ;A!hi^ rfbre we go to sleep.—
'Cause down-stairs, all-time sgmepin' keep
Gcd ble^s os ever' one!'' An' nen>,'-^£
X heerd-the old pump squonk again.
An' nen I say my prayer all through
Like ,Uni!e Sidney leam' me to.— 'i--,.
"O Father mine, e'en as Thine own,
This child looks' up to Thee alone: '*>'
Asleep or"waking, give him still . ...
His Elder brother's vish.and will.',!.: '-
An' that' the last I know ' Till Ma'
She's callin' us—an' so is Pa,— V
He holier "Chris'mus-gif!" an' say,—
"I'm got back home fer Chris'mus-Day!—
An' Uncle Sid's here, too—an' he
Is nibbkn' 'roun' yer Chris'mus-Tree!" \
Nen Uncle iioller, "I suppose $ /
Yer Pa's so proud he's froze his noss jj
He wants to turn'it up at us, ^
'Cause Santy kick' Up such a fuss—
Tetchin' hisse'f off same as ef
He Wfus his own fireworks hisse'f!"
6
T
uss— j
vhe;
o4jrClLnc.h &OlO j
f re down-stairs,--shop<
^h.
Pa s rose is froze. q' salve an's
All on it an one handV froze, too. *•
An got a old yam red-and-blue
Mitt on it—"An he s frort-some trorefc
Acrost bis chist. an kindo sor«
All roun' his dy-fram," UncW ay -
"But Pa he'd ort a-seen the way
Santy bear up last night when thlK-
Air fire broke out, an' quicker'n scat'
He's all a-blazin'. an' them-'air
Gun<ottin whiskers that he wear
Ist flash in! —till I bum a hole
In the snow with him, and he rpil
The front yard dry as Chris'mus jokeJ
Old parents plays on little folks! /
But, long's a smell o tow er woo1, (j
I kept' him rollin' beautiful!—
Till I wuz sure I shortly see
He ssquenchtd! W'y,hadn't b'en ferm*
That oid man might a-burnt clear Oowa
Oean -plum- -level wtth the groun'!"
Nen Ma say. "There. Sid, that'll dol—
Breakfast is ready—Chns'mus too —
Your voice ud soun best, sayin' Grace—
Say it An' Uncle bow his lace
An say so long a Bleaama nen,
Ti^p bark two tnaaa 'tore It's "A
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Soule, J. S. The Hollis Tribune. (Hollis, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, December 26, 1913, newspaper, December 26, 1913; Hollis, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc234158/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.