e chin-whiskers all wet
An' drippy--An' I see it yet!
An' nen, seem-like, I hear some mens
A-talkin' out there by the fence,
An' one says, "Oh, 'bout twelve o'clock!"
"Nen," 'nother'n says, "Here's to you, Doc!--
_God bless us ever' one_!" An' nen
I heerd the old pump squonk again.
An' nen I say my prayer all through
Like Uncle Sidney learn' me to,--
"O Father mine, e'en as Thine own,
This child looks up to Thee alone:

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Asleep or waking, give him still
His Elder Brother's wish and will."
An' that's the last I know.... Till Ma
She's callin' us--an' so is _Pa_,--

He holler "_Chris'mus-gif'_!" an' say,--
"I'm got back home fer Chris'mus-Day!--
An' Uncle Sid's here, too--an' he
Is nibblin' 'roun' yer Chris'mus-Tree!"
Nen _Uncle_ holler, "I suppose
Yer Pa's so proud he's froze his nose
He wants to turn it up at us,
'Cause _Santy_ kick' up such a fuss--
Tetchin' hisse'f off same as ef
He wuz his own fireworks hisse'f!"

An' when we're down-stairs,--shore enough,
Pa's nose _is_ froze an' salve an' stuff

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

All on it--an' one hand's froze, too,
An' got a old yarn red-and-blue
Mitt on it--"An' he's froze some more
Acrost his chist, an' kindo' sore

All roun' his _dy_-fram," Uncle say.--
"But Pa he'd ort a-seen the way
_Santy_ bear up last night when that-
Air fire break out, an' quicker'n _scat_
He's all a-blazin', an' them-'air
Gun-cotton whiskers that he wear
Ist _flashin'_!--till I burn a hole
In the snow with him, and he roll
The front-yard dry as Chris'mus jokes
Old parents plays on little folks!
But, long's a smell o' tow er wool,
I kep' him rollin' _beautiful_!--

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Till I wuz _shore_ I _shorely_ see
He's _squenched_! W'y, hadn't b'en fer _me_,
That old man might a-burnt clear down
Clean--plum'--level with the groun'!"

Nen Ma say, "_There_, Sid; that'll do!--
Breakfast is ready--_Chris'mus_, too.--
Your voice 'ud soun' best, sayin' _Grace_--
Say it." An' Uncle bow' his face
An' say so long a _Blessing_ nen,
Trip bark' _two_ times 'fore it's "A-men!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

End of Project Gutenberg's A Defective Santa Claus, by James Whitcomb Riley

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DEFECTIVE SANTA CLAUS ***

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