SANTA CLAUS, BAGMAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 7

SANTA CLAUS, BAGMAN

HIS RECIFE OK HARPY CHRISTMAS The Man Past. Middle Age sal dozing uneasily before his fire in his desolate house on Christmas Eve. jjVom time to time he stirred uneasily, for the memories which came to him and pictured themselves in the glowing coals ivere not happy ones. lie was alone, and, as it- seemed to him to-night, he must he alone to the Wife, children, friendships—alt (roue! He had money, but. what was money in a world where it could buy him everything except wind he wu.nl-,,-d-—that- 'which money can never buy? In some things perhaps it- was as well. U was well that ins wife had died before the war; that she had not lived to read those fatal telegrams which brought the news of tho death in action of the hoys over whose careers they had wrangled lovingly in the happy days. The war! What a swathe it lias cut in the little, carefully-tilled field °t his friendships. . . K 0 Christmas Eve. Jlis mind went hack to many Christ-, mas Eves of the past. Jo tile clays when banta Claus had come parents . liou.se, and waking on Christmas Day had been so glorious a thing—-the days when lie had believed implicitly in‘the bearded visitor—-when he had believed less implicitly and yet had loved to believe —when lie bad himself donned tho red robe and the jolly mask aud had been banta Claus for his boys—that was past, too I

The imiu dozed again—dozed—and awoke suddenly. There was a change. He rubbed his" eyes, Yet —standing before the fire, pulling off ids gloves, stamping his leot- banla Claus ! Santa Claus looked up and nodded cheerfully. ■'You're awake, then," he said. "Chimney wants sweeping." The man gasped. '‘Hut—but you’ve made a mistake." he said. ‘'You've nothing to do in this house. The boys — the boys——” His voice broke a little. .Santa Claus nodded gravely. T know," lie said. "Tine fellows. But I haven’t come to tiic wrong house, you know. We re old friends, you and 1; hut this time 1 haven't brought things. I’ve come to book orders.”

"Book orders?” repeated the man T thought you only brought presents?'

“Not this year,” exclaimed Santa Glaus. ‘ I've taken on a new business now. I'm a Christmas bagman.”

lie pulled a big notebook out of one of his pockets and opened it. “Now, then/’ he said, “you’d like a happy Christinas, wouldn’t you? I’m going to show you how to be happy in making it happy for others. You think you’ve lost everything. ( But you haven’t ; you’ve kept one thing. Vour bouse is empty and your purse is full. In this London there are lots of houses that me full and purses that are empty. And I'm not doing a Christmas trade c: ly tins year. I’m hooking orders for Ihe whole year.

“You’ve got money and a kind man and a good brain and willingness; I've got—happiness. Can’t we do business? You’re afraid of long days and mailin'when you’ll have nothing to do but think of the past, vain regrets, vain longings. L deal in futures. Ilie hist part is easy. Tell me what yea ro pie pared to give and I'll book van d'.'.vn hi! a job every week of the \etr. Nest Christmas Mve I’ll call agam and go through my ledgers with you, and then wf 11 see.”

II he Man Past Middle .Age stir vd- • and stirred again. The room was cold — the tire was dead. It mast be morninu --Christmas morning. Coll? Yes; biu his heart was warm again. He had made bis bargain with Santa Clans, Bagman. H. T. Komball Cook, in the l.iailv Cbir.nicle.