"Mrs. Gratz watched the thin man search the chickenyard for toober-chlosis bugs"
THE THINSANTA CLAUS
The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas Stocking
By
ELLIS PARKER BUTLER
Illustrated by May Wilson Preston
NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
MCMIX
Copyright, 1909, by
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
Published, November, 1909.
Copyright, 1908, by The Curtis Publishing Company
TO
HARRY S. MOORE
ILLUSTRATIONS
| "Mrs. Gratz watched the thin man search the chicken yard fortoober-chlosis bugs" | Frontispiece |
| Facing page | |
| "He looked like a man who had lost nine hundred dollars, but he didnot look like Santa Claus" | 12 |
THE THIN SANTA CLAUS
Mrs. Gratz opened her eyes and looked out at the drizzle that made theChristmas morning gray. Her bed stood against the window, and it waseasy for her to look out; all she had to do was to roll over and pullthe shade aside. Having looked at the weather she rolled again on tothe broad flat of her back and made herself comfortable for awhile,for there was no reason why she should get up until she felt like it.
"Such a Christmas!" she said good-naturedly to herself. "I guess suchweathers is bad for Santy Claus. Mebby it is because of such weathershe don't come by my house. I don't blame him. So muddy!"[4]
She let her eyes close indolently. Not yet was she hungry enough toimagine the tempting odour of fried bacon and eggs, and she idlyslipped into sleep again. She was in no hurry. She was never in ahurry. What is the use of being in a hurry when you own a good littlehouse and have money in the bank and are a widow? What is the use ofbeing in a hurry, anyway? Mrs. Gratz was always placid and fat, andshe always had been. What is the use of having money in the bank and agood little house if you are not placid and fat? Mrs. Gratz lay on herback and slept, placidly and fatly, with her mouth open, as if sheexpected Santa Claus to pass by and drop a present into it. Her dreamswere pleasant.
It was no disappointment to Mrs. Gratz that Santa Claus had not cometo[5] her house. She had not expected him. She did not even believe inhim.
"Yes," she had told Mrs. Flannery, nex