NIBSY'S CHRISTMAS
Nibsy as Santa Claus.
BY
JACOB AUGUST RIIS
Short Story Index Reprint Series
BOOKS FOR LIBRARIES PRESS
FREEPORT, NEW YORK
First Published 1893
Reprinted 1969
STANDARD BOOK NUMBER: 8369-3073-8
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 71-90590
MANUFACTURED BY HALLMARK LITHOGRAPHERS, INC. IN THE U.S.A.
To Her Most Gracious Majesty
Louise
Queen of Denmark
the friend of the afflicted and the mother of the
motherless in my childhood's home
these leaves are inscribed
with the profound respect and admiration
of
the Author
NIBSY'S CHRISTMAS
WHAT THE CHRISTMAS SUN SAW IN THE TENEMENTS
SKIPPY OF SCRABBLE ALLEY
NIBSY'S CHRISTMAS
It was Christmas-eve over on the East Side. Darkness was closing in on acold, hard day. The light that struggled through the frozen windows ofthe delicatessen store, and the saloon on the corner, fell upon men withempty dinner-pails who were hurrying homeward, their coats buttonedtightly, and heads bent against the steady blast from the river, as ifthey were butting their way down the street.
The wind had forced the door of the saloon ajar, and was whistlingthrough the crack; but in there it seemed to make no one afraid. Betweenroars of laughter, the clink of glasses and the rattle of dice on thehard-wood counter were heard out in the street. More than one of thepassers-by who came within range was taken with an extra shiver in whichthe vision of wife and little ones waiting at home for his coming wassnuffed out, as he dropped in to brace up. The lights were long out whenthe silent streets re-echoed his unsteady steps toward home, where theChristmas welcome had turned to dread.
But in this twilight hour they burned brightly yet, trying hard topierce the bitter cold outside with a ray of warmth and cheer. Where thelamps in the delicatessen store made a mottled streak of brightnessacross the flags, two little boys stood with their noses flattenedagainst the window. Their warm breath made little round holes on thefrosty pane, that came and went, affording passing glimpses of thewealth within, of the piles of smoked herring, of golden cheese, ofsliced bacon and generous, fat-bellied hams; of the rows of odd-shapedbottles and jars on the shelves that held there was no telling what goodthings, only it was certain that they must be good from the looks ofthem.
And the heavenly smell of spices and things that reached the boysthrough the open door each time the tinkling bell announced the comingor going of a customer! Better than all, back there on the top shelf thestacks of square honey-cakes, with their frosty coats of sugar, tied inbundles with strips of blue paper.
The wind blew straight through the patched and threadbare jackets of thelads as they crept closer to the window, struggling hard with the frostto make their peep-holes bigger, to take in the whole of the big cakewith the almonds set in; but they did not heed it.
"Jim!" piped the smaller of the two, after a longer stare than usual;"hey, Jim! them's Sante Clause's. See 'em?"
"Sante Claus!" snorted the other, scornfully, applying his eye to theclear spot on the pane. "There a