They got the turkey by missus Margaret Etting. The shop of mister Ona Sander
Golong looked that twenty fourth of December like a bower. Two young cedar trees
stood, one on each side of the doorway. Long garlands of evergreen sprinkled
with bright berries were festooed all over the walls, and every turkey there,
and there were lots of them, hanging like some new kind of gigantic fruit
from the mass of green that covered the ceiling had a gay ribbon tied around
its neck. And such a wonderful picture in the way of freshness and color
as the big window presented to the passers by bunches of crisp, light green
celery leaning up against heaps of brown, pink eyed potatoes and honest red onions,
fiery looking peppers side by side with golden oranges and yellow lemons, hard
smooth, shining cranberries trying to look as though they were sweet, great fat
pumpkins, piles of green and piles of rosy apples, bunches of fragrant thyme,
and more turkeys, some with and some without their feathered coats, but
all, as I said before, with gay ribbons around their necks. Dear
me, if Santa Claus could have only looked into that window and peeped into
that shop, how pleased he would have been, and how he would have
laughed, And he certainly would have taken mister Oner sandig Along for a long
lost brother. For never before did mortal man so strongly resemble the children's old
Christmas friend, snow white hair, long, snow white beard, twinkling blue
eyes, round, fat, red, good natured face, a fur cap
on his head, bunches of holly berries pinned here and there on his shaggy
jacket, and a laugh, good, gracious, such a loud, hearty,
mirth provoking laugh that the very people on the street hearing it, began
to smile and feel that Christmas was here. Indeed, and I tell you,
mister Oner sander Goalong was busy that day, and so were all the
men and boys employed by him. Turkeys and other things that had been ordered
the evening before, Turkeys and other things that had been ordered early that morning,
and turkeys and other things being ordered all the time were to be packed
away in huge baskets and sent to their respective destinations. But he wasn't so
busy, but that he stopped a moment from his work to give a piece
of meat to a poor dog that had trotted hopefully into the shop, having
evidently translated the name Golong over the door into come in, and was asked
for it with his eyes. And as he rose from patting the dog,
he saw two children standing before him, also asking for something with their eyes.
They were poorly dressed children, but the girl had a sweet, bright
face, and the boy was as jolly looking a little fellow as you could
find anywhere. His cheeks were as round, if not as red, as
mister Golong's, and his merry black eyes actually danced in his head. Now,
if there was one place in mister Onosander Golong's heart softer than the rest,
it was the place he kept four children. And so when he saw
these two looking up in his face, the boy with boyish boldness and the
girl with girlish shyness, he said, in the cheeriest, kindest manner,
Well, small people, what can I do for you? We would like
to tell you a story, answered the boy in a frank, pleasant voice.
Tell me a story, repeated mister Golong in a tone of great surprise.
Yes, sir, please a Christmas story, was the reply. Bless
my heart, What a queer idea, said mister Golong, and he laughed,
a silent laugh that half closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose in the
funniest way. Wouldn't you like to hear, one, asked the girl,
coaxingly. Of course I would. I'm very fond of stories. But I
don't see how I can spare the time. We're so busy just now and
likely to be until night, said mister Golong. It's only a short one,
said the boy. A very short one, added the girl. Well
go ahead, said the good natured old fellow, and he sat down on
a barrel of potatoes, and his young visitors placed themselves, one on each
side of him. One Christmas time, the boy began. There was a
big tenement house in this city, and ten families lived in it. And
every one of these families set one knew they were going to have turkey for
their Christmas dinner. They knew it's shore the day before Christmas, all set
This one, the family that wasn't sure the day before Christmas morning, lived
on the top floor, and it was it was missus Todd Neil Tod,
Hetty Tod, and Puppy Tod prompted the girl. Yes it was them,
said the boy, and went on with his story again. Missus Todd was
Neil's and Hetty's mother. They hadn't any father. He died three years ago,
and Puppy was their dog. Missus Todd is one of the best mothers
ever lived. And she sews button holes on boy's jackets for a big store.
And Hetty cleans up the house and gets the supper and such things.
And I I mean Neil runs errands for folks when he can get a chance
after school. His mother wants him to go to school till he's fourteen,
anyhow, because a boy that has some education can get along better than a
boy that don't know anything. And this family, though they were very poor,
had always managed to have a turkey dinner till the Christmas I'm telling about.
And Missus Todd she loved turkey, didn't Hetty and Kneel asked mister Golong,
closing his eyes and wrinkling his nose again, And he hurried away to
wait on a stout lady, all covered with glittering jet ornaments and bugles.
Who must have been a very particular customer. She talks so loud and so
much, didn't Hetty and kneel, he repeated when he came back. Oh
my, I guess they did, said the girl, her eyes sparkling.
They'd a been funny fellows if they didn't, added the boy. But upon
their words and honors, they wanted it more for their mother. She's such
a good mother and has so few good things to eat than they did for
themselves. And it made them feel awful bad when she came home and cried
cause some wicked thief had stolen her pocket book with half a week's earnings in
it, and the two dollar bill that the boss had given her to buy
a Christmas dinner with. Besides, and so the boy kneil. He's kind
of a nice chap, ain't he? Hetty? Awful nice, replied Hetty
with a mischievous little giggle. And he says to his sister, she's awful
nice, ain't she? Hetty? Kind of nice? Said Hetty with another
little giggle. He says to his sister, continued the boy, don't say
anything to mother, but put on your hat and bring a basket, and
we'll make a try for a merry Christmas dinner, turkey and all. And
they went round the corner to a beautiful market kept by a gentleman who looked
exactly like Santa Claus. Mister Ona Sander Galong laughed aloud this time and flew
to wait on another particular customer. So he looked like Santa Claus, he
said with a chuckle. When he sat down on the barrel of potatoes again
the very image of him, said the girl, with great emphasis. The
boy began. The boy once more had run errands for him two or three
times, and each time had got two apples or oranges besides the regular pay.
And he was good to cats and dogs. So this chap went to
this gentleman. He took his sister along because he thought mister Golong would like
to see her. And they told him their story, and the boy says,
when it was done, if you would only trust us for a turk,
I mean a turkey and a few other things, I'll work for you
all holiday week and another eat too after school. My name's Neil Todd,
and my mother as a real nice woman, and I love her just as
you used to love your mother when you was a little boy, And the
gentleman says, he, being as its Christmas time, and I look so
much like Santa Claus, I'll do it. And he did, And that's
all mister Ona sandiglong burst out a laughing, And oh how he laughed.
He laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. He laughed until he nearly
fell off the borel. He laughed until everybody far and near who heard him
laughed too. And the very roosters in the poultry shop over the way joined
in and crowed with all their might and main, and they got the turkey.
And of they got the turkey. By missus Margaret Etting