Read "A Captured Santa Claus" by Thomas Nelson Page online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
During the whole year the children had been looking forward to the / coming of Christmas. Charlie's outbursts of petulance and not rare / fits of anger were invariably checked if any mention was made of his / father's injunction to take care of his mother and little sister; and / at length he became accustomed to curbing himself by the recollection / of the charge he had received.
If he fell and hurt himself, even badly, in his constant attempts to / climb up impossible places, he would simply snap his eyes and rub / himself, and presently, say, proudly, "I don't cry now; I am a knight, / and next Christmas I am going to be a man, 'cause my papa's goin' to / tell Santa Claus to bring me a pair of breeches and a sword. " Evelyn / could not help crying when she was hurt, for she was only a very little / girl; but she added to her prayer of "God bless and keep my papa, and / bring him safe home," the petition, "Please, God, bless and keep Santa / Tlaus, and let him come here Trismas."