A Budget of Christmas Tales Author:Charles Dickens Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: JOE'S SEARCH FOR SANTA CLAUS. BY IRVING BACHEHER. A story, my child? Well, there's none that I As good as the story about little Joe. He lived with his ... more »mother, just under the eaves Of a tenement high, where the telegraph weaves Its highway of wire, that everywhere goes, And makes the night musical when the wind blows. Their home had no father—the two were bereft Of all but their appetites—those never left! Joe's grew with his thought; a day never passed He spent not in hunger to make the food last; And days when his mother silently went And stood by the windows—Joe knew what it meant. They'd nothing for supper! The words were so That somehow they drowned all the hunger he had. And surely God's miracles never have ceased— Joe's hunger grew less when his sorrows increased. When the coal ran out in winter's worst storm, The fire burnt the harder that kept their hearts warm. Their windows revealed many wonderful sights, I/ong acres of roofing and high-flying kites; At sunset, the great vault of heaven aglow, The lining of gold on the clouds hanging low, The cross on the top of St. Mary's high tower Ablaze with the light of that magical hour; And still, as the arrows of light slanted higher, The last thing in sight was the great cross of fire. Each day, as it vanished, the history old Of Christ's crucifixion was reverently told; To Him the boy learned to confide all his woes, But oftenest prayed for a new suit of clothes, Since those that he wore didn't fit him at all— The coat was too large and the trousers too small, And Joe looked so queer, from his head to his feet, It grieved his proud soul to be seen in the street. And sometimes he cherished a secret desire To own a hand-sled, or to build a bonfire ; But reached one conclusion by various routes— He could...« less