CHAPTER XX.

A CHRISTMAS NOVELTY FOR BOYS.

How to Build and Decorate a Fireplace for Santa Claus.

To Mr. Clement C. Moore we are indebted for the creation of that jolly little gnome, the Americanized Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, or Saint Nicholas. When “The Night Before Christmas” was written our homes all possessed ample chimneys and spacious fireplaces, affording a most convenient entrance for the merry little saint; but now he is without doubt sorely puzzled by our modern houses, and experiences great discomfort and difficulty in entering the hot-air chamber of the furnaces, and squeezing his corpulent little body and his pack of gifts through the registers.

A deep sense of gratitude for many favors received, induces me to offer a few suggestions which will help the friend of my boyhood to come, as of old, through the chimney.

Fig. 253 shows

The First Start

for the framework, which is made of smooth or rough pine strips, 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches in width. Make the frame about 5 feet 4 inches high by 4 feet 6 inches wide; the top and lower pieces 4 feet 5 inches (A, B, and C, D, Fig. 253) long, thus allowing 1/2 inch at each end, to fit the ends of the side-pieces (R and S, Fig. 256). The diagonals, X and Y (Fig. 253), are temporary braces, to keep the frame in shape, and are nailed at each end in such a manner that the nails may be easily withdrawn when it is necessary. The illustration is so clear that there should be no difficulty in following its lines.

The frame, A, E, F, B (Fig. 254), is the

Back of the Chimney,

and should reach to the ceiling of the room in which the fireplace is to be built. Set the frame, A, B, C, D (Fig. 253), against the wall; then take Z (Fig. 254) and raise it up until it touches the ceiling, and drive a nail at the intersection of X and Y into Z, and another exactly in the centre of A, B; drive them far enough to hold Z in an upright position, but leave enough of the nail-heads protruding to make it easy to redraw them and remove the temporary braces, X, Y, and Z (Fig. 254), when the whole frame will be finished and ready to use.

Take a stick half the length of A, B (E, F, Fig. 254), and nail the end of Z exactly to the centre of E, F. By pushing up one end or the other you may put E, F exactly at right angles, or “square” with Z. When the stick, E, F, is found to be square, cut two more sticks, A, E and F, B, each a trifle longer than the distance from A to E; cut the ends of these sticks to fit on the top of A, B, and “toe-nail” them in place, as is shown in the small diagram in the upper right-hand corner of Fig. 254. Allow the upper ends of A, E, and F, B to slip under the ends of the stick, E, F, as in the illustration, and nail them securely in place; then saw off the protruding ends even with E, F, and the back of your frame is finished.

The Front Frame

(Fig. 255) is of the same width as A, B, Fig. 253, but it is the width of the strips R and S, Fig. 256 (two inches), shorter than the back. The side-pieces, G, N, and H, Q (Fig. 255), are set with their edges facing the front, and the top-piece, G, H (Fig. 255), is fitted in with its broad surface facing the front and flush with the tops and front edges of the side-pieces, G, N, and H, Q; it is held in place by nails driven through the side-pieces in the ends of G, H.

The piece J, K, is exactly the same length as G, H, and forms the top of the fireplace, but unlike G, H, the piece J, K, has its thin edge flush with the front. It is held in place by nails which are driven through from the outside of the two uprights, G, N, and H, Q. All these pieces must be cut and fitted with exactness, or the framework will be of no use.

Fig. 256 shows how

The Remaining Pieces,

LO, MP, NO, and PQ, are placed, and the figure of the young workman gives an idea of their proportions which cannot be given in figures, for the reason that the opening for the fireplace must be made to suit the size of the boy who is to be Santa Claus.

To finish the framework is now

A Simple Task.

Make two bottom side-bars (C, N, and D, Q, Fig. 256), each about two and one-half feet long, and nail them in place, “toe-nailing” at the front. The two top-bars (R and S, Fig. 256) must extend out a foot in front, as a support for the mantel-piece. After these are securely nailed in place the roof-sticks, =a= and =d=, may be fitted in place, and notched to fit over the mantel supports, as shown in Fig. 256. You now have a strong but light frame, which must be neatly covered with gray-colored paper muslin, Manila paper, or building paper.

The Covering

must be stretched, and securely tacked to the framework, so that no wrinkles shall betray its frail nature.

Some black paper muslin is now needed

To Line the Inside of the Fireplace.

Tack the ends of two pieces of the black stuff on the uprights, LO, and MP, and extend one piece back to B, D, and the other to A, C, and tack them to the back frame; also stretch a piece of black muslin from A, C, to B, D. This will make the interior of the fireplace dark and mysterious.

Next take a pot of white paint and a small brush, and rule white horizontal lines all around the fireplace and chimney; then paint upright lines, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 257). This will give the effect of stonework with white plaster between.

Place a smooth board upon the projecting supports, R and S, for the mantel, and the work will be done. If you can secure some old-fashioned brass candlesticks and an antique clock, for your mantel, they will add greatly to the effect. A pair of andirons, with some charred sticks of wood, will give a realistic touch which will win applause (Fig. 257).

Our American St. Nicholas

is a jovial little fellow, with a very red nose, white hair, white beard, short pipe, fur-trimmed clothes, and a little round belly--which shakes when he laughs, like a bowl full of jelly. Every youngster also knows that he comes in a little sleigh, drawn by eight tiny reindeer; but in spite of this universal knowledge among the children of America of Santa Claus’ personal characteristics, the long-legged saint of Europe still fills our illustrated papers, each year as heretofore, and badly upholstered giants are made to stand for the saint in all the shop-windows, and frighten the children out of their seven senses. It is a fact that many of the little ones take these big ungainly giants for the ones which Jack the Giant-killer is supposed to have slain.

All American children love their little American Christmas saint, whose individuality was born with the verses beginning

“It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse,” etc.

Any boy who has a box of tools, and is at all clever at carpentry, may make a framework similar to the one shown in the preceding illustrations, but when it comes to preparing the

Costume for Jolly Old Santa Claus

he will more than likely find it convenient to call for some assistance from his sisters, though, of course, he will enjoy the whole thing better if he can make it a real surprise.

But it is not very difficult for the boys to make a good representation of St. Nick themselves.

The Coat.

When making his costume secure a dark-colored sack coat which is much too large for the proposed Santa Claus, and turn back the sleeves at the cuffs until they are the proper length for Santa Claus’s arms. Stitch the cuffs lightly to the sleeves, to keep them in place. Turn up the bottom of the coat all around, making it the proper length for the little man, and stitch the skirt in place; then, to represent fur, use white cotton-batting and cover the turned-back cuffs and skirt with this material, so as to conceal the alterations. Upon the white trimmings sew little tags of black cotton.

Use a Fur Cap,

if you have one; if not, take any sort of a dark cloth one, and sew a piece of white cotton around the edge. Cover the legs, below the knees, with heavy woollen stockings and use big overshoes for the feet.

How to Put on the Clothes.

When the boy who is to represent the jolly old saint is ready to dress, let him put on the knickerbockers first and stuff the bottom end of a pillow in the front of the breeches; then put on the coat, and button and belt the pillow inside. This will give him a jolly big paunch; next put on the stockings and the overshoes. Then let some one gum a pair of big white cotton eyebrows to his forehead, using common mucilage for the purpose; also a long white cotton mustache and beard. Press these appendages to the face until the mucilage is dry. The finishing touch is made by painting the nose a bright red, and then the brave old saint will be ready to hide in the spacious chimney, to descend and greet the company when he receives the signal that the proper time has come for his appearance.

If the false chimney and fireplace are set up against an open door, Santa Claus may enter from the other room, and when he lets himself down over the black cloth back of the fireplace it will appear to the audience--at least, to all the little folks--as if he came down the chimney.

In case no doorway is handy a strong board shelf, built in the false chimney, will serve as a seat and a place of concealment for the saint until the clock on the mantel strikes the hour of twelve, which should be the signal for the immediate appearance of the little man.

The Clock,

of course, should be set ahead of time, so that it will strike at the proper moment, when everything is in readiness, and the little folks are trembling with impatience.