LITTLE CAN’T-WAIT.
Have you met her? Little Can’t-Wait, she is sweet and bright and fair,
With her sunny, floating, ringlets and bewitching baby air;
Just a pretty bit of mischief all impatient now to know
If St. Nicholas, dear fellow, by her tiny socks will go.
Quite alone on Christmas evening, she has planned it out to hide
And is bound to capture Santy, brisk and jolly from his ride.
Little Can’t-Wait is so winsome as she lays this clever plot,
That I toss her to the ceiling and caress her on the spot.
But the darling, I’ve a notion, like a bird upon its nest
In the cosy chimney corner will glide softly off to rest;
And her brown eyes will not open till the rosy morning light,
When she’ll wake to find Kris Cringle caught her napping in the night.
Have you met her? Little Can’t-Wait: met the witchery of eyes
Where the halo of affection in its angel beauty lies?
While I toss her to the ceiling and caress her sunny hair,
She is deep in speculation, seeing Santy ev’ry where.
Hearing of his sturdy reindeer, rapidly they speed along,
We can barely catch the echo of his merry jest and song;
Of the bountiful attractions, of the season and the night,
Of the pleasures and the pastimes such as give a child delight.
Little Can’t-Wait as I chatter hangs enraptured on the tale,
With an interest in Santy that was never known to fail.
Whereupon I whisper gaily and receive a roguish glance,
Here’s the story Kris will tell you if you give him half a chance.
“Have you heard how little Can’t-Wait, just a year ago to-day,
Formed a clever plan, the mischief, and when twilight softly lay
Over this fair scene around us, crept into a dainty nest,
In the cosy chimney corner where the evening shadows rest.