With Christmas drawing near once again, my thoughts turned to an incident my mother had told me about that happened to my father while he was still a comparatively young man.
It seems that the manager of Eaton's store in Lindsay called to tell Dad that he had received a telegram from Santa Clause in which he stated that due to an emergency he would be unable to attend the Santa Clause parade in Lindsay and would they contact dad and ask him to fill in for him, which Dad agreed to do.
Well, it seems that the plan was for him to dress up in a Santa costume and he would be picked up and driven to Reaboro where he would board a train and arrive at the CNR Station on Durham Street. It was here that he was met and taken by sleigh, led by the Lindsay Citizens' Band, up William St. to Kent and then east on Kent to the corner of Kent & York Sts. where Eaton's Department store was located.
Upon his arrival at Eaton's he made his way to the basement where a large golden throne was awaiting him along with hordes of children and their parents. He seated himself in the big comfortable chair and began greeting the children in the usual manner and handed out beautiful pins showing Santa's rosy cheeks and big white beard and after listening to children tell him what they wanted for Christmas, would send them on their way with a candy cane and a promise to see what he could do for them.
Everything was going well until my sister approached him and, picking her up and placing her on his lap, he asked what she would like Santa to bring her. She began to tell him that she would like an orange, an apple, and lots of nuts and candy in her stocking then suddenly stopped, looked up into his face and said "you're my daddy!"
Ho ho ho, he chuckled "whatever makes you think that?" he asked.
Because I can tell by the scar on your hand she answered.
Dad quickly set her down, sent her on her way and never filled in for Santa again.
