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x what one little girl gaye on christmas ither hawley sat in the low rocker writing paper that you can give me fer own room with a very doleful for twentyfive cents she said to the fession on her little face and seven- clerk live cents in her lap i ah these boxes are twentyfive what shall i do 1 she said for the cents or sixth time as sac regarded the esther soon found one that suited ajney only seventyfive cents to j her and then started on mr way to nd for christmas sthers father had only a moder- inccme their pretty home was the postoffice twentyfive twocent please she demanded of stamps the clerk r own and as long as esther could there member they had always enjoyed the j the stamps were coonted out put rujmforts of lifeand had a little mar- j in a likle envelope and handed to her lan left over for some of the luxuries i esther laid down her halfdollar in iphi how much money can i have to payment and went home happy w j pend for christmas this year what have you there asked mrs j v ictesther had asked her mother that hawley as the little girl came in with jofery morning as she wiped the break- cheeks glowing from her brisk walk iast dishes and put thm away j my christmas gifts replied es- 21 essie dear i dont believe you can ther brightly i am going to give c grave any mrs hawley had answer- two dozen this year in spite of hard tj led very soberly poor papa is so j times worried to meet the bare household t it wanted still two weeks till expenses that i am sure he will have christmas and every day esther a nothing to spare for extras worked carefully at her gifts i 0 mamma said esther almost twentyfour sweet christmas let fj wiic c soir- bin ancml mapij psm p w sit little presents handwriting and the same number j i know it dear but we must ba of envelopes directed and stamped thankful this year that we have our see my christmas gifts mamma asked th j the sle of pa home and food and clothing esther said esther as she danced into the answer skating and eating mince finished the dishes very auictlv and sittingroom on the twentyfourth of j p wn the h 8 who mstigat- then went up to her own room to december with her hands full of letji t p z avo faiied utter ly m her spelling but that pudding came to her and she had managed to r tearfully i wanted to make so many j ters were written in her prettiest j 1 hniwritmr an tk mo number pwdren were obliged to go to school knee and he sa and dreamed per- bnt small good didtt do jack when haps of grandchildren whom ho had never seen think the matter over she opened ters a little box on the dressing table and mrs hawley looked them all over p u took out the money which she had been one by one and then with a sudden ea that word saving for weeks her many little quick movement drew the child bo her i tun they had packing grand- gifts she had planned to give simple and kissed the happy little face i motners presents tveryone wanted and inexpensive but expressing so i wonder if my little girl knows g dear one w had been much love for her friends how happy she has made me she mother to father when he was a lit there was one to grandma hawley said as she released her the sad- who was confined to her invalids dest thought to me about this christ tie boys the offering were character- i istic may the elder girl of fifteen j brought some deliacte edging she had chair and aunt nell whose little mas was that you would be disnp- makin for herself tick wp i i1 ii nfi uf nro deen mating tor nerselt jack see- girl had gone to heaven since last pointed about your allowance ing this selfdenial brought his new i spose i was rather foolish fa ther but its given me a deal o plea the old people nda as both she and may were rather delicate it was agreed that they should stay on for a little while at last all sat round the hearth watching the log fire grandfather had christmas and who would be so lonely esthers face grew sober for an in- l1 w rt7i j i 5i oo njintfi fc paint box its the thing i value unlike christmas and sad this year and aunt bess who sfcant always invited esther to her beautiful well i was just at first she ad- i home for long delighted visits mitted but im going to post these esther went all over the list several now she added the smiles and dim- 1 times and counted it up on her fingers pies coming back and they will all be yes there were fully twentyfive received tomorrow aunbies cousins and friends whom grandma hawely sitting alone in she wanted to remember and only her invalid chair read the loving let- sure and you dont begrudge me it do ouit for them- i remember many you i only spent that money john j a happy christmas but this beats sent me last august i tell you when them all said the old man john njy i was cutting out the bits of pastry boy this visit will give us talk for this afternoon dont laugh at me i years to come acutally forgot the boys had grown yes indeed said the mother sigh- up and i made some of those pastry ing dolls they used to like so well well oh no mother said john mason weve got a deal to be thankful for j taking her wrinkled hand in his it father the boys are well and thriv- shall never be so again we will ing if we cant have them here now come and see you every year and per- if they were in want we might feel haps oftencr and every christmas i if god is willing we will spend with j thc biew my bedtime eandfe out thats so mother said the old you and if you would like we willi when i got into bed- man i dont know but you had lend you one of our bairns to be a they never even kissed me lord better spread your table tomorrow comfort to you and then you see that qr stopped to pat my head im just alittle boy dear lord a boy you never knew i hate to bother you i know that you have mich to do but i was sent to bed without my supper now i pray make me forgeflm hungry please and wash my sins away ii most he said but was must relieved when mother proposed books instead george the second boy was practi- cal and thrifty i got these he and instead of taking the dinner round i will ensure my coming up and down j y see my folks are cross with maj said putting two pairs of spectacles j to the morleys ill put in the horse to have a peep i dont know how it nd we had lemon pie into the box old people always losej and bring a load of them up here j has been that weve not been before p supper and i missed it so their glasses the old lady drew her chair to her hut until lately we seemed buried in j please help me not to cry but lily as she called the little girl husbands side and laid her head on his money difficulties and small mouths to j r jafthvh sat and puzzled over the problem a eyes grew dim with happy tears verse of the sunday school lesson which she had studied a few weeks be- that is the sweetest gift that i j foajjed alone to a shop near by and came back iii was at this moment the travellers in business and youll see how i shall t drcttv dar reached the kitchen windows and keep the railway lines alive have received yet she said people j theyre for the pantry father told peeped in i there were tears of joy in the old fore came into her mind if there do not care to write letters to an ouh of r expect grandmother paste i the door was opened by lily who womans eyes as she kissed her thanks be first a willing mind it is accepted woman and at christmas time every j cutter quite worn outj and these are out were come home for according to that a man hath and not one is too busy to even think of sich new t she has never seen they christmas grandmother behind her according to that he hath not j a thing s like silver such a lot of things was jack then may george mother well the willing mind is all right aunt nell read her letter and a for two shillings with the baby and then father said esther to herself but i must strange soothing crept into her heart father and mother filled the trunk it was almost too much for grand- be one of the ones that hath not which was so sore over themoss of her delicacies and laborsaving for how in the world i am going to get own little girl and aunt bess said cracks as father cliled ther stsmorlhan i tnzht s it dt v cosfi oflht 1 d cents is more than t can see she her i have received a greab many tionable matter fe topsyturvy christmas i twas christmas and a snowier one was never seen before gim- mother but joy seldom kills and the when santas auto something new- soon old lady kept saying again and again drew up before his door a quesj the dinner was ready before you j s said the good old wight wfwwv 1 clinic j iir tfllfe fcne reindeer out tonicrhfc sat quietly thinking for some time beautiful things which have come outj wendnesday morning they started what a christmas it was grandmo then suddenly exclaimed i of the abundance of worldy posses ill do it while the cloud lifted sions but this is worth them a from her face as if by magic and two it has come xmt oi the fullness dimples dipped into her clieeks es- hearts love c l passengers looked on and smiled- the church bells pealing merrily and to ther put on her little jacket and hati i wish i had time to tell you all the j sympathetically as they heard rap go to the dear old church where fath- with eager fingers loving letters that went back in an- j turous whispers of grandmother and er was christened and then came the im going down town for a little swer to those which esther sent skating lily when an old gentle- j dinner mamma she said looking into the this has been the very happiest man coaxed her on his knee said pity- what screams of delight when sitting room with such a very bright christmas i have ever spent mamma j ingly youre too old to go home to grandmother brought out the pastry down to the earth he turned his way face that mrs hawley wondered what she said as she read them all over your grandmother arent you which dolls father insisted on having the i but knew not as he went had come over her esther walked and i dont believe i would have ever caused such a laugh that the child hid biggest one the trunk was almost rapidly down the street stopping first thought of the plan if it had not been her face in confusion but the old man i forgotten but came in splendidly when at the stationers for that verse if there first be a said jthe excitement of waiting on them- ii the big tonneau was packed so tight it seemed as though twouldpop when santa booted farred and cap ped leaped to his seat on top and presto through the stormy blast the jolly saint went speeding fast hi i want the very prettiest box of willing mind it is accepted christmas is comin next week father it seems as if we ought to take some notice of it mrs mason spoke nervously she knew that she might propose ever so i much or so well but father was i her providence and disposed seldom vheeding her plans 1 im not going to keep christmas linswered the old man i dont see iny cause for it a bit of our own ork with apple saucell do me whats e good of turkey and puddin for v s mason understood her husband youre doing a wise thing sir the selves as lily called it was over old people need such attentions were the tins seemed to please grandmoth- apt to be overlooked and then lily er most of all and her paste cutter self so when the grocer and butcher held close till she fell asleep on his was broken lily was the darling of called they received unwonted orders j i mary adams from the farm came in by chance and stayed to help and how the old lady enjoyed the unwont ed bustle by the evening there was a beauti ful turkey ready for the oven while mince pies cakes and pastry stood on the pantry shelf the home was fragrant with christmas odors but when mary adams had departed and the old lady satdown in her chair to rest a reaction set in and she almost called herself what knew fath er would call her a fool for her pains its awful lonesome too i guess i havent got a friend in all this world but you if you could spare an angel kind to come down here and keep me company a little while perhaps id go to sleep iv im not so very awful scared but i can hear downstairs the supper things that rattle so and everybqdyshares what splendid times you had i wish we lived on a farm and could help to get ready for christmas and grandmother made you dolls ii made allowances she knew he out of pastry said the little girl etfrs thinking of the time when four dy sons and a pretty daughter sat round his christmas table tcbellcd at the way the boys had ikcn the old folks to better them seated on her fathers knee i wish i could see her and get her to make me one john mason sat gazing in the fire his heart was in the cumberland hills s and worse than all the pretty he hardly heard the childrens talk fitcr had married a worthless fel- the four coaxed him to tell in the ind had died of a broken heart i sunday twilight of his early life 1thcr has cause she whispered mother was listening with baby on i aid no more of her longing for her knee j cheer at christmas time i and grandmother hasnt seen you iboys had prospered and mar- since you had us said the little jown girls as mrs mason girl after a long pause who will 1 daughtersinlaw they she cook christmas dinner for now forgot to send presents at i just wish and the child sat bolt hs but there seemed no time upright in her excitement that we uhe old folks at home and could creep in at tho kitchen door fa- omotlh did not often send answers ther told us of and surprise her wouldnt that be a christmas well said father why shouldnt we the children fairly held their breath could father mean it but roallzjort businesslike letters of tho hand that wields aj jroom cannot easily hold a jshe tried to stifle the feel- hp3 mason strongly desired to mother looked at baby and shook hei jstmas dinner i head smilingly ma4 if t wouid do me good oh you neednt put it off because s choppin and mixin for a of that little chap he is tho tough- iof v two p arc s0 pi est of us all nnd would never know an ther8 tno ten tho difference between a train and his 1 a n sent me on my birth- nursery i admit it will cost a good 18 buy everything with it earn but if we give up christmas pre- ny meai w is ieftto the poorjsents for this year wc can do it here wasnt no one to we will oh we will they chorus- jerhaps if i made rcady er and in five minutes the thing was a jd happen settled they were to start on wcd- istum c- favored mrs mnson nesday morning and creep in at the lindor or man was caicd tcn kitchen door by eight oclock that vee a sick animal and night i h gone till late at night j you can imagine tho excitement mind to please horj during monday and tuesday tha the lemon pie theyve got but me so please if you can find a little time to spare i wishsgp youd help me not to mind v v please wont you help me jusbthisonco forget the lemon pie dont let me shiver in the dark and help me not to cry let some kind angel comfort me as angels sometimes do some time perhaps ill have a chanca to do something for you but knew not as he went the brownies had before him been on elfish mischief bent and frolicsome and full of fun had changed the street signs every one iv thus when a stately avenue or boule vard he sought analley gloomed before him this is rather strange he thought these places arent familiar quite but then the signs are surely right v and so he went his cheery way and gaily sped along adown the chimneys took his load suspecting nothing wrong small chimneys there i fear ill stick im growing stout quoth good saint n nick vi and this is why when christmas morn turned redly in the skies the tenements were all agog with hap py childrens cries with holly wreaths and stars and bells i and all that merry christmas spells vii wee patsy had a gorgeous drum that filled him with amajse and jimmy nolan had a sled with s- scarlet paint ablaze and maud patricias paris doll was hugged by little crippled moll s viii wan little faces drawn with pain smoothed to a moments ease and tiny hands stretched eagerly tho lovely things to seize i and every narrow crowded room i old saint nick was gay with christmas joy and- cried thoughts do count file vi please bless all my dear teachers lord and bless my parents too and help them to forgive me lord for all the things i do bless henry begg and stubby weeks bless all the boys i know and cure up henrys dog because the boys all like him so vlrt and please remember all the poor send them a lot to eat j bless orphan boys especially they get cold hands and feet from not enough warm clothes to wearj j and when there is a storm qcl help them to get inside somewhere h h si n 1 i j so theyll be nice and warm viii lord please forgive a little boy thab you may hardly know- im awful hungry in the dark please tell my parents so ask them to save a piece of pio when i am good again now help me go to sleep so i wont think of it amen the christmas spirits old saint nick cried give give give old saint nick cried costs to live i j ent bloom ix when santa claus his blunder learned he showed no discontent but with a twinkle in his eye he for the brownies sent and every one he feasted high with dainties rare i wonder why choosing a turkey when choosing a cock turkey no tice that its spurs are short and its legs black these signify youth if the spurs are long and tho legs pale and rough the bird is old if the bird has been long killed its eye3 will be sunken and its feet dry turkeys should hang seven days after killing beforo being dressed among- the early english christ mas eve was known as mothers night old saint nick cried note amount old saint nick cried tis love pure old saint nick cried blackmail sure old saint nick jjfcrfl cried joy of yora old saint nick cried what a bore old saint nick kicked old saint nick old saint nick nicked old saint nick one of suits h a big faction inter ngs madge i suppose shes hapij she has all the things that mon buy marjorio no shcj after the few thing3 that monej buy tailor