The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-04-30
THE LITTLE MATCH GlRL--A
CHRISTMAS STORY.
BIZ II. c. ANDERSON.

er BIZ n. c. ANDERSON.
II was 50 terribly cold--it showed, ant
she evening began to be dark: it was ais,
the last evening in the year--New Year,
Eve. OR this evening poor little girl wen
into the street with bare head aud make,
feet. Il is true she had on shseswhen she wen
from home, but Of what use were they
They were large shoes, her mother had las
worn them, they were 50 large; and tho lit
ue one lost them 10 hurrying over the stree
ss TWO cairisges passed quickly by. One
shes was not to be found, and the other I
boy ran away with sayihg that he could use
it ios cradle when be got children him
sell.
The little girl now ran on her naked feet,
which were red and blue with cold. She
carried number ofma,ches in an old apron,
and held one Lundle III her hand. No one
had bought Of her the who.e day-no one had
given her hrihing. Poor thing! She was
hungry and bonumbed with cold, looked so
downcast!-The STOW fakes fell oil her yell
low hair, which curled so prettily round her
neck, but she did not heed that. s,.
The light shone out from all the windows,
and there was such a delicious smell OF
roas. goose id the street! 1t was New Years
Eve, and she thought Of that ps
She sat down in a corner between two
houses--the one stood a little more forward
10 the street than the other-and drew her
legs up under hor TO warm herself, but sill
she was still colder, and she durst not 60
home; she had not sold any matches or got
a single farthing! Her father would beat
her, and il was also cold at home, they had
only the roof directly over them, and there
the wind whisiled 10, although straw and rags
were stuffed in the last erevices.
Her liuls hands were almost benumbed
with cold. All! little match might do
some good, burst she only daaw ono. oul of
tho hundles, strike it on the wall, and warm
her fingers, She drew one and cut ritch now
it burnt! it was warm clear flame like that
ofa little candle, when she held her hand
round it,--it was strange light!
The little girl thought she sat before
large iron stove with brass balls on the top;
the ire burnt so nicely and warmed SO well.
Nay what was, tha,f The little girl stretch
cd out her feet TO warm than too, then the
fame went cut, the stove vanished-she SAT
with slump Of the burnt match in her hand.
Another was struck, it burat, it shone; and
when the light fash upon"ihe wall, it berane
transparent US Grape, she looked directly in
to the room where the roasted goose stuffed
With apples and prunes steamed SO tempt
ingly OF tha table which was laid out aud
esVered with shining white cloth with pot
eean service. What was still more spleu-
did, The goose sprung off the dish and wad-
died alopg the floor with a knife and fork in
its back; it came directly up To the girl.
Then the match went out and there was only
the thick cold wa to be seen.
She struck another match. Then sho sal
under the most charming Christmas tree, il
was still larger and more ornamented than
she had seen through the glass door at the
rich merchants the last Christmas: a thous-
and caadles burnt in the green branches;
and motley pictures, like those that orna-
msnt the shop windows, looked down at her.
The little girl lifted up both her hands-ihen
the match was extinguished-tac many
Christmascandl rose higher and higher,shc
saw they were bright stars-and one OF them
fell and mads fiery stripe through the sky
'Now one diesn said the poor girl, for old
grandmother, who alone had been kind to
her, but who was now dead, had teld her
that when star falls, soul goes up TO God.
She again strutk match against the wall,
1t shohe all around, and her old grandmoh-
or stood in the lustre, so shining so mild
and blissful. Grandmother exclaimed
the little girl, 'oh! I know you will be gone
away when the match goes out--lke the
warm stove, the delicious roast goose, and
the delightful Christmas tree! and she struck
in haste the whole remainder Of matches that
was in the bundle-she would no; lose
sight grandmother, and the maiches shohe
with more brilliancy than in broad daylight.
Grandmother had never before looked 50
pretty, 80 great: she lifted the poor little
girl up in her arms, and they flew so high in
splsndor and joy, and there was no cold, no
huager, no anxieiy--they were with God.
But the little girl sat in the corner by
the house. in the celd morning hour, with
red cheeks, and with smile round her
mouth--dead-froxsn 10 death. the last eve.
ning OF the old year.
New Years morRing rose over the little
corpse az il SAT with the matches, Of which
bundle was burnt. She had been trying 10
warm herself, said they! But no one knew
what beautiful thiags she had seen--and in
what splsndor and gladaess she had entered
with her old grandmother into New Years
Joys.
The Japanese have very efficient goverI,
ment and obey the laws from sense ofhonor
rather than from force. In the whole empire
there is not public executioaer. When a