Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-01-31
AUNT JAMES LITTLE LECTURE.
BY MRS. S. C. HALL.


BY MRS. S. C. HALL.
"Well," exclaimed Geraldine, with an
impatient toss of her pretty head-"Well,
[ was never before taxed with want of gen.
erosity. am sure [ give away everything
[ have in the world"
"Excuse me-you do not"
'sIndeed, aunt, give up everything"
"Again excuse me there is one thing
you never give up"
"What, aunty?'
"Your temper"
Geraldine pulled at the fingers of her
gloves, one by one, and then tossed them
on the table, while her cheeks flushed and
her eyes grew bright, but not with plea
sure
II am sure I give away all my money !;
is not that being generous p
s'You give away the thing, of all others,
you want the least, and which it gives you
the least trouble to part with. All your
wants and wishes are supplied to you with
out money"
Il give away my books and my toys"
''They are constantly replaced by others
not at your own cost, but by the liberali-
ty of those whose love is perhaps injudici-
GUS"
II even give away my pets.
''When you are tired of them"
Geraldine burst into tears.
Il am sure" she said, sobbing, Il am
sure people seem to think they have done
their duty when they give money and L
gave--all- -mine--yesterday-and uncle
Richards add was-so-good-I should
-more-to-day
ssHowever necessary money is to all"
observed aunt Jane, gravely, Il often con-
slider giving it as but a small evidence of
generosity, particularly when certain of hav-
ing it replaced Let us look at this matter
steadily and with gentle yet inquiring
spirit You gave shilling to Dame God
frey the other morning you did not want
the shilling. Do you remember what she
said %
Eyes, aunt"
''She said: Thank you, my dear young
LADY, but, oh, how grateful [ should be if
you would read to me just one chapter in
the New Testament.
Il don't like reading to old women,' pout-
ed out Geraldine -,,-,-.--.s. se14
Your generosity did not extend to the
sacrifice of doing what you disliked, but
Mary Golfers did,
s.NIary Collier" repeated the little girl
disdainfully; 'poor little Mary Collier ; how
can she be generous p
MARY Collier's chest is weak, and heaves
and pants when she reads aloud, and yet
often find her sitting beside Dame Godfey's
bed and doing what you refused to do
though you can read and sing without pant
ing Your shilling gift robbed you Meth
er of ease-or comfort; Mary Collier sacri6c-
ed both-that was generosity. And there
is that poor, aged woman, Alice Grey ;
Alice is one Of the most truly generous wo-
men [ ever knew"
''Alice," exclaimed Geraldine ''Why,
Alice would not have had dinner at Christ
mas but for your kindness-how can she be
generous 2"
''There is one great gift amongst many
which God gives us at our birth, Geraldine,
and which remains with us from the cradle
to the grave-oUR TIME. We work it or
waste tive sell it, exchange it; but still
it is our own-it is the only treasure the
working man or working woman can pos
sess we have no right to squander or abuse
it, or lead others to do so. Now, Alice
lives by her TIME-mind you she 1tces by 1t
so she understands and appreciates its
value. If she leaves her daily labor, even
for an hour, she knows that she is depriving
herself of a quantity of food, Or light, Or
fire. or abridging the size or quality of her
poor dress, miserably scanty as it is; and
yet, Alice Grey gives that hour-aye, and
many hours-to comfort the fatherless and
widow she works for others she deprives
herself of what to her is necessary, to serve
others That is generosity.
Il saw little boy the other day 60 into
bakers shop; he was really hungry, and
he was very fond of buns-all little boys are
but the great matter was, he was hungry;
he bought large two-penny bun; he was
so hungry that he turned all the marbles
and bits of strings out of his pockets, hoping
to find another penny, to add small bun to
the large one, but he had not even farth-
ing; so he took a great hungry bite out OF
his bun, and looked with pleasure at the
piece in his hand, spotted over with little
black currants. What nice bun,' said
the little boy, and I am so hungry
When he looked up from the bun, he saw a
pair of large blue eyes, staring from amid a
shock of wild hair. Alas! the nose and
lips, the very cheeks of the child who gaz-
ed so eagerly ath his bun, were pinched and
yellow from starvation. My little friend
saw it in moment, and not a moment did
he hesitate, but, without word, he walk
ed up to the starving child, and placed the
remainder of the bun in his hand. That
was generosity. The boy who had the bun
was very hungry and poor, he remained
hungry rather than suffer one poorer and
more hungry than himself to starve. Now,