The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-12-23

anu 1hat lie must trudge along on foot
| many'a weary mile, to find a new home
IN the great Southwest, among strangers
AND he remembered too, that he had left
his old associates over on the Pedee. The
little ragged boy had no paymates now
and IN sorrow he Was turning away, when
a bright idea struck little Helen.
stop little boy said she, stay ill |
come back And away she ran up the
grsveled walk ard into the house with
Sailor by her side, and never stopped un.
I'll she was in the presence Of her mother
Little Helen told her Ma, as well AS
she could i'll her hurry, about the little
ragged boy at the gate, and asked for
something to give him. as Christmas
present. Her Ma. gave her some money
and mince Pie, but lille Helen was no,
satisfied. She knew nothing Of the val
ue OF money. ana therefore affixed none
TO il. Pies, she WAS accustomed to every
day, and thought them common things
So IN her eye the money and pie, formed
very poor gilt. But there was one
thing, tina, little Helen put high valua.
ton upon. But a short time previously,
her father had given her one Of the SPELL
ing books, then in common use; aud now,
While 1t was sill novel to her, and some
thing new, size regarded book as one
OF the greatest things in the world
" hen She left her Ma. with the money
and PIE, she thought of her book, ard
determined to u ii it, to the gift. Accord
ngiy she ran to get it. BY the spelling
book halp"ned to he the lite of the Earl
# Chatham, and her lttle heart by tri,
time have grown almost 10 bursting with
good emotions, without ihought, she took
1t too, anil hastenel to IT," gate. The it,
tie ragged boy took the pie, and the two
books, hu, declined The money. III. then
shook hauds with Tommy ami little llel-
en- and left. Tommy Resumed his wcrk,
but little Helen gaAed a long ,imo down
the roao, the way the Little r,ggeI boy
went.
By and hy Tomir'y AND Iit,lA Hsl"n
were called 10 dinner, ana when in the
dinner room little Helen told what she
had done, a'L why; for she had learned
to c"ncea, nothing from her parents. |
must confess though, that little Helen,
hung her head and exl o2tei 10 be scold.
ed. But she WAS not. Her father ana
mother were proud to see such qualities
developing themselves in their chilG's
heart and who would not have been
The mother lOokcd at her, ill her eyes
grew liquii under the jnhneu e Of the de-
! sht sHe felt; and her father rsp,urously
strained her Il lis bosom. Little Helen
had done wrong, hu. she did il from such
goodness Of heart, that she was more
than forgiven. Chlri!y MReM mutt
tude Of Sips.
The afternoon was a long one 10 Tom,
my and Iit;le Helen, but al last it was
succeeded by the night; and il in turn
wore away too and now:
Ills Christmas morn, the cock has crowcd,
And walked our hearts to Joy
The bark of life we've gary rowrd
And now one loud ahoy
One loud ahoy u JOY ahead,
To speed il on its way,
One loud ah0y To sorrow fed
To bid it long good. day.
lis Christians morn
Then wind the horn,
And call the dogs away
Well swallow The nug,
Then over ,he bog
Wen chase the fox today.
And did Santa Claus forget little Hel.
en- that nj htl Oh, no! not he. Santa
Claus never forgets good, kind hearted
little children. la the morning, her stock
ing was fuI! AS il could hold Of all sorts,
Of nice and pretty things. Nuts, candies,
toys, every thing in fact that little Helen
could wish for, was IN and abou. her little
stocking where ii hung in the back porch.
But better than all, between the two
strings by which il was hung up, there
were balanced bran new spelling book
aud large beautiful doll. Santa Claus
was good to her. lie knew what she had
given 20 the little ragged boy and he paid
her for it. lie gave her more than he
did the other children because she waG
kind and gentle. Santa Claus loves such
children.
1t is the privilege Of the story.teIpr to
skip from one period Of time to another.
at will, and | now avail myself Of that
privilege. The obIiging reader will there.
fore, do me the favor to pass over long
lapse Of time; else my story will become
too long and tedious.
Years had rolled by, and little Helen
was grown 10 be a woman; and such an
one as is rarely met with--so beautiful |!
40 much intellipance so unncb o,oodnass