St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-03-10
The EiHy" .HUiCA GirI.

was already almost dyuh, and evening
came ON, tie last evening cf the Oil
Year. In the cold and gloom poor
little girl, barchcaded and barefoot, was
walking through the streets WEca she
had left the house She certainly lad slip
pers on, but of what use were they
They were very big Slippers, and her
mother had used item til tLcn, 50 b.
were they The little maid lost them As
she stepped across the road, where two
carriages were rattling by terribly in t..
One slipper was not TO be found again.
and boy had seized the other, ard run
away with it. lie thought he could use
it very well as Il cradle, some day when
he had children of his own. so now the
poor girl went with her poor little naked
feet, which were quite rcd and blue with
the cold. In an old apron she carried Il
number Of matches, ard Il bundle Of them
in her hand. No one had bought any
thing Of her all day, AMI DO one tad civ
Ell her iarthing,
Shivering with cold and hunger Size
crcpt along, a picture Of misery, poor
little girl. The snow-flakes covered her
long hair, which fell i'll pretty curle over
her neck but she did not think of that
now. In all the windows lights were
shining, and there was Il glorious smell
of roast goose, for it was New Ycar's-
eve. Yes, she thought Of that.
In q corner formed l,y two houses, one
OF which projected beyond the other,
she sat down, covering. She had drawn
up her little feet, but she was still cold,
and she did not dare to 20 home, for she
had sold no matches, and did hot bring q
farming Of money. From her father she
certainly would receive a beating, and
besides, it was cold at home, for they
had nothing over them but Il roof through
which the wind whistIed, though the
largest rents had been stopped with straw
and rags.
Her little hands were almost hcmumbcl
with the cold. All match might do
her good if she could only draw one
from the bundle, and rub i: against the
wall, and warm her hands ut it, She
drew one out. R-r-atch. how it splut-
tered and burned, 1t was a warm.
bright flame, like little candle, when
she held her hand- over it; it was Il
wonderful light 1t really ScnnyI to tho
little girl Us if she sat before Il great pol
ishcd stove, with bright brass feet and
brass cover. How the fire burned how
comfortable it was. but the little flame
went out, the stove vanished and she
had only the rcr,ains of the burned
match in her hand.
a second was rubbed against the wall.
1t burned up, and when the light fell
upon the wall it became transparent like
a veil, and she could see through it into
the room. On the table a snow white
cloth was spread upon il stooda shining
dinner service; the roast goose smoked
gloriously, stuffed with apples ami dried
plums. And what was still more splcn-
did to behold, the goose hoppcd down
from the dish and wadllcd aIcrg the
floor, with knife and lorl, in It's breast,
10 the little girl. Then the match went
out, and only tho thick, damp, cold wall
was before her. She lighted another
match. Then She was sitin" under a
beautiful ClristmaS-trec it was greater
and more ornamental than the enc she
had seen through the glass door at tie
rich merchants Thousands OF ctmdl,s
burned upon the green branches, and
colcrcd pictures like those in print-shop<
looked down upon them. The little
girl stretched forth her hand toward
them then the match went out. The
Christmas lights mounted higher. She
saw them now ~ stars i'll the sky: one
Of them fell down, forming Ipng !inc of
fire.
"Now some one is dying thought thc
little girl; for her old grandmother, the
only prison who had loved her, aud WHO
was now dead, had told her that when
Il star fell down a soul mounted up TO
God.
She rubbed another match against the
wall 1t became bright again, and in the
brightness the old grandmother stood
clear and shining, mild and lovely.
'Hrandmothcr :" cricl the child,
"Oh, take me with You, | know Won
Will 90 when the match is burned ont.
You will vanish like the warm fire. the
warm food, and the great rloriou.
Christmas tree
And she hastily rubbed the whole
bundle of matches, for she wished TO
hold her grandmother fast And the
matches burned with such Il glow that
1t became brighter than in the middle of
the day; grandmother had never been
SO large or so beautiful She took the
little GIL in her arms, and both flew in
brightness and JOY above the earth, very,
very high; and up there was neither cold,
nor munger, nor care-thcy were with
But IN the corner leaninr aoaipst the
wall, sat the poor girl, with rcd checks
and smiling mouth, frozen TO death IN
the last evening Of the Old Year. The
New Years sun rose upon little cornsc
The child sat there, stiff and cold. with
the matches Of which one bundle was
burned.
"She wanted to warm herself" the
people said. No one imagined what 4
beautiful thing she had seen, and in what
glory she had gone with her grandmoth-
or to the New Years day.-Hans Chris
tan andersen.
WHAT WILL You HAVE The Group
stood beside the marble slab flat formed
The bar OF saloon. The lights flashed
from the costly chandelier, and showed