St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-01-20


| Trust my all-seeing care-so shalt thou stand
| Midst glory br ght above"
j. W. WALKER.
Hoe SWeetie's ".Shfp Came Iu.'
1t will be u real honest story--oi how
Christmas came 10 4 poor cold home
and made it bright, and warm, and glad
\ ray poor home it was, up three fl yht;
of worm-eaten, ,dirty-staine1 stairs, in the
old cray house that stood far up a mar,
row, crooked alley, " here the sun never
shone except Just while in the middle
of the day. He tried hard to brighten
up the place 4 little, but the tall house,
all about prevented him. Still Ii, slant
ed a few golden beams even into that
wretched home away up under the caves;
for though the few small pancs of glass
in the narrow windows had been IN silly
broken out, and their places flied with
boards nailed tight to keep out tie win
try winds, and rain, and snow, still there
were some left through which Il feeble
ray did sometimes creep and make glad
the hearts of the children. Five father
less children lived with their mother in
that old garnet. Night and day the moth
er scwed, taking scarcely any rest, and
yet found it hard TO keep all the little toes
and knees covered, and could get only the
poorest food Tor the five hungry mouths.
The thought that, work ever SO hard, she
could not earn crnugh to give them one
hearty, satisfying meal, made her heart
ache.
Three boys and two girls, in one old
naked room. with only their mother 10
care for them, and she So poor, that for
years she had not had a new gown, or a
new Lonnct. Yc: she likei pretty new
clothes, II well rs any one ever did, |
! know.
OF these five little folks, the oldest was
Harry, the new>boy, then came Katie.
and Willie, and Fred, and, last OF all,
wee Jcnnic.
Though Harry was tie oldest, yet he
was not very old. Just twclve-a thin,
white little fellow With eyes that always
looked as if they wanted more. More
what Well, more sunshine ; more warm
clothes, and bright hot fires, and, q, very
much more to eat. Sometimes he would
make fifty cents a day, selling ncwSpa-
pers. and then he would hurry jnyfully
home, thinking Of the hungry little mouths
it would help TO fill. But some days lie
would hardly earn ten cents the whole
long day. Then he would 90 slowly and
sadly along, wishing all sorts of things
that lie could take home as much meat
as he could carry 10 the little ones who
had not eaten meat for 50 long they had
aim 81 forgotten how it tasted {; or that
the gentlemen, who owned the clothing
stores by which he was passing, would
| say TO him, Come in, my little fellow.
and help yourself to as many warm clothes
rs you want for yourself and your little
brothers at home; y or that he could find
Il heap of money-and his mouth would
water, thinking Of the good things which
he could bIy and take home with some
OF H.
The other children alway knew wheih-
cr it Lad been a good or bal day with
Harry, by the way he came up the stairs,
If he came with hop, skip, and II jump.
they knew it meant coed day and Il
good day for Harry was = good evening
for them all.
Though Katie was really the name OF
the second child, she hardly ever wa,
called SO ; for her mUther, and the chil-
lrer, and all the ncighbors, called lcr
Swcctic, she was 50 good and 50 thought
tul for others so sweet-tcmpcrcd and kind.
She did everything 50 gently that none OF
them could ever love her half as much a.
she deserved, Though only ten years
old, and very small AMI pale, she did
every bit Of the housework, and kept the
ugly old room and lis faded furniture -
neat, ihat it seemed almost homelikc ana
pretty 10 them all. 1t was happiness
enough for the little ones IL get her first
kiss when she came back from an crrand,
10 sit 10y her at table, and, above all, to
lie closest 10 her at night Willie, and
Fred, and Jennie, all slept with her Oh
Il straw bed in the corner; and they used
to try 10 stretch her little arms over
them all, 50 that even the one farthest off
might feel the tips Of her iingers,so dearly
did they love her.
They had once owned more than one
bcd>tead, and many other comfortable
things besides; but when their father was
killed at the great factory W here he work
cd, their mother was obliged to sell al
m,s everything to get enough money to
pay for his funeral, and to help support
her little family so that now she had
only Il narrow wooden scitee for her bed,
while Harry stretchc himself on ii couple
OF chairs, and the rest slept all together
in the bed on the floor. Poor us tn y
were, they were not very unhappy. Al
most every night. when their mother took
the one dim candle all TO herself, so that
she could see to sew neatly, Sweclie
would amuse the other children by telling
them beautiful stories about the little
flower people, and the good fairies, and
about kriss kringlc-ihough how she
knew about him | can't tell, for he never
came down their chimney at Christmas
And, when my ship comes in,
Swectie used to say, 'I'll have the tallest
and handsomest Christmas tree, filed to
the top with candies and toys, and light.
ed all over with different colored candles
and We'll sing and dance around it. Let:
begin now, and get our voices in tune.
Then they would all pipe up as loud a:
they could, and were as happy as if they
half believed Sweetie's ship was ready tt
land.
! But there came IL hard year for nee
die women; it was the year l am writ
ing about, and Sweetic's mother found i
almost imnns.ihl,- to oct even the npces