Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-12-26
MYSELF, OR THE CHILDREN I
A CHRISTMAS STORY.


Once upon time, and that not SO very
long ago, five children sat around small
fire, trying their best to feel comfortable
by the warmth it afforded, and trying also
to feel a little Christmas excitement by in
dulging in impossible fancies.
The time was about half-past six O'Clock
Of the 23d of December, and the place was
one of a dozen wretched, tumble-down
houses in close court in the east end Of
London.
The children belonged to Stephen and
Harriet Gregson, both of whom were alb
sent from home just now; Stephen not yet
having returned from his daily work, The
was employed as carpenter in a ship-build-
ing yard,) and Mrs: Gregson being still at
work at house half mile off. Necessi-
ty compelled her to go out three days a
week to work as charwoman.
When | add that this poor home was be-
ing constantly impoverished by the fathers
wages going in unstinted measure to the
public house, instead of being devoted to
it's comfort, also that its peace was often
sadly disturbed by drunken discord, you
will say that the five children gathered
around the fire might try their very best to
feel happy and merry without being very
successful.
The spokeswoman Of the party was apale,
fragile little girl of five years, named Mag
gle. Although Bessie was two years older
she always deferred to Maggie as to one
who had had experiences of which she
knew nothing. Maggie, too, had far more
control than her elder sister over the two
little lads, Tom and Sack, who were sad
ScapegraceS when their mother was out at
work, and would manage to attract to
themselves every bit of mud and dust that
came in their way and to get into every pos
sible bit of mischief that was going. Below
these wee men of two-and-a-half and four
years, there was baby Bob, aged twelve
months, whom Bessie and Maggie minded
between them.
They had now gathered together to await
their return home, and Maggie was rega-
ling them with some of her experiences
and Christmas fancieS. She was childish
in her talk, but very old-fashioned in her
manner.
She had been some time entertaining
them with her chat, when, unheard by the
absorbed young listeners, their father en-
tered the house. When he heard Maggle's
soft voice engaged i'll ale-telling, he paused
to listen. Stephen was man OF very al
fectionate disposition and deep feeling =
and when in his sober senses, he cherished
for Maggie tenderness greater than he
with his love for the frail little girl was
the constant sense of regret that she would
be a lifelong cripple and invalid through
him.
And so it was; for, many months ago,
in one of his drunken upsets, he knocked
the child down and fell heavily upon her,
breaking her thigh, and causing internal
injuries which she would never get over
For some time the little girl had been an
inmate of the hospital for sick children in
Great OrmOnd street, and all that medical
skill and kind care could do for her was
done; but Maggie would never more be
the blithe child that she was before her sad
accident. The time spent in the hospital
she looked back upon as the one happy
memory of her life; and she never wearies
of telling her brothers and sisters of all she
had seen and heard there.
Stephen soon found that she was harping
on this familiar tune. He was sober; and
he stood listening until at the last unwon-
ted tears gathered in his eyes, and he had
to s'mop his face" as he afterwards said,
before he could appear before them.
"And you know" Maggie was saying,
pursuing her wonderful theme to her open
mouthed listeners, ''while [ was at Great
Ormond street the Queen sent us-oh, such
toys, and we all played with them in our
Deus, 1uGIt was OuClI dOl4o
with real curls and blue eyes, and dressed
like ladies and there was big, big boxes
of all sorts of toys, houses and trees, and
COWS and sheep, and Noah's arks, full of
animals. and bricks for building houses
ourselves. And didn't we used to play
with them. And then, besides the Queen,
the Princess of Wales sent us a lot, and,
oh I can't tell you all that there was !:
they were so lovely, and we were so happy
playing with them. Well, if we just only
had one or two of them here we should
have such a Clismas as never was. You
see, we haven't got nothing but this doll, !"
added Maggie, looking down dolefully at a
Iegless. armless, noseless old doll that she
make up Clismas party it wouldn't do to
invite her, Now, I'll tell you what we
might do to get some toys fol- CliSmaS.'
ssWhat what 20 interrupted little Jack
with a noisy shout.
'sOf course dad nor nanny can't buy
us any, said Maggie. dad hasn't ever
enough money to buy our bread, else
mother wouldn't have to 60 out to work
for some. Dad never gave us toy since
we were born, course. COS he's got no
money, only a little Bit"
ooh, haven't he 7" said Bessie, FDon't
you b'lieve it, Mag. How could he get
Gipoy IL III ilttQI y III IlIOlCJ Lie 4OU
for drink, but he hasn't got none for us,
'cept jest bit for bread, and coal, and
sich-that's how it is. Course he'll never
have money for toys if he takes it to old
daddy Still round the corner"
She spoke in a tone OF unchildlike irony :;
and Maggie replied: "Well, daddy's allays
kind to us when he isn't tipsy, Bess and
if he knew as we wanted some toys-oh. so
much, with all our hearts LIKE think
he'd spare a little sixpence or something to
get us some.
"But l was goin' to tell you what lady
told us one day at Gleat Ormond stleet.
bout little girl as wanted Clismas tlee
full of plesentS, and all lighted up with
tiny candles. Oh, she did so want it, SO
she said she would ask for it in her play
ers, and p7aps God would send one down
from Heaven. So I think He might send
US some if we asked him 'cos, you know,
He knows as we can't have ploper happy
Clismas with only this old doll, and no
body to buy us anything
s'But did God send the licol gal the tle2"
asked Tommy, with wide-open eyes.
''Course He did if she asked Him." an
swered Maggie, with great assurance
''And He'll send US some, too-you'H see !;
for 1 shall ask Him tonight, and we ali
must, and tell Him that we haven't got
you what sort Of Clismas I should have
if was very Itch lady"
But just at this point the little damsel
was interrupted by the appearance of her
father, who now stepped forward. Maggie
looked up anxiously into his face. as she
always did when he came in, to see'if he
was sober and by the freight she per-
ceiveq an expression on his countenance
which gladdel}ad her much. He actually
seemed to be kindly smiling at the little
folks.
'sChattering about Christmas. arc you 2"
he said, touching Maggie's head gently.
Eyes, daddy, and we think that some