Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-01
A Merry Christmas.
BY EMILY muSrINaroS MILLER.

BY EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.
Ted and Matte had finished their work.
| was hard, cold work dragging dead wood
on the old broken hand sled, clear from
Deacon Turner's wood lot to the little tum-
bic down log house by the four corners
But the children did not mind the cold, or
the work either they were so glad to have
plenty of wood to Gil up tho great yawn-
ing Fireplace, and keep the frost from
curdlng the air in the one room, and pinch
ing the baby's fingers and toes as she sat in
her cradle.
"There," said Ted, taking off his nit
tens to blow the cold, red fingers, " if we
don't have anything else for Christmas we've
got lots of wood aud | mean to fill the old
fireplace chock full tomorrow"
d" wish we did have something else,
though" said Matte, gravely; " some
thing nice for mother aud baby but you
mustn't speak about it, Ted, not before
mother, because it makes her feel bad"
I've got something for baby said
Ted, mysteriously. " Miss Spriggins gave
it to me when took her work home yes
terday," and he drew from his pocket a
little round block on which ribbon had been
rolled. 1t was papered on the ends with
pink paper, and both Ted and Matte ad-
mred it very much.
How pleased she'll be- said Matte.
" Are you going to hang up your stocking
Ted2"
Course am" said Ted Something
might happen, you know and any how !
like to preterd I'm expecting lots Of
things"
The two children went into the house,
where their mother was sewing by the last
light Of the short winter day, while the
baby sat in the cradle playing with string
Of spools. The mother was pale and thin,
and looked, oh so sad and tired but the
baby was as fat, and round, and rosy as a
nice plump apple, and didn't look as if she
knew anything about the hard times that
had come to the little log house when the
father died, just about the time she first
opened her wondering eyes to the world.
THE wood is all in the shed, mother,
said Matte, "a nice big pile Of it and
when that is gone, Deacon Turner is going
to draw us a load himself; he said SO this
afternoon"
" And to-morrow'l be Christmas" said
Ted and | s'pose I'd better catch that
turkey before dark"
The mother smiled at merry Ted, and
Matte drew out the small table and spread
their simple supper Of brown bread and
milk. The children ate with hearty appe'
titos and though they sometimes felt q
little dissatisfied with their plain fare, ye
the milk was sweet and rich, and the bread
wholesome, 50 thsy were in no danger o
suffering.
After supper the lamp was lighted, th'
small room made as neat as could be, iresl
wood heaped upon the FIRE, and after a iroli'
with baby, Ted and Matte crept up th'
ladder to their bed in the loft, while thei
mother sat down again to her sewing. Sh
had sad thoughts for company that Christ
mas eve, and she sighed good deal as sh
, piled her needle, gancing sometimes at til
babe in the cradle, and sometimes at tn
, three little stockings hanging there by tn
chimney. They were a good deal worr
taose little stockings, and Mattio's careful
fingers had darned them here and ther,
Dear, patient, helpful little fngers--hov
-. ready they had been to take up the burde
Of liio-how the mothers heart longed t
fll them with good gifts this blessed Chris
= mas; but alas she had nothing to give
= She was not even SO rich as little Ted who ha
= squeezed his precious block into the baby
stocking aud gone to bed happy. 1t Wa
almost midnight before the work was finist
:, ed, and already the baby was stirring III
easily in her cradle, and once or twice III
mothers heart was startled into quic
d, throb Of terror at hearing her holrs
threatening cough.
!, " Dear heart, said the mother, anxiousl
= running to the cradle, if she should hay
the Group again, and not thing in ,h
house to give her -
:, Half an hour more, and the little ere
!, ture was gasping and struggling, with daI
- rings about her pretty blue eyes, aud Q
ashy whiteness around her mouth.
" Run for the Doctor" called the mot
er, and Matte never stopped to think Of Il
(, night or the cold, as she tied on the o
~ blue hood, aud wrapped herself in her thi
" worn shawl, and pattered away down Il
lonesome road, just as the clock stru'
i twelve. dare say the doctor was tr'
, and sleepy, and do suppose that docto
need rest AS much as other mortals b
/ Matte never could have guessed, by al
= word or look Of Dr.. Ashley's, that 1t W
" not the most delightful thing in the wor
y to him to get up at midnight and so half
,a mile to sec sick baby, with no earth
= prospect of any fee. said no earth
prospect, but | make no doubt that go
>, many of Dr. Ashley's bills were kept sal
70 - ly for settlement by and by, when the gre
. Paymaster up in heaven calls His stewar
l. to account.
70 Hadn't you some simple thing to gi
her ? " said the doctor, examining t
baby.
n Nothing, doctor" said the mother sa
to 10 ly.
~ y No sweet oil, butter, molasses ey
:, lard would have done"
=. Nothing, doctor, said the mother aga
70 her lip quivering little now; no butt,
- molasses, or even lard
p The doctor bent a pititul face over t
," baby, and he gave his directions in a l.
voice, but he stayed patiently by her un
he saw the difficult breathing relieved
last, aud the little creature sleeping SAFE
in her cradle. lie had found time to nc
the three empty stockings by the chimn
before he went and he rightly guess
that in house SO poor there was nothi
to fill them. But whatever he thoug
about it, he made no remarks, and when t
baby was out Of danger he went away. I
tired mother slept late into the next MOI
ing with her rosy little treasure folded clC
in her arms, aud the womanly little daul
ter came quietly down the ladder and beg
to make up the fire from the Goals that 81
smou lderod ia the white ashes. She 81
=, ~ the stockings, empty still, but she had |
u the heart to take them down. Her 6ng
" were cold aud stiff and somehow she iou
lo it hard to open the door, but when it {
u " come open, there was a big basket fastened
u the latch, heaped with bundles great q
r. ,mati. She took it down, half doubling
- he really were awake, and read upon I
:" top in big letters;
~ ~ " Merry Christmas from Santa ClG
- 10 Ted and Matte"
lN cannot tell you half there was in
" hut even the turkey had haen rememherl