The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-12-25

HaNc lain III you, IIlchJ, aslU IL VIII al
come ont right
Poor mother, !" said Dick. for he
was alone SO much that he often talked
to hiraseif, "she is in heaven now. God
took her there. | wish he would take
me there too, / GUESS L don't have
faith Ike mother did, or he would !; but
then how can | think that God is good
when he don't give me anything ] ask
Tor, and ! pray every night that father
would stop drinking. Now" went on
Dick, "if | should find Il ~pocket-bock
right here 81 the sidewalk, with los Of
money in it so | could get something To
eat, then l should think that God had
sept it right ont of heaven. | suppose
that would be faith in God. Bnt then
God don't have money and things in
heaven ~ drop DOWN here to us, ami ii
| found the money somebody else would
have lost it, and it might be some poor
boy OF man that didn't have any more ;
and then, like enough, he wouldn't have
so much faith. Oh, dear, L don't I'M
drrstand il at all! Mother did, though,
. so it's all right some way, | KNOW" SAID
Dick, as h. pushed open the rickety
door that led to the little Don he called
home, wondering if his father, who had
been gone two or three days, was there
before him.
Just as Dick had reached The head os
the stairs, a door opened opposite, and
q kindly, honest face looked out.
Come in. Dick" said the girl, who
had beer kind to tie poor boy more
than once before. "Come in. there's a
nice fire to warm We bv, and a bit Of
hot soup for va to eat"
Dick devoured the soup, and hardly
noticed that kind-hearted Norah had
left hIm alone. But the tive comforts
that he needed 50 much, food AMI
warmth, made him drowsy, and when
the last bit Of soup was gone from the
bowl, the poor, tired head sank back in
the chair asleep. When Norah came in
half an hour later, she had tn shake HIM
quite soundiy to awaken him. Dick
rubbed his sleepy eyes and said:
"Oh, l wish you had not woke ne
up, for i wa dreaming of mother. /
thought she was standing here by me,
her hand on my head, like she used to
do. At first she looked troubled and
kept saying, over and over acain-'For
the sake of the Christ that was born,
this night, 50 many years ago, my boy
must have his Christmas merry Then,
by and by, she smiled so sweetly, and
it seemed as if she was going TO speak
again, when you woke ne up, and it
was only il dream after all. But j.
seemed so true, that 1 wish l could
have slept always"
"Sure, child, but I've walked We to
something good said Norah, opening
wide the door and showing the poor
room where Dick and his father had
lived in want SO long, o lit with wax
candles, Il bright fire on the hearth, and
the little old table loaded with such a
feast that it fairly seemed TO creak
under II, unaccustomed to such n bur-
den. But, best of all, Dicks father
was sitting in the chair at the FIRE, in
his old patched clothes, it is true, but
his face was not red and bloated, and he
was clean shaven, and he smiled pleas
antly at Dick, and held ont a roll OF
paper, saying:
"There's the pledge, Dick, my boy ;
I've signed it, and I'll never break it
either"
Di k looked first at his father, then
at Norah, III a kind of b%ewiidered way.
Then he went toward the former, trem-
bling a little for fear this might be only
a dream, too; Dut when his father put
his hand on his head, and said-''I am
going TO he a good father to You now,
my boy" Dick couId not keep the tears
back any longer, but threw his arms
abou: his fathers neck, crying
ITS too good t.. be true, I've got
my Christmas after all, and now know
mother was right when she said If
we only have faith in God it Will all
come out right ~ Western Rarat.
\ Letter from SANTA Claus.
What no You think l saw as l was
going down street this morning, wrap
ped snugly in my fur coat, and mufiled