The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-17
Then stepping forward, with the child still
i,,b hos nid

L AANh SeSRPhAS AVt VNAN, "ttA SAAo ShhA SsA
in his arms, he said:
"My friends, here are two Of Gods littl
children whom we neglected to invite to on
feast. Who will help to make merry Christ
mas for them"
And, bless you! how they helped.
One mother spared hood and another
cloak from the wraps of her pctted darling
and the fat boy gave Ted his warm cap am
went home with his comforter over his ears
Molly had doll, a crying doll, and all littl
mothers know that crying is prime virtu
in doll, whatever notions grown-up mother
may have about flesh land blood babies. TIE,
had two jack knives, one in each hand, 10
there was nothing left of his pockets but tn
hole at the top, which was rs good as new
They took them to the refreshment tables
and let them choose of all the tempting array
and they chose, these two little simpletons
frosted cake and jelly, lemonade and pink ice
cream. And why not to be sure? If once il
our lives you and should happen to stumbl,
into . fairy land wouldn't we eat the goblin,
golden apples, and fill our pockets from hi
chest Of Jewels, without any regard to tn,
i dreadful consequences?
\ Whi1s they IRE citing We may rs well iool
after the mother who had locked them al
and carried off the key to the castle
just about the time Ted was climbing
through the window she was polishing off tn.
last piece from her ironing in the warn
kitchen Of an elegant mansion, glancing al
she did it at the windows where the daylight
was fast disappearing, and thinking it would
| be quite dark before she got home. The door
opened and a face as fair as pink wild rose
| looked in. Two white hands glittering with
gems held long, trailing vines and bright
| berries, ana pleasant voice said:
"Oh, Mary, must have you moment to
help me trim the parlor curtains; never mind
the rest of the ironing
I'm just done, Miss" and with sinking
heart the poor woman followed the young
girl to the parlors, where the gaslight made
a soft radiance over velvet and marble and
rare paintings. Her coarse shoes were
quite buried among the roses of the carpet,
and she was glad to step upon the bright
drugget spread to catch the dropping leaves.
Mounted on stepladder she followed skill
fully the ladys directions, and the green
tracery of the vines was soon fastened against
the frost-work Of the exquisite lace.
THAT is lovely" said the lady, stepping
back to survey the effect, you're real ge-
MUS, Mary; John nearly drove me wild with
his clumsiness Wouldn't you like to stay and
help in the supper-room to-night"
"Pye two little children at home"
"Oh, we'll let them run into a neighbor's !;
you needn't be away very late"
tput tha,,vo M
Supper doesn't matter to children, they
can pick up something for themselves, dare
say; we children used to think it was prime
fun to go to the pantry"
If there was anything there" said the poor
woman with sorrowful thought of the empty
cupboard; "but you don't know much about
poor folks pantries, Miss Alice
"Suit yourself of course" said the lady,
turning carelessly away and bending her fair
face over basket of flowers.
"Could you pay me, If you please, Miss"
Certainly" was the pleasant answer, and
the white fingers opened dainty little porte
monnaie and explored the perfumed depths.
Only one bill, large and crisp, that rustled its
skirts at few pennies that seemed quite out
of place in such arstocratc company.
ats too bad, Mary, but I haven't any
change at all. ! paid my last dollar for tea
rose buds. You might wait till papa comes
in, or if you'll run around in the morning I'll
have it ready, and you can have basket OF
kitchen, where she sat for a dreadful half
hour. her heart aching for those lonesome
babies watching cold and hungry in the dark
ness.
Pretty Alice remembered her when papa
had made tour of the parlors and admired
all the work OF her hands.
"Oh, papa, there's poor woman waithS
for the pay; I hadn't any change and dare
ay she needs the money. She seems to be
one Of the improyident kind that live from
hand to mouth"
"How much, Alice?" said papa.
"A dollar and a half; or, papa, make it two
dollars. for Christmas you know, and I've kept
her pretty late"
So Mary mad two dollars and hurried away
only stopping to buy loaf of bread and al
apron full of coal before she climbed the stairs
to her empty little room. Empty indeed
The old rat whisked back through the holt
in the wall as she lighted match and lookcc
in terror toward the straw bed with its raggec
cover. Nothing there. Not even the llttlt
heap of white bones which Mrs. Maloney haf
assured her she would find there some da.
| when the rats got hungry. What could sh'
do? In the room below, with their extra sup
per and drop of something to warm thell
| hearts, they were getting quite merry, bu
inst as Pat Donoho was in the midst OF hi'
finest song a pale, frightened face looked II
at the door.
"Have YOU seen the children, Biddy Ma
loneyg"
{" sorra Bit" said Biddy; "and are the.
missing the night"
But the mother did not stay to answer Sh
rushed away on her frantic search, and wa
lust coming home, weary and discouraged
when hack drove up the dirty street, an
| the minister himself came to bring the chi
dren back. The minister looked around tn
comfortless room as well as he could by tn
light Of the smoky little candle, while tn
mother hugged her babies and laughed an
cried over them, very much as your mothe
would if you had been lost on cold Christ
mas Eve.
"Why did you leave them to freeze an
staryes" asked the minister, severely, thoug
he was feeling for his handkerchief all tn
time.
"What could do, sirS There's them that
poorer than ], and would never stop ToI
stealing the cover from the bed, let alone I'd
straw"
Now Mistress Maloney having dismisse
her boarders, and sitting snug and happ
over the fire, wanted nothing but bit OF
row to make her entirely comfortable. s.
hearing the noise and the strange voice, sf
made up her mind to put in an appearance
sits one of thin beggarly agents afther tf
rint, shure; and it's mesilfn sit him down tn
stairs"
So. as the poor mother finished her NEE
appeal, big, red face glowed over the mil
ister's shoulder, and high key voice d
manded:
"The sthraw from the bid, and the shma
hit of cover, is it, yc'd be takin' away from Il
childer, ye thafe O. the world?
"My good woman" began the minister.
"Hould yer blarney, and git along wild y
its mesilfll defind the wildly and the fathe
less"
"Couldn't you pick up something to NAL
; a fire ?" asked the minister, turning away fro
Biddy.
"Pick up, is il? An where wad she find !
!, | of firin, the size of q hin's tooth? Pick up
it? And when ye get yer desarts yen fl
things isn't to be had for the pickin' up"
: Biddy came nearer, and looked SO very b
and stout that the minister took step
. ward the door as he asked:
Are you often away so late?'
ttN,.x eexo,, e;r h,,t tho dayc arc short nj