The Richmond palladium., 1874-12-23

a peal of bells couldn't have been
more inspiring,
You look Ike belated Christ
mas said, Joining in the laugh in
spite Of myself; did you lose your
way, o. oycrslcep that you are two or
three weeks behind time? You are
too late, | assure you, and may as we'll
l,ut !,y your basket and bundle, ever
greens and berries till another year.
Il may be too :ate for your Christ
mas, she said gaily. but not for
niue. Ny Christmas lasts all the
year round. Isn't it strange, she
added softly. how everything is so
twisted in with everything else? You
can { Go the simplest thing, hardly, so
much as pluck a flower, without find
ing out presently, that you are pulling
away ct the roots of the world" |
did not in the least know what she
meant, but before [ had time to ask
she continued: There is neither be-
ginning nor end to anything. Every
good impulse IS golden clue, no mat
ter where we get hold of it, it will
lead US if we will but hold fast and
follow it. up to the great White
Throne. I got hold of the Christmas
idea when [ was little child, and it
has been Christmas with me every day
from that time to this, and [ suppose
will be as long as live"
Do tell me about it, [ pleaded.
Eyes. dear, sometime. but not now,
for we must hurry along with these
things. [ heard only last night that
the Dunovers are in very bad way.
The father was injured just befoae
Christmas by the falling of a timber,
and the poor feeble mother has been
unable to do anything since Septem-
ber. There are six of the little Dun
overs, destitute. / suppose, of almost
everything. | ran round to half a
dozen families this morning and got a
few things together, now we will go
and see what is to be done next
Fairy dismissed me at the door,
howeyer-she was very delicate in her
dealing with the poor-but called an
hour after, to say that she had found
things even worse than she expected.
and to ask me to spend the evening
at her room, sewing for the little
Dunovers.
So that is how | came to be seated
on one side of the round table and the
Fairy on the other, |, with th:mble on
finger and darning needle in hand, she,
rapidly sorting out the contents Of
various bundles, and passing over to
ne the stockings whose waste places
were to be made good.
six pairs of new stockings from
Dowell Brothers, cried the Fairy
glcefully, ''and four and four are
eight, and four are twelve pairs partly
worn, which | picked up about town
and which you are to make as good as
new. Be sure, dear, to run all the
thin places. [ will take charge Of this
regiment of jackets and trowsers, and
between us, we will soon have the lit
tie Dunovers fitted out like family
OF princesses."
And what is in the big bundle?' !
asked obviously. [ liked the com
pany of the Fairy, but was not yet i'm
bued with her spirit
That? Oh the contents of that
bundle will make your eyes and heart
dance when you see them. New cloth
to make up for the mother, poor thing
She has devoted all the little strength
she had to keeping something on the
backs of the children, so that she has
nothing to wear herself But We
must see to the little ones first, fol
they are out, and have to face tn,
weather, while she can at least keel
warm in bed Helping to make ul
the new cloth shall be your reward
tor helping me put the old things il
ORDER
But how did you get so much Civ
en- you?' asked. Just after th'
holidays, too, such a bad time fo
charitable work
SO every one kept telling me, ant
that is what [ can't for the life of N,
understand. [ do wish people, espe
cially people who pretend to be Chris
tians, really believed in Christmas"
why Fairy" I cried in surprise
+, every body believes in Christmas"
F., "Oh no, they don't. dear; everybod,
believes in having Christmas presents
and good dinner, and pudding will
plums in it, and saying to everybod,
else wish you a merry Christmas,
Oh dear, no! When [ was a child
lived in the city, and l we'll remembe
how eagerly used to watch the grad
ual coming on of Christmas.
Can you sew and listen at the SAN,
time, dear? because if you can't
must stop talking"
''Oh do go on, Fairy, l promise no
to lose an instant, listening and stock
ing-mending were made for eacl
other
/ used to notice the first premoni
tory symptoms. the early buildings o
innumerable Christmas trees in tn
share of beautiful things displayed il
the shop windows, and then the grad
ual bursting into full flower and tn
whole city transformed into fair
land"
The Fairy sighed a little, an
though her needle few backward an,
forward as swiftly as ever, somethin
told me that her thoughts were in th
past, and that between that time, an,
the present stretched a wide, dee
river of varied experience. Pus
stepped demurely down from the foot
stool and walked across the rug t
her mistress Then she rubbed he
head against her dress, first on on
side then on the other, looking up a.
the while wistfully into her face. TIL
swift fight of the needle was stage
for an instant, while light caress dc
scended on the head of Puss, wht
conscious, apparently, Of having eS
pressed her sympathy. and done a
that could reasonably be expected {
her, walked sedately back, remounte
the foot stool and sat gazing reflective
ly into the fire.
How far off those early Chris
..c..,.