Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-23
TIE CHRISTMAS TREE.

BY MARGARET Y. sANGsTER-
oar darling little Florence orr blessing and ou
w,,h SImpied cheeks. and golden hair, and brown
- look st every pretty thing. came flying il
IN please,- she pleaded earnestly, Il want
Christmas tree
one at Sunday school,
And ron will see its laden boughs with Lowell,
presents fun.
YES said the child. but would pke one o.
And / win ask my company to come myself
alone.
81 bad dream last night; seemed out in til.
woods 10 be,
And growing up right in the snow l saw spltn
did tree
watched they spread
Their fairy wIugs. and seemed To make q curtain
DER my head.
The tree was shining like the stars, with tapers
burning bright,
AID happy faces seemed TO glow around II in the
ne little angels talked and talked they said
This II the tree
nat we've been keeping beautiful for Florence,
dear, TO see.
We'll Nft II clear we'll bear IL far. well take
IL To her door.
The prcttiesr, greenest Christmas tree, wen set
u on her hoor
And If she asks the guests she ought wen linger
there and sing,
Our voices blending In with theirs, as cheerily
they ring.
A lovely dream, indeed" said; :" but whom
will you invite.
Well lind tree quite easily, and star its boughs
Blu, baby 10 not old enough to have her play
mates come,
And yours are all engaged, my $o,e, each in her
own bright home"
Thought ia go to Bridget house, and ask her
And thai bar.iooted boy who sells matches at the
And We win dress them up with shoes and stock
ipgs, 10 begin.
And give them presents; will put all my own
money In.
..You only ought to see the doll poor Katie thinks
Its dingy face is just as brown as some old bunch
Of herb,
And ali he -awdusts pouring out its broken arm,
She loves It, and considers it a beauty and pet.
Poor Johnny has no mother His feet are bare
and blue,
And his eyes have such hungry |. ok when he
dares 10 look Mt you,
| think il would be sweet to give bit Of Christ.
And happiness you'--to such u little,
lonely boy"
Well children have their way with me, and Flor
ence has way
That IL 30 free from selfshness, so gentle and
so gay, So
We love TO please her; that's the truth. We
helped her all we could,
And half dom little guests around her tree
there stood.
Its branches hung with golden fruit, dolls and
dishes and drums,
Elephants, horses. and woolly dogs aud boxes oil
sugar-plums;
A trumpet was given TO Johnny that terribly
frightened the cat,
And The TOP of his Christmas was crowned when
We gave him q soldier hat
Our baby was charmed with aratte and for Flor
ence's dainty self
Was music-box that played sweet tunes from
its niche on a rosewood shelf;
And Katie brood above her doll In a sort oil
Inotheriy rapture,
holding IL core lest ruthless hand its form from
her grasp should capture;
And tridget's Jolly, half-moon face beamed oYei
the happy scene
The tree was tree To be glad about, aud Florence
felt like queen.
For somehow, not only for Christmas, but all the
long year through,
The 10y that yoI give TO others Is the JOY thai
comes back TO YOU;
And the more ,ou spend In blessing the poor, the
lonely and sad.
The more TO your hearts possessing, returns to
make you glad.