The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-12-25
Holding the merciful little hand that had

Holding the merciful little hand that had
given it in both her own, she said gently:
"My daughter l accept your aims, for
see that it would grieve you to refuse it.
But tell me, do you wish for nothing for
yourself this Chrstmas-time Poor as
am, | may be able to satisfy one of your
DESIRES
While she spoke these words the eyes of
the woman shone like two stars, and the
child, sleeping now upon her lap, smiled
divnely in It's dreams.
Heartfelt Gold shook her faxen head
"No," she answered, 81 did mean to buy
that doll in the white dress there, with the
yellow hair, but after all Aunt Ulrca would
have broken it, perhaps, when went home;
and since you will not take my poor little
penny for nothing, will you give me kiss
for it, please9''
The beggar-woman bent down and ten
DERBY kissed the child's forehead, and the
caress seemed to lift Heart-of- Gold from
the earth and all its aches and pains
"My child" continued the unknown
woman, 81 do not wish your aims to 60
unrewarded. ] have penny to spend as
well as you, and did not know what to do
with it until l saw your kind little face.
Princes and great ladies have scattered
gold before me, but | Lave not deemed
them worthy to possess this ,''.iH. Take
it, Heart of Gold, and whatever hall H.
r. L. &c
And the woman gave her the penny. 1t
was an old brass coin, battered at the edges
and pierced through the middle with hole
as big as bean, and it was so worn that it
was impossible to tell what country it came
from.
Ali that could be seen was a crown of
rays, half effaced, on one side.
However, when Heart of Gold saw that
the coin was so small she gladly held out
her hand, believing that such gift could
be no great loss to the beggar-woman, and
looking upon it as friendly remembrance
only.
Poor thing she thought; "she does
not know what she is. talking about
Princes and fine ladies would have nothing
to say to her penny. 1t is SO shabby that
don't believe it would even buy an ounce of
bread"
The woman, whose eyes shone clearer
and clearer, smiled as if the child had
spoken out loud.
"Take it," she said tenderly. "Take
it, and you will see.''
So Heart of-Gold took the penny to obligc
her.
She stopped down to find the pocket of
her ragged little gown, and when she look
ed up again the woman was gone.
Heart of Gold slept in a garrett that was
piled with odds and ends of lumber and
broken furniture.
On moonlight nights-thanks to mar
row sky-light-she could see to get into
bed, but when there was no moon she had
to grope her way over to the miserable mat
tress on which she slept.
1t happened that Uric and Ulrica were
in bed that evening when she reached home,
and Heart of Gold stole straight up stairs.
On the dark nights she always had a great
dread of the sudden crcakings and groan-
ings and the sound of stealthy footsteps she
heard all round her, though it was merely
the cracking of the timber-work and the
swift racing of the rats and mice, so she
felt quite an affection for the beautiful moon,
whose bright face dissipated her fears.
Whenever it shone Heart of Gold opened
the sky-lght and thanked it for coming to
see her, and tonight she was delighted to
find her room lit up by a great luminous
ray that crept along the low black rafters
and filed the dismal corners with silver
splendor.
kneeling down in the calm white glory
Heart-of Gold folded her hands and prayed
as her dead mother had taught her, and
then, going towards the bed, she unfast-
ened her petticoat.
The petticoat slid heavily down, and
what should tumble out of the pocket but
shower of great big pennies.
Motionless with fright, Heart-of- Gold
watched them roll and roll, then stopped
down trembling and began to pick them up
one by one, taking them timidly IN the tips
of her fingers.
She piled them up breathlessly in an old
Golfer without attempting to count them,
for she only knew how to count up to fifty
and she saw that there were several hun
dreds of them at least.
When there were no more on the floor,
Heart Of Gold felt on lifting her petticoat,
that the pocket was still full and for more
than quarter of an hour she went on tax
ing handfuls of pennies out of it, until at
last she thought she never should get to
the bottom.
AT last there was only one left. Heart
of-Gold took it out, and saw that it was the
old brass coin the beggar-woman had given
her that evening in the street.
Then the child knew that something Won
derful had happened to her, and that the
battered old penny which she had thought
so lightly of was really coin such as the
richess people do not possess.
What should she do, thought Heart Of
Gold, if it went on until it filled the gar
ret? And how should she spend the piles
it had already made?
Like the industrious little woman she
was, Heart of-Gold always carried a needle
and thimble in her pocket, though she was
seldom allowed much time to mend her
clothes; and now. having searched about in
the moonlight for a piece of old canvas, she
sat down under the sKy-lisht and began to
make bag
She had not very much stuff, and besides
she was in great hurry, but as she began
to fill the bag it expanded with every hand
full she put in, and would easily have held
good deal more.
Then Heart Of Gold hid the bag under
her mattress, and being quite tired out by
this time fell fast asleep as she was think
ing in kind of rapture of all the good she
could do with her wonderful pennies tomor-
row.
III.