American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-02

| Their faces fair to
| And the golden CLEAN of their shining hair
| Is bright as a crown might be.
| And many a stranger stops to smile
The beautiful children looking out
| On the dark and wintry night
| With tattered garments and faces thin,
| Abroad in the bitter cold
The poor mans children are looking in
Through the curtains crimson fold.
| The bleak wind tosses their rags in scorn,
| Their feet are aching and bare.
While they gaze at the beauty and warmth
And the children's faces fair.
| Think as hasten alcng the street,
| OF the beautiful home above,
| Where the rich and the poor alike will meet,
| And share in the Fathers love.
The Lord will open the shining door
And gather His dear ones in
The rich with their soft and dainty robes,
And the poor with their garments thin
az guess she's an angel" said Molly, ad
| miringly, but Ted Strengthened up and took
| courage ut hearing of the beautiful home
| where the rich and the poor are to be gath
| cred in and loved alike.
Then came a very sweet old poem called
Little Barbara's Hymn" which tells how the
mother sang at her spinning the words OF a
quaint old hymn with this refrain:
| Whether IRE sleep, tchether aDe pdke,
We are His ,cho care His life for our sake.
The poem went on through a good many
verses to tell how
Little barbara. ,cdtching the sninniHg trheet,
1nd keeping time ecith toe and heel,
caught up the song, and in her childish fash
| ion went singing it through the world And
| every verse had the same ending:
Whether we sleep, or whether we wake
We are His who gave His life for our sake
Now Ted did not understand the poem in
| the least, but he had heard great deal about
| his soldier father who gave his life for his
| country when Molly was miserable little
baby His poor mother had told him of 1t
| over and over, and though she couldn't for
her life see how the country was any better
Off especially she and the children always
| had plenty before and had been starving ever
since, still she firmly believed that her hus-
band had died for his country, and saved IL
| beyond doubt.
| So when Ted heard the refrain of the hymn
| he had no doubt it was all about his father,
and felt proud as "a hero in his shabby OLD
| clothes.
Then began the distribution of presents,
| and the happy children as their names were
called futtered up to the lighted stage and
| received their gifts from the wonderful tree.
| Molly watched with GREATNESS interest, but
| as name after name was called her clear eyes
| began to grow troubled.
| @They don't call us, Teddy" she whis-
pered. anxiously, "there won't be a thing
left" At last the long list came to an end ;
tears gathered in Molly's eyes and rolled
| slowly down her cheeks, but just then the
| minister came forward and said
| "Among so many children it is quite likely
| we NAV have omitted some one. If any chIlds
name has not been called let him come for,
| ward now; we have plenty OF presents lett
"That's us, Molly; come on" said Ted,
erasping his sisters hand and pushing his old
hat so firmly upon his head that lock OF hair
like little red plume came up through the torn
| top. There IA moments silence ana then
| everyone began to stare and smile as the Two
| queer little figures made their way up the
aisle and through the wel-iressed crowd.
right up on the lighted platform
please, sir" said Ted, looking as bold as a
| lion, they didn't call us; we halnt hao nary
| q thing mem, MOllyn
somebody laughed; think it was girl;
not an ill-natured laugh, but one oil those
merry little giggles that bubble over OF their
| own accord, and everybody else joined IN;
| The Young folks because they felt jolly and
| were lust Spelling for something to laugh at,
| and the older ones because their eyes were
| full of something that blinded them ana their
| throats full of something that choked them )
| and if they had not laughed they must GER
| tainly have cried. .-
| When it was all quiet, boy in the very
front seat-a fat boy in a velvet lacketIca a, n,
| who had stood all the rest, doubled up his fists
| and called out, angrily: :.
"Jist come up here if you want to git a
| head put on ye."
Poor little souls" said the minister, com
| ing forward "Whose children are your
| q His'n,r said Ted, confidently; His'n who
| gave His life for our sakes," thinking only,
know Of his dead faahs5 little Molly
| IN and pushing the sunbOnnet on from the
bright, curly head, " l believe you are, and
He sent you to teach us a lesson. Am
| Then stepping forward, with the child still
| in his arms, he said: 1890
NV friends. here are two of Gods little
children whom we neglected to invite to our
feast. Who will help to make merry Christ
mas for them"'
And, bless you. how they helped.
One mother spared hood and another a
cloak from the wraps of her petted darling,
| and the fat boy gave Ted his warm cap ana
/ lie ff,rfnr
| Molly had a doll, a crying doll, and all little
| mothers know that crying is a prime virtue
| in a doll, whatever notions grown-up mothers
| NAV have about esh-and- blood babies. lea
| had Two lack knives, one in each hand, Tor
| there was nothing left of his pockets but the
| hole at the top, which was as 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 slmpletohs,
| frosted cake and jelly, lemonade and pink ice
| cream And why not, TO be sure? III once IN
| our lives YOU and should happen TO stumble
into a fairy land wouldn't we eat the gopil Ia;
| golden apples and fill our pockets from MS
| chest of Jewels, without any regard to the
| dreadful consequences!
While they are eating we may as well look
after the mother who had locked theli up
| and carried off the key to the castle.
| Just about the time Ted was climbing
| through the window she was polishing OIL the
| last piece from her ironing in the warm
| kitchen of an elegant mansion, CHANGING as
She did il at the windows where the daylight
| was fast disappearing and thinking IT would
| be quite dark before she got home. Inc door
opened and a face as fair as a pink wild rose
looked in. Two white hands glittering with
gems held long, trailing vines ana prl@ht
| berries ami pleasant voice said:
| "Oh Mary ! must have you moment 10
! help me trim the parlor cuTtains never NINA
the rest of the ironing" ,.
"rm lust done, Miss" and with sinking
| heart the Door woman followed the young
girl to the parlors, where the gas-light made
| a soft radiance over velvet and marble anu
rare paintings. Her coarse shoes were
quite buried among the roses OF the carpet
and she was glad to step upon the prignt
drupcet spread to catch the dropping leaves.
| Mounted on step-ladder she followed skill
fully the lady's directions, and the green
| tracerv 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 cIumsiuess- Wouldn't you like to stay ana
help in the supper room tonight
"Pye two little children ut home
"Oh, well, let them run into neighoof s.
YOU needn't be away very late"
" But they've no supper
"Supper doesn't matter to children Ihes
can pick up something for themselves, care
say: we children used TO think 1t was prime
fun to 90 to the pantry
..If there was anything there, said the poor
! woman with a sprrpWitil thought oil the empty