The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-24

over that basket you see in the corner,
and this little lady was singing merrily,
/ can tell you, though out of the wrong
corner of her mouth, as my old nurse
used to say. 1 stood starin' an shiverin
until Deborah said
"Wny don't you make fire z"
"Then threw big shawl over her
and the baby, and went to work. Oh,
you'd laughed TO see las old folks here
in the middle OF the night fussin with
that baby. She's no trouble. just as
soon rs we fed her all the milk she'd eat
she went to sleep, and slept like d
kitten till late this morning. Ha! ha
ha -
"But where was the basket, auntie, u
/ asked.
"On the front doorstep. 1t had only
commenced showing then"
"What little darling she is" / said,
taking the baby. "See how her wee
fingers clasp mine, poor dainty darling,
who could leave you in the snow? I'm
Gle Porter, Mrs. Morrison wants to take
child, or there is the orphan asylum
you"
Mrs. Morrison take it-orphan asy-
lum tell You its ours, ours, shouted
the good man, and catching the baby
Rugged it close to his great big, tender
heart. So the baby remained mystery,
and remained also at Uncle Porter's.
She became a neighborhood pet. The
kind Father must have guided the feet
of those who carried her to her adopted
home for there could not be better.
They named her Marcia, it was in
March they found her. The next May
1 was eighteen, my parents gave me a
beautiful gold watch. After kissing and
thanking them hundred times, the
next thing was to run over and show it
to Uncle and Auntie Porter.
"And so you're eighteen to-day"
uncle said, kissing me, "well think we
shall come in for our share of the glad
ness, having been bothered with you all
these years" when / tried to put
my hand over his mouth, he caught my
arm, and clasping beautiful gold brace
let on it, continued "What do you
think of this, and this" putting one on
the other arm, "You won't object to the
old-fashioned names, will you?" Wip-
ing my eyes 1 read, "Uncle Solomon"
on one and "Aunt Deborah" on the
other.
"Object," cried.
"Well never mind" said auntie, "we
want you to help us a little now. We
were just talking as you came in about
Marcia's birthday"
But you don't know" interrupted.
"WeD, suppose we don't know just
exactly the day, we want she should
have day to count the years by. She
must have her gifts and little parties,
you know, like folks we don't want her
to think, my birthday is sometime in
February Now we can call it the day
we found her, or, safely, three weeks be-
fore, what do you say!'
did not speak for a moment, new
light was creeping in my mind about
Christmas. "To be sure Marcia must
have birthday" L said. 81 would have
it the day you found her." l bent over
to kiss the little pink and white darling
and to hide my tears.
"Now that's just what we thought, !"
Uncle Porter said, passing his snuff box
to his wife. The 9TH of March was fixed
upon as little Marcia's birthday. AS /
walked thoughtfully home, l said to my
self: "Well little Marcia has done me
good, has set my mind at lest about
Christ's Birthday, which perhaps had
been foolish about; now L am SO glad
there is day handed down to us that
we may think of as one to celebrate the
greatest gift to us, and that we may
teach our young friends to love Christ's
Birthday.