The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-12-24
JUVENILE COLUMN.
LEON MATURIN's CHRISTMAS EVE.
BYF. C. JACKSON.
From st. Nicholas.)

Annette were glad to turn from the window
where they had been for the last half hour
andnestle down together in one corner OF tne
big fireplace. There was no lamp or can
.. 1le in the room, but the large fire OF the
peat and brushwOod sent ferth rudy
glow, which frightened everything lmme-
diately around it, while an occasional leap
ing flame would suddenly bring into view
Shadows chasing each other lnto the far
thest corner of toe low kitchen.
The pot was boiling over the fire, and
Mere Maturin was walking backward and
a Forward preparing supper.
!" See, Leon" whispered Annette, &" how
funny grandma's cap looks on the wall
When she goes over to the cupboard it is
quite small, and when she comes nearer
here it grows up, up, half way over
the ceiling. Look, there it is now, Just
like one of Maitre Cauesiu's haymows in
July!'
yes, ard see the spinning wheel change
and turn as if the fairies were spinning on
itp
"Do they ever, Leon Perhaps they
are doing IL now. Oh, if we could see
4 them!
You little silly" replied her brother.
Who ever saw fairies Christmas Ever II
it were midsummer now st. Johns Eve
ia the time for them. See here, Annette, if
You are very good from now till st. Johns
Eve,-if you do every thing want you to,
If, if" said Leon, wishing to make as
good bargain as possible "if you always
drive Blanchette home from pasture when
I want to play with George, it you will al
ways get grandmother the crosses when
don't want to go to the brook fer them, /
will show you the fairies on that night !;
. thai 49," added the boy, thinking, perhaps,
he had better not promise too much,
will let you go with me to the big stones in
the middle of the wood yonder, Just at
midnight, and there-Maitre CanssIn's Jo-
aeph told NE so-you will be sure to see
them"
"Oh, Leon, will do anything for you if
you will but let me see them But it so
4 II one can gee them any other time. Grand
ma :" (raising Der vOice), b" do the fairies
ever come Christmas Eve, and do they
ever turn the spinning wheels to help PEG
ple7"
Nay, child, who ever heard of fairies
then ]" said Mere Maturin, " and if they
did take the trouble to turn spinning.
wheels, it would not be for idle folks like
You Come and put the dishes on the table,
supper"
+ Annette speedily obeyed, and there was
no more talk of fairies for an hour. After
that; the dishes being all washed and put
away, and grandmother seated in the Chin
NEWCOMER with her knitting, the children
took their places, side by side, on the hearth
opposite to her, and began to plead with
her for some legends and stories, such as
they loved to hear.
Leon and Annette lived in Brittany, in
little old cottage not far from the sea,
and few miles from the town of ST, Malo.
Their eldest and only brother, LoNfs, had
gone as o soldier two years before, and was
&C Touion with his regiment. Once in a
great while they heard from him, and his
last letter but one haG told them he was
married. They were looking for a letter
from him now, for it was six months since
the last one came, and they eaid:
i" Louis will surely send US a message for
Christmas"
This Christmas Eve, the father and mo
Their had gone into ST. Mao, to be present
at the midnight mass and Christmas morn
ing service, after which they were to- come
home, and the children had been left with
their grandmother. Since sunset, the snow,
which had been gathering overhead all day,
had begun to fall, and was rapidly covering
up the well beaten road, on which for many
weeks no fresh snow had fallen.
Tales, tales, ead the old woman, "you
nave heafo them all many times, my chill
dren. nave no new stores for Won"
Then tell Us old ones, dear grapdmam.
NAL" 3
They say, then, little ones, and have
heard 1t ever since was but half your size.
that on the Holy Christmas We, when the
hour of midnight strikes, all the oxen and
creatures, because they stood by when the
Blessed Mary laid the Holy Babe in the
manger," and the old woman made the sign
of the cross devoutly.
"But is it true, gTandma =" said little An
nette eagerly.
81 cannot say for myself, as 1 never
heard them speak, child; but why should
not poor brutes have voice given them for
once for sake of that blessed night, that
they may praise God 2 There was An
toine," the old woman went Oh, murmur-
Ing to herself, "sat up on purpose to hear
them one night, and at twelve he went out
TO the stable, but the poor fool made such
a Gathering in undoing the door, that the
beasts in St. Mao might have heard him
through their sleep, 30 the ass and the COW
were we'll warned, and never a word would
they speak before him; and they weIe wiser
man come folks if they had secrets to talk
ABOUT for everything Antoine heard he went
bSt o a aud told it; and, indeed, believe
ne could not have helped it, if he knew he