The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-12-13

q white china tea set for Ellen, with the
most diminutive cups and saucers, and
the daintiest sugar-bowl, and cream
mug, and water-pitcher and for little
Jane there was wax doll, with black
eyes, and ruby lips, and small dainty
rings of real brown hair and red-bird
in cage picking seeds out of yellow
trough and added to all these was a
purple horn-of-plenty tied with golden
ribbons, and filed with sugar plums for
each of the children.
Mrs. Russell's faded eyes cleaned
with new light as she gazed at the gifts.
She tried to speak, but the words
choked themselves back in her throat.
and she broke down in sob of tears.
"Wall, do say now, Miss Russell, !"
said her neighbor, attempting in awk-
ward but sincere fashion to comfort her.
"Don't give up 80. 1t amt much,
know, but then we all had to be chill
dren once"
Yes, Miss Green, and it's jest the
thought o. that and the good times we
used to have when 1 was wild, careless
gal at fathers that's cen Almost broke
my heart ever since I told the children
they mustn't expect to hang up their
stockings this Christmas. You never
did seen children 80 put down in your
life; they amt hardly smiled since, and
it's seemed as though we'd had funeral
in the house when put 'em to bed to-
night"
"Well, s'pose now you jest get their
stockings and we'll slip them in, and you
can pin 'em up to the bed-post, you
know"
Mrs. Russell went to her chest of
cherry drawers and brought forth three
small blue and white woolen stockings,
and the hearts of the two women were
full of tune of gladness, as they crowd
ed the playthings inside.
"The house won't hold em tomorrow
mornin'," exclaimed Mrs. Russell.
"They's be as proud as kings and
queens"
"Bless their hearts !'' said Miss Green.
There amt no use O. tryin' to get this
drum inside"
"No, I'll Jest set it on the mantle.
Dear me! 1 expect I sha'n't know
whether my heads off or on tomorrow
mornin' about seven o'clo ck."
And so Mrs. Russell's mother heart
dwelt on the delight of her children, and
Miss Green drank in her words greedily,
with frequent calculations of wonder
and sympathy.
"Ugh how the wind does blow |"
shawl closer about her head and fastened
down the road to her home, while raw
blast struck her in the face. The night
was full of the moan of winds and the
anger of black wintery clouds but
Charity Green did not mind this, for her
heart was full of the last words of Mrs.
Russell
"I don't know how to thank you,
Miss Green, but you have remembered
the widow and the fatherless, and be
sure God will remember it of YOU"
"Merry Christmas-merry Christmas,
Miss Green - The voices, the bright,
eager, children's voices, were outside the
door and inside the room all in breath.
There was Johnnie with his drum,
and Ellen whose blue eyes danced with
Joy over her tea-set, and little faxen-
haired Jane, who looked "cunning as
WITCH" Miss Green averred, as she
hugged up in true motherly fashion her
precious doll to her heart.
Then such confusion of voices and
running of feet, drowned frequently in
the sound of Johnnie's drum, as went
on for the next hour in Miss Green's
solitary room.
"We're goin' TO play company this
afternoon, said Ellen, "and I'm goin'
to set out my tea-set and -
"And I'm goin' to be mother" broke
in the sweet child-voice of little Jane.
And I shall bring dolly and the canary
and act just like big woman goin'
visitin."
"And I'm goin' to be soldier Jest
come home from the wars" said Johnnie;
and here he struck ON his drum so loud
that Miss Green put her hands to her
ears, exclaiming "Oh, children, for
all the world What a clash you do
make |" but her face was full of smiles
all the time.
Miss Charity Green wore her old black