The Red Cloud chief., 1877-01-18
HARRY HALLS CHRISTMAS.
BY NELLIE BROWN.

6dlU.
Mother, shall / get any presents, to
morrow. do you Think
Mrs. Hall was a widow, whose bus-
band had been dead several years, and
who, dying, had left her nothing but
the little house in which she lived, and
1t was only by the greatest ~self-denial
and hard work that she managed to
make a living for herself and child.
And such a living as it was! The
barest necessities Of life-suficient
clothing to keep them from freezing.
and the p~lainest, cOarsest food, wheat
bread being a rare luxury. And yet,
such as it was, the widow was thank
full. She placed all her trust in Him
who "heareth the sparrows when they
cry," and she never doubted but that
in His own good time all would be well;
and in answer to Harry's question she
asked:
SLOW old are you, my SOM"
Harry, pushing aside his now empty
bowl, and drawing his thin. meagre
little figure to its utmost height, said,
proudly:
"Why, mamma, was eight last Mon.
day. See! l am almost a man."
Inc widow smiled at his bOyish
eagerness to be a man, and, calling him
to her. she put her arm around him, and
drawing him toward her, she said:
"Yes, my dear, you are quite a man,
and mother is sorry that she can not get
you any presents this Year, but l have
been too poor to buy you anything.
But, Tomorrow, you shall carry this
sewing home TO Mrs. Bell. and you can
have half the money to buy what you
wish. l tried hard to get it done 50
that ] might get you something; but /
can not finish it before the shops are
closed"
For answer the boy threw his arms
about his mothers neck, and kissed her
again and again, saying:
"Oh, mother, how kind and good YOU
are"
And then he sat down to think Of
what he should buy. He sat thus for
some time, until at last he said:
"Are you sure she will pay you to-
morrow, mammal"
"Yes, my dear" answered Mrs. Hall.
81 think she will, she has always paid
me very promptly for my work, and
she promised to pay me for this as soon
as l finisl ed it. But it is almost bed
time. my son, and You must read your
chapter and go to bed"
They did not burn late fires at the
widow Halls; fuel was too dear to he
unnecessarily wasted; although MANY
a night after her little son was asleep
she would sit and sew until the gray
dawn OF the morning; and that, too.
without a fire at which to warm her
cold, benumbed fingers.
Harry Obediently got his little Bible.
and, after reading a chapter and saving
his prayers at his mothers knee. he
went to bed. While his mother sat
diligently sewing until the town bel,
rang out the midnight hour, and then
her work being finished she folded and
laid 1t away and retired to her rest.
Although poor, Mrs. Hall had No.
always been SO. Her father was at one
time a wealthy merchant, but by yari.
Gus misfortunes he lost nearly all he
possessed, and dying, left his two chill.
dren, Mary and Albert. almost nenn;,
less. Shortly after his death. MARY
married MI. Hall, and her brother
started Tor the gold fields of California
and although she had written numerous
letters to him she had never received
any word from him, and she had lono
since gwen him up for dead.
christmas morning dawped clear and
beautiful. Inside Jack Frost had fres.
coed g%orgeously the windows: while
out doors the earth was clothed in IFS
pure white blanket of snow. I.ittIe
Harry Hall rose early, and kipdliro tbs
nre' soon had the kettle singing merrilv
ihen after placing two bowls on tbe
little pine table, putting the milk r.
warm In a pan on the stove. and ge,tino
.he corn bread and sal: from the cun'
ooard' he went to the door of his
mothers room, and knocking gently he
cried: ne
Merry Christmas, mamma! Rreat.
fast is ready"
Breakfast ready. 1 wonder how m.rr
OF the children who read the Youtb;s
column ever sit down to such a scantv
breakfast as that. None, I sincere,y
nope. After breakfast Mrs. Hall pave
larry the sewing. who, after kissing
MS mother goodbye, started of. Tie
was not long in reaching Mrs. Bells
VINO paid him for the work and gave
MN. besides, a beautiful red annie
winch Harry put in his pocket to keen
TOT his mother, and then started low.
fully to the store to purchase his Christ.
mas present. Mrs. Bell had paid him
fifty cents. and accordingly twenty-five
cents was his. He had already made
up his mind what he should buy. And
what do You think it was? A pair of
warm mittens for his mother. He
never once thought of himself, nor how
cold his own inrers were; but he re-
membered how red his mothers looked
when she came home from her errands.
As he entered the shop a gentleman
stood talking with the stOrekeeper; but
as Harry drew near the counter, he