Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-12-26
"MYsELF. or THE CHILDREN -
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

| Once upon time, and that not SO
very long ago, five children sat around
small FIRE, trying their best to feel
comfortably the warmth it afforded
and trying also to feel little Christmas
excitement by indulging in impossible
fancles.
The time was about half past o'clock
Of the 23d Of December, and the place
was one Of dozen wretched tumble
down houses in close court in the east
end Of London.
The children belonged to Stephen
and Harriet Gregson, both Of whom were
absent from home just now ; Stephen
not having yet returned from his daily
work, (he was employed as carpenter
in a ship building yard,) and Mrs. Greg
son beng still at work at a house half a
mile off. Necessity compelled her to
go out three days week as charwo-
man. -
When I add that this poor home was
being constantly impoverished by the
fathers wages going in unstinted mea-
sure to the public house, instead of be-
ing devoted to its comfort, also that its
peace was often sadly disturbed by
drunken discord, you will say that the
five children gathered around the fire
might try their very best to feel happy
and merry without being very success
full. - a'...-
The spokeswoman Of the party was a
pale, fragile little girl Of five years,
named Maggie. Although Bessie was
Two years older, she always deferred to
Maggie as to one who had experiences
of which she knew nothing. Maggie,
too, had far more control than her elder
sister over the two little lads, Tom and
Jack, who were sad scapegraces when
their mother was out at work, ana would
manage to attract to themselves every
bit OF mud and dust that came in their
way, and to get into every possible bit
of mischief that was going. Below these
wee men of two and half and four
years, there was baby, Bob, aged twelve
months, whom Bessie and Maggie mind
ed between them. 99W
They had now gathered together to
await their parents return home, and
Maggie was RECALLING them with some of
her experiences and Christmas fancies.
She was childish in her talk, but very
old fashioned in manner.
She had been some time entertaining
them with her chat, when, unheard by
the absorbed young listeners, their faith
er entered the house. When he heard
Maggie's soft voice engaged In tale tell
ing, he paused to listen. Stephen was a
man Of very affectionate disposition and
deep feeling and, when in his sober
senses, he cherished for Maggie q ten
derness greater than he felt for any of
the other children. Mingled with his
love for the frail little girl was. const-
ant sense Of regret that she would be a
lifelong cripple and invalid through him.
And so it was F; for many months ago
in one Of his drunken upsets, he knock
ed the child down and fell heavily upon
her, breaking her thigh, and causing in
ternal injuries, which she would never
est over. For some time the little girl
had been an inmate of the Hospital for
Sick Children, in Great Ormond Street,
and all that medical skill and kind care
could do for her was done but Maggie
would never more be the bliths child
that sheltwaa bsfors her sad accident
The tune spsnt Ia the hsspital oh,
looked back upon Is the one happy
memory Of her life / and she neve.
wearled Of telling her brothers and sis
} ters Of ill shs had seen and hoard there