Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-02
From the st. Nicholas Magazine.]
MAYS CHRISTMAS.TREE.
BY OLIVE THORNE.

!, "What do you do on Christmas 2" asl
ed pale-faced little girl in black dres
of her cousin Jeanne.
christmas ?" said Jeanie, with q pu.
zled look on her rosy face. "Wh,
nothing only just not 60 to school,"
"Nothing!" returned the first speak
er, aghast. Don't you have any Chris
mas-t tree ?"
"Christmas-tree! What's that ?" ash
ed Jeanie.
''Nor hang up your stockingw
Jeanie shook her head.
"Nor have a single bit of present !?
May went on in utter amazement.
"What fort" asked Jeanie.
"Why, don't you know about SAINT
Claus, who comes down the chimney o.
Christmas Eve, and gives everybody
present?" said May, completely bewild
cred.
"Don't know nothing bout him." sal
Jeanie. "Don't b'lieve there's any sucl
a person in Missouri"
May drew long sigh. 1t was not tn
! first time she had sighed since th
jolting old wagon, called stage, ha'
landed her, two weeks before, at her un
cle's home, wretched, penniless or
phan.
"What is a Christmas-tree, any way p
asked Jeanie, seeing that May was no
going to speak.
"Oh, it's beautiful green tree, cover
ed with lights and presents and beauti
full things! When mamma was alive We
always had one on Christmas Eve"
"Does it grow so ?" asked Jeanie curl
ously.
"Of course not! what a question p
said May, "Do you know what Christ.
mas is, anyhowW she added, with {
quick flush of color.
"Of course 1 do" retorted Jeanie
''but that hasn't anything to do with
Christmas-trees."
"Yes it has," said May, earnestly. "a
great deal to do with them, and with
every way that we have for having ev-
erythiug just as sweet and lovely as we
can on that day. Mother always said
so."
Jeanie opened her eyes wider, and
then asked softly:
"But what about the Christmas-tre
May?"
"Well, it's cut down and brought into
the house, and all the things put on be-
fore you see it, and when it's all ready
the folding doors are opened, and-oh
it's beautiful" May added in ecstacy.
"Last Christmas I had such lovely
things,-the prettiest blue dress you ever
saw-I've got piece of it in my trunk
and new clothes for my doll Oh, such
nice ones a whole suit with overskirt,
and all in the fashion and a cornucopia
of candies and box of nuts and raisins
and Oh, can't think of half the
things" added May, brightly, yet half
ready to crv
II wish 1 could see one," said Jeanie; !;
"but we don't have such things here
Ma hasn't got time, nor anybody"
"I'll tell you what we can do, I guess, /"
said May, who had been receiving an
idea in her mind; I'VE might get up one
ourselves-you could of course it would
not be be so nice as mammals, but it
would be better than none.n
"Well, let's!" said Jeanie, land not
tell single one till it's all DONE"
"Where can we have it? We need q
fire and d door that will lock-" said
May.
"Oh, Pail let me have the out-room,
Iknow, if / coax him." said Jeanie,
land we can puta nail over the latch to
fasten the door"
The out room, you must know, was a
roughly built room, little apart from
the house. 1t had big open fire place
and huge kettle, and when there was
any big work, like making up the years
soap, or putting down the years. supply
Of salt pork, a great fire was built there
and the out room came into use.
"Well," said May, ref1ectively, ~
guess we can do it; we can trim it up,
you know"
"How," asked Jeanie, to whom all
Christmas ways were unknown myste-
ries.
ooh, I'll show you. We can get ever
green's in the woods, and oh, some Of
that lovely bitter-sweet, and I can make
paper flowers" May went on enthusias-
tically, as ideas rushed into her mind
"We can have it real pretty but don't
let's tell anybody a thing about it."
The next week was very busy one to
out of school, they were whispering in
work, which they would hide if any one
came near.
Mrs. Stanley was glad to see the first
cheerful look on the face of the orphan,
and did not interfere so long as the girls
kept out of her way. The boys-of
whom there were two younger and one
older than Jeanie-were very curious,
and Will-the older ona-rather teasing
about it; but on the whole May and
Jeanie succeeded very we'll in keeping
their secret.
Two days before Christmas Jeanie
followed her father as he started off in
the morning to the barn to feed the cat
tie. How she managed her teasing l
cannot say, but in short time came in
to the house, rad ant, gave mysterious
nod to May. and they at once disap-
peared upstairs.
Soon they stole down the back way,
armed themselves with brooms, mate
rials for a fire, and big nail with which
to lock the door, and slipped into the
Out-room.
1t was not promising looking place,
but they were young and enthusiastic
so Jeanie went to work to build up q
roaring fire, and May began with the
BROOM"
Well, they worked all day, harder
than ever before in their lives, and all
the next day, and when at last the room
was ready for company it really looked
very pretty.
The bare walls were ornamented with
wreaths of the gay bitter-sweet, and
evergreen boughs, frightened by an oc-
casional rose or lily neatly made by
May, of thin white paper. The big ket-
tie was transformed into a table by
means of board or two across the top,
and white sheet spread over all. The
two windows were curtained with old
newspapers, concealed by branches Of
evergreen. In the center of the room
stood tub, and braced up in it by
stones and sticks of wood, hidden by
sprays of green, stood a very pretty
evergreen-tree. There were no candles
on it, for theunited wisdom of the two
workers had not been able to compass
that. But the bright flickering light OF
the fire was enough, and in fact made
just the right effect, as it did not reveal
too much.
On the tree were hung bits of bright
ribbon and other pretty things out o
Mays trunk-keepsakes from her ole
playmates. These were used just fol-
decoration. There were long strings ol
popped corn besides. There were fes
toons about the branches, and among
them present for each one of the fam
lily.
All this time, one of the girls hal
been obliged to stay in the out-room ev
cry moment to keep the door locked
| for the boys were Just wild to find Ou