Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-01-09


and cap, which were straightway put on
When the supper was finished, the Joy of the
children manilesting itself in shy looks,
half-suppressed delight, and words of hearty
thankfulness. BY the time they had re-
ceved the extra groscheu for taking the tree
TO the house they had quite forgotten the
coveted thaer, and kissing the hands which
had dealt with them so generously, they
were bounding off, with farewell look at
heir beloved tree, yet in the hall, when the
gentleman called out to them
Stop, children. Are you quite sure you
know the way home z"
Yes, sir; thank you. We can 90 like
bees to the hive"
"Tell me, then, where the hive is and how
Son reach IL that ! may know you are not
mistaken"
First, them" proudly answered Hans.
we 90 to Konigsplalz then through Wind
mullen Strasse, out upon the road toward
Thonberg AS far as Napoleon's monument
where the biggest fight was and there We
turn toward the sunset, and Just before we
get 10 the little village, in the first little
house all by itself with the peaked roof com
ing above the paling, we shall fnd granny.
wondering think. where we are"
" So That is good Run then and find
her, and don't let the heavy carts run over
little Gretchen"
In the two intervening days before Christ
mas Hans devised various plans for earning
MS lots of money!" but, strive as he would,
by seeking to do errands in the town, open
ing drosky doors for passengers aud guild
ing strangers TO different streets, etc, he
could only now and then add few pfenings
(ten Of which here in Saxony make gros-
chem to his little store, which would have
....lgr Ia 4. l 4 4 4
do so much with it,
If ever he was discouraged, Gretchen was
ready to cheer him with words of comfort
md sympathy but they were each a little
sad when they found on Christmas Eve that
they had but seven groschen and five pfen-
ngs. 1t was good deal Of money for
hem, to be sure, but fal too llLvie for the
ireadful rent, which would be more dread
ul still if il should not be paid They
looked u long time at the little coins, all
'pread out on the stone floor in the little
corner where they were accustomed TO play
md invent wonderful stories for one another.
Hans face was anxious and clouded but
iretchen's wide-open eyes seemed only full
Of earnest thought
=" Seven and FIVE" she repeated slowly.
"Ill tell you what, Hans, don't you remem-
Der hearing granny read out of the Bible
now Christ once wanted ever so much bread
20 feed crowds of people, and he had only
i've loaves and two fishes, and he somehow
made them 60 round, so that everybody had
nough and more? | believe the holy
'hrist Child could make these groschens
nd pfeniugs go round, if he could only
know about it. | think I'll pray. Won't
I0u, Hans 2" Hans was silent aud disturbed
" 1t would be dreadful to have to leave
'ur home, and no place to go to-" urged
Gretchen, and she gently attempted to lead
Hans away. But he hastily gathered M the
coins and after while yielded as he usually
lid when his sister pleaded. Sadly they
climbed the ladder leading to the loft con
tanning the little bins of straw aud rug called
heir beds And, kneeling there, little
iretchen told the story of woes. and besought
The dear Christ Child to make the groschens
enough to preserve to them the home which
lad never before seemed so sumptuous and
precious. And Hans added a prayer for
work and wages, that he might add to the
canty sums earned bv the hardest toll of
lis discouraged mother.
The next morning, before the sun had
isen, the children had dressed and stolen
,oftly down the ladder, with mingled hopes
md fears, which became strongly colorrd
with unbelief as they saw only their dear,
'ad-hearted mother patiently kindling IA
,canty fire from their almost exhausted
took OF faggots. The little kitchen wa,
lesolate Neither sunlight nor freight as
vet Frightened it, Scarcely word was
'poken. Each felt the burden aud impor-
1ance of the day, but in degrees according
o their experience and nature.
While Hans was waiting for the arranging
If the plates and black bread for their
breakfast that he might also lay in a row
lround his mothers plate his little offerings,
~ stepped to the window, followed by
iretcheu, and looked out into the yard The
'uu was just rising, and oh wonder of won
lers what Il sight it revealed to the aston
shed, unbelieyiug eyes. There in the little
corner, over whose baroness they had more
than once sighed since the absence OF the
title tree was grand bewilderment Moth
| ug else than the same tree carefully re-
,lanted, and bedecked in right royal Christ
mas garniture, and surrounded with parcels
90 large aud weighty for the slender
branches. With a shout Of joyful, exultant
surprise, Hans unfastened the door and
rushed out, followed 10y Gretchen, who was
lwed into the deepest silence with what was
before her.
The blessed Christ Child surely heard, she
thought to herself, and quietly folded her
nands in grateful contemplation of the
beauty and abundance before her. There
vas the beloved tree, laden with rosy ap-
pes, nuts and most wonderful cakes, that
represented all the animals in the known
world, together with gingerbread hearts and
pious nuns, flaming with bright sugar trim
nings. There were toys and pictures, too,
for herself and Hans-more than they had
.ver dreamed of having Even dear little
china doll, the first she had ever possessed aud
10 which her little heart yearned with true
motherly instinct. There We're mittens and
tippets, and beautiful little gilt and silver
balls as though the tree had been bedecked
for child of fortuue-everything SO grand
Then the parcels What could be i'll
them 2" Yes, what could be in them
Aud how came they there? 2" asked again
aud again the astouished mother and trem-
bling grandmother who had fastened out to
discover the cause OF Hans shouts.
81 know what's in that one N' said he,
pointing to particular parcel Its just
| goose You can see its feet as plain as
lay through the paper" Aud, taking it up
to examine it, he continued =" But it tells a
big story, for it says, A present from Hans
md his little sister to their MOTHER and We
never knew word about il did we Gireta p
But Greta made no answer. She was
thinking. And the others were very busy
carrying into the cottage and uutying par
cells, large and small-butter, sugar, coffee,
r and beautiful white hrodchens. What a
feast compared with their usual fare OF
Try black bread or of soup made 10y boil
iug the same black bread in water seasoned
with pepper aud salt, aud possibly an ouion
, with very rarely little milk to vary tht
relish. Then there We're stutfs Tor dress
aud apron for Gretchen, "a jacket and trow
sers tor Hans, and some nice WOODEN neck
! kerchieis aud white caps for the mother and
| grandmother. Were ever people so happy
o All but Gretchen forgot Tor the moment tht
: ,lreadfu rent. But even the sweet littl,
4 dolly, already showing such remarkable vir
|. tues, could not entirely beguile her thought
I from the needed money. She had prayed
tor that but not tor these Had she
I after all, been heard Must they yet g
; from their home, while yet they seemed Sc
?, rich-richer than they had ever been in al
o her life before" IF was certainly passing
y strange.
/ L. the meantime the mother, all tremu
ous with her joyous surprise, had unwrap
ped the fat goose, exclaiming: How nicel,
It's dressed Aud the giblets are in it
4 How glad am; ior NOW, moth r. you cat
4 nave such a nice giblet soup as you hav
not tasted in years, warrant Put the bi,
~ l.. - ., a.