Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-12-21

Clans she made , oreat effort opened them
very wide-and what do Won think she
saw?
train nj ,,boaisl Nos inst IA real
ghosts AZ anybody ever saw and vet sb
did not feel frightened They did no
speak, for il thev had JJiIy would not
have understood the dead languages
but, AS they passed slowly bv from
the door to the chimney where the
stockings hung, each one pointed SOL
EMMY to a label on his back, which told
her lust whose ghost he was.
First came tall fellow with very
bright, promising face. On one hand was
stamped the letter O. for obedience; on the
other, d, for diligence; but both hands
were broken, and hung uselc sslv down. One
shoe was marked S, Tor swlitncSs the other,
| II, for hurry but they were all twisted out
of shape, and letter ID, for dawdle, hung
from the torn clothes in which the figure
was habited On the back of the ghost had
| been printed the words. "(iood resolutions. :"
but the letters were so broken and tumbled
out OF place, that Lily was only able by the
assistance of conscience to make them out.
The next ghost held in its hands, or had
disposed about it. all Lilv's unfinished work
of the past year There was the white silk
handkerchief she had promised to hem for
grandpapa, with great black hole in the
first side, where the rusty needle was still
sticking There were the pieces of a beau
| tiful little cardboard basket that was to
have been, for the materials OF which she
had leased her mother night and dav ior Il
week, and which, with one side completed,
the Others broken, and the silks all tangled
together, now presented woeful wreck.
There were HaIry's wolsted reins. all done
hut RI, koII, la, -, o.,.,,,.l.
10 be intrusted to the care of Santa Claus
this Christmas eve. There was great pile
OF calico pieces cut ont and arranged for Il
patchwork bed-quilt; n shuttle with an
inch or two OF very dirty tattng hanging to
it crooked needle with part of naby's
sock dolls dresses without sleeves skirts
without bands; aprons without strings
but it is impossible to give the full list, for
Lily was a wonderfully good beginner, and
it scarcely seemed possible that one little
girl should have commenced so MANY things
in one year
The third ghost was Il wonder to behold.
| On his head he wore an atlas covered with
inkblots and scrawlS; several spelling
books with torn leaves and broken covers
dangling from his waist two arithmetics
with mysterious imps crawling in and out
among the figures, and very black dogs
ears showing where the multiplication ia
| Bile was printed, stuck out of his pocket in
| his hand he carried several fractured states
and pointed to the ground wherein lay Il
| pyramid OF broken slate-pencils basket
| hung behind this strange figure, containing
few mscellanes, such as deiaced copy
| books, grammars Illuminated with pencil
sketches, French phrase books blstered
with tears, inky sponges, Clipped rulers,
chewed-up penholders, and the like.
Then came the saddest ghost of all. He
was stamped all over with such words rs
shan't,' won't" hate YOU "your re
real mean,' there, now, take that" etc.
| He was quite black and blue with blows
that naughty little fists had given him, his
heart was bleeding with the sharp words
which an angry little tongue had shot into
it, his eyes were full of tears for the unkind
things the little girl who looked at him had