The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-01-03
JACKS CHRISTMAS.
A. Story for Fir esides.


Jack had Just heard of Christmas fol
the first time! Ten years old, and new
er knew about Christmas before! Sack's
mother was a weary, overworked wom
an, and had no heart to tell the children
about merry times and beautiful things
in which they could haye no share.
For a week, Jack wondered anu
mused with himself how he could get
something for Christmas presents fol-
his little sisters. BE couldn't MAKE
any thing at home without their seeing
it, nor at school without the teachers
seeing it. o: else the big boys plaguine
him about it. Besides he would rather
buy something pretty, such rs they had
never seen before-cllina dolls in pins
dresses, or, something of that kind
One morning, however, Jack discovered
some auail-tracks iu the snow near the
straw stack, and he no longer wondered
abont ways and means, but in mo
meut WAS awake to the Importance oi
this discovery. That very evening be
made wooden trap ,and the next morn
ing early set it near the stack, aud laiC
an inviting train of wheat quite up tc
it, and scattered q little inside. That
afternoon Jack went to his trap, and to
his unbounded JOY found an imprison
Ell quail, frozen quite stiff He quick
ly set the trap again, and ran to the
house with his bird. All that evening
he worked at quail raps and made
three more.
It was SO much warmer that theil
mother let the children stay up little
later than usual; and Mary ventured to
bring out her playthings and Janey's s
There were two dolls, some bits o.
broken dishes, and few little pine
| blocks.
"Does Sauta Claus bring dolls?' ask
ed May, suddenly, Of Jack.
ooh yes; dolls with pretty dresses on
and little bunnits and pink shoes; ant
little cubberds to keep their clothes i'll
and chairs, and everything" said Jack
enthusiastically.
ooh, my!' sighed Mary, as she look
ed dolefully at their poor lite heap
of toys.
After they were asleep, Mrs. Boy
said, reproachfully.
"Jack, I wish you wouldn't say any
thing more about Christmas to tn
children.
why, is it bad?" asked Jack, so as
tonished that he stopped whiting.
"No, of course not; but you're get
ting their heads full of notions abou
fine things they never can have"
Jack eyes twinkled.
"Oh, but you don't understand
mother" said he, ''may be Sanity Clau
will come this year"
His mother shook her head.
"You know I caught one quail to
day?" whispered Jack.
"Well!'' said his mother.
swell, I'm going to save 'em all tn
week, and Saturday take 'em. to til
meat man in the village, guess he'l
bny 'em. I heard that quails wer
fetching two cents apiece. And In
going to get enough money to buy til
lgirls something nice, and you mus
make 'em hang up their stockings
mother, and then we'll put the thing
in after they get asleep"
| His mother smiled quite cheerfully
.'Well," said she, "do the best 20
can."
Their father was away that evening
He was generally away evenings, be
cause most of the neighbors had cozie
firesides than his.
By Saturday morning Jack had te
qnails. The four traps had not bee
as fruitful as they ought to have been
perhaps, but this was doing very well
and he trudged ioyfully to town wit
his game hanging on stick over hi
shoulder. The meat-m man did, indeed
give two cents apiece for quails, and b