Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-12-20
Christmas in Anderson Court

u WAS uoJ paIace-lG was only one
dingy little room where Maggie Burton
lived. 1t was one of the twenty or
thirty very humble homes in Anderson
court, not far from busy, bright street
in a great city.
1t was the day before Christmas that
Maggie sat in this forlorn room tending
bahy and trying to keep her two brothers
still $50 she could think" as she said.
Maggie was only ten years old, but
she had to be mother to these boys and
to the baby from morning till night,
almost every day in the week, for very
hard times had come to this family, and
Mrs, Burton had, for several months,
BEEN obliged to leave her little ones and
go out washing" 1t had not always
been quite SO bad-but Maggie could
never remember when they were not
poor, though she remembered they
used to have neat room and plenty to
eat and wear. Before the strike, Mr..
Burton got very fair wages, and as Mrs.
Burton was a very good manager, and
they all had been well, they got along
very comfortably. But now for four
months the men had been on strike at
the mills, and Mr.. Burton had earned
nothing since, except what he would
get now and then for little jobs of work,
80 that Mrs. Burton had to go out wash.
ing to get food for the children:
Maggie was singing to the worrying
baby in her arms, and the boys were
playing horse terrifcally, when she ex.
claimed impatiently:
"Now. boys, I wish you would keep
still, 80 can think"
"What do you want to think about p
said Johnny, pushing his brother over,
end coming to Maggies side.
"Im trying to think about Christ
mas and the handsome things in the
store-windows, and I'm trying to think
how nice it would be to be lady, with
lots of money of buy dresses and dolls,
and toys and candy"
"Candyi" exclaimed George, pick
ing himself up from the floor an6
stopping his crying 81 wish I had
some candy Can't we get some, Mag
gie?"
| "No, George, we can't have one bit
Mother says if we can get bread we may
be glad. I do wish we could have some
thing nice tonight; and I do wist
mother would come, I'm SO tired"
Maggie, do you think we'll evel
have money enough to buy nice things?'
asked Johnny, his round eyes growing
very large and thoughtful, and his chir
resting on his dirty hand.
"Im sure don't know, Johnny
guess not-unless the mills begin again
and / don't think then we could eve
have carpet, or good clothes, or big
looking-glass like they have one p'ac'
where mother Washes"
"Where do some men get SO mucl
money ?" Johnny asked =" because In
going to get lot when I'm big-if cal
find out where it comes from"
"I'm sure I don't know" said Mag
gle 81 guess they find it"
When Mrs. Burton came home, wear
and worn, George ran to her, pulling
her dress and teasing, mamma, di
you bring me horse for Christmas?"
"I've brought you some bread. Tha
is all the Christmas gift you childre
will get this year." and she cut som
large pieces from loaf, which the littl
boys grasped with their dirty hands an
ate voraciously.
"Now, Maggie, she said, clay th
baby down, and run out with the boy
and zee the handsome stores and tn
happy people. You've been a good gir
dear. I could not get along withor
you. Poke the fire little, for father
! be coming soon, and it is getting yer
cold."
Maggie, with faded shawl over he
head and aragged urchin by each hanC
went down the gayly-lighted street.
where people in crowds we're hurryin
by, carrying bundles of presents
gladden. the where the vii
dows, lighter than day, were brillial
bazaars of wonderful things.
Maggie and here brothers looked in
the windows of a candy store, and talke
about old w-covered Santa Claus an