The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-25

We ring the bells and we raise the strain,
she ae asiufss faf
And feast and frolic.and then we go
Back to the same old lives again.
Are We no better, then, than they
Who failed the new. born Christ to see?
To them q helpless babe-to us
He shines Savior glorious.
Our Lord and Friend and all-yet we
Are half asleep this Christmas day;
Susan Coolidge, In Christian Union.
CHRISTMAS AT NUMBER ONE
CRAWLIN PLACE.
Most certainly, Number One, Crawlin
Place, was a dingy abode at any time,
but as Carol came in sight of it, one
bright afternoon few days before
Christmas, with his mind full of much
pleasanter places, he gave little sigh
of disapproval, and muttered, no,
gloomily, but honestly, as if he had
been called upon suddenly to compare
it candidly with brighter places he had
seen:
"1t looks meaner than everr'
A ray from the sun as he looked at
No. 1, seemed to contradict him, for ii
fell brightly upon a window in the
fourth story and lighted it up wonder.
fully; or was it the bright, deep-set
eyes of old Aunt Kizzy, as she looked
down and nodded cheerfullyp How
ever that may be, little Carol forgot
that Crawlin Place was dingy as he
darted up the old stairs. The faded
face of Aunt Kizzy, her bright eyes and
worn wig, were part of his home; and
when Christmas is near, home is dearer
than any other place in the world, if it
is dingy. Besides, Carol-but let him
tell his own secrets.
"Darn up the old stocking I saw
dangling on the line, Aunt Kizzy," he
cried, as he came breathlessly up to the
window where the old lady sat.
"Pn make it strong enough to hold
up two cents worth of snuff" she said.
cheerily.
- feel sure this will be a lucky
Christmas" said Carol. 81 saw three
stars shoot last night-a star apiece for
US, Aunt Kizzy. Now quick-before
mother comes-count that, pleaser'
"Massy! massy! Where did you get
it. childP'' as the coppers and bits OF
silver fell into her lap. You aint-''
IAN right. Aunt Kizzy. Good, hon.
est money. For mothers present. You
W Uuy IL, luz l muSG kOt u1OHC VI lACtC
can't be any snuff"
as he was flying past the door, and sat
him down in the old rocking-chair.
"Sit there, sir, and tell me where
you got this money! A Christmas
present ought to be bought with money
that don't need washing"
81 won't tell"
Aunt Kizzy's back became very stiff
and she handed him back the money.
"It's all right" he said, impatient
ly, waving away her extended hand.
"But if you must know" dropping his
voice to a mysterious whisper, ~ sang
for itr'
Where, childP''
"In the street."
"Like beggarT'
"No, not quite. 1 did not ask fol-
money; they gave it to me-"
"What did you sing. you scamp,
youP" said Aunt Kizzy, forgetting her
point in her curiosity.
81 sang every song knew-even the
one you sang to me the other night. :"
"Wherep Anywhere about herep''
"No; away uptown where the big
folks live"
"Don't you do it again"
~ have promised Santa Claus two
cents worth of snuff for an old lady
who hangs up black stockings"
"She can't have it."
"She must"
Aunt Kizzy dropped the money slow
ly, piece by piece, into her lap.
"Seventy cents, Carslr'
. sect anything you feel sure she'll
like" he whispered in her ear, and
darted away.
"Seventy cents! Well, well, well!
may be you re not ashamed ofyour want
o. faith, old Kizzy Hopkins! No good
comes O. twitting, 80 I'll only say.
faiths a good thing always. Now step
along, and see what you can buy. Sew
enty cents! And ten away down in
your pocket for him, that he couldn't
see. No, you can't get much for ten
cents, but start out and do your best.
Straighten your wig, old Kizzy; count
up your change and don't 60 out with
envious feelings in your heart because
other old women carry heavier purses!
Seventy cents and ten is eighty; eighty
cents amt to be sneezed at. Didn't
you expect to have to start out with
only temp You know you did! Then
why not look little cheerful"
This remark was evidently addressed
to the faded, patient face that looked
out at her from the smalflooking-gl glass.
But Carols mother heard.
"Don't dare find fault with that
woman in the glassr' said she, coming
in and smoothing the rusty black rib
bon on the worn-out bonnet.
xxChos, orfp1 ,,nnrofof,r1 Gors1ino
Instead of bein' thankful for q bonnet
to cover her old wig; she's wishing for
q veil to hide her old bonnet"
"The more people have the more
they want, Aunt Kizzy. But where are
you goingP"
AFTER Christmas presents" said
Aunt Kizzy, proudly. "Good-bye''
There is q dear, strong heart under
that old shawl" said Caroline, as Aunt
Kizzy turned the dismal corner.
"Only ten cents for both of 'em."
muttered the old woman, as she left the
narrow street. "That boy is off trying
to get something for me. Amt you
ashamed of yourself, ,Kizzy HP''she con-
tinued, falling into her favorite mode
of addressing herself, which she called
giving a dose to her pride. "Think of
the times you might have earned lit
tie, if you hadn't been so proudr'
81 would do any thing now," she
forced her pride to say.
" No doubt you would" she returned
severely. "Come in at the leventh
hour and take what you could find"
81 would do anything in the world
that could that was honest" said her
pride, humbled now to the very dust of
self-reproach.
Would you sing for money!"
Aunt Kizzy said this abruptly, al
most triumphantly, as if she had proved