American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-12-18

| we nan WIN JOY at the Chr1Stmas-t1de.
And a voice is telling, its boughs among,
OF the shepherds watch and the angels song
| OF "a holy Babe in a manager low
The beautiful story of long ago,
| When radiant star threw its beams SO wide
| To herald the earliest Christmas-tide.
MAKING SANTA CLAUS A PRESENT
Hettie Raymond was little girl abou
eight years old. She had little siste
names Mil1y, who was just three year
old, and big brother whose whole nam,
was Benjamin Franklin, but that is s,
long that they never got beyond tn,
first syllable. and SO called him Ben
This was all the family except papa ant
mamma Raymond, who kept house TO
them. As soon as the Thanksgiving
turkey had fairly been eaten, Hetty be
gan to wish for Christmas to come, 81
that Santa Claus would bring her some
presents. Now Hetty thought anC
talked SO much about Christmas that al
the family were tired of il except little
Milly. But one day an idea came into
Hetty's head. She was very apt to have
ideas.
mamma" said Hetty. edo you sup.
pose any one ever gives Santa Claus
II don't know, child, l never heard
of such a thing answered her mother.
"Well, don't you think somebody
ought to when he is so good. and gives
presents to SO many childrenP" con-
tinued Hetty.
perhaps it would be good plan;
said Mrs. Raymond, who was always
ready to CRAFTY her children.
| ''Oh! should" exclaimed Hetty, ca
gerly, and her big brown eyes almost
snapped with delight, shut what could
l give himP Wouldn't it be nice to
knit him pair of mittens and big
scarf to keep him warm? It's most al
WAYS dreadful cold Christmas day
when he is going about from house to
| house,
Il should think that would do very
well,'' said hen mother, 'and will fur
nish the yarn if you will do the knit
ting. But there are only five weeks
before Christmas, and you will have
to give up your play-time and be
very industrious in order to get them
done.'
..Oh, dearr' said Hetty, s'and do
hate to knit but l 8 pose l ought to do
it, for Santa Claus always give 1ne lots
of things, and l most know he will
give me a new doll this year. I'll do it
mamma
'.Now, when Hetty said she would
do thing. it was just as good as done.
Ever since her mother read to her the
dreadful story of Lots wife, when she
was not quite six years old, she had not
been known to back out of anything she
undertook. ''I'm just going ahead"
she would say, ''do you s'pose I'm go
ing to be like Lots wifee"
So Mrs. Raymond got some yarn, a |
soft. pretty gray with a bit of dark red |
for the edges, and Hetty went to work.
Every day when she got home from
work patiently until supper was ready,
and after supper she would knit until
her early bedtime at half-past seven.
Ben used to call her "Her Royal High
ness. the Princess of the Knitting
Needle" and other queer names, and
warn her of the disagreeable conse-
quences which might follow if she
IS gave Santa Claus the mitten," but
Hetty was SO well accustomed to his
Jokes that she took no notice of them.
Mrs. Raymond was very glad to see her
little daughter willing to give up her
play for the sake of doing some one a
kindness, and glad, too, that she was
forming habits of industry. Two or /
,hree days before Christmas the mittens
md scarf were finished, and Hetty ac- .
md so did little Milly. though she did {
lot know what it was all about.
The night before Christmas all the ,
stockings were hung in row
N line near the fire place, but, unlike +
he others, Hetty's stocking was not q
mpty. pair of nice gray mittens +
Nth bit of red at the wrists, was +
tuffed into it, and over it hung large q
ray scarf, with just a line of red in the Y
dge, and on the scarf and mittens were
inned scraps of paper on which were n
crawled in Hetty's own hand, "a f
hristmas Present for Santa Claus.' a,
You may be sure the Raymond chill r.
rem were up very early Christmas
forming, and gathered around the Ray
ond stockings. To Hetty's great joy
lie scarf and mittens were gone, and
yer her stocking hung q beautiful wax ~
oil with real blonde hair and great blue !;
'es that would open and shut. In the a,
ockings were packages of bon-bons ce
I'd cunning little Russia-leather case w
silver thimble, scissors and or
lpers of needles, and last of all, a let 70
r directed to miss Hetty Raymond" al
lie letter read like this: h.
Ny DEAR LITTLE HErrY: I can't tell you NO.
W surprised and pleased was to find your W.
&c present. You are the only little girl who In
5 ever made me a present, though 1 have pr
-rfed beautiful gifts to thousands of little r.
Is. hope you will always try and make III
ople happy, and that you viii have a merry vii
ristmas every year as long as you live. With ma
ny thanks Your faithfSl friend, 81,
q, IS De
I ou never saw a little girl SO pleased blu
Hetty was with this. the very first to
ter she had ever received;' and she De
I'd it over and over until it seemed as he
he would wear it all out. col
Milly had nice new rag doll that inc
uld not break if she happened to we
,p it, and new box of building col
cks and some bon-bons. Ben had a wa
v jack knife-that's what BOYS al mo
VS. have-and a new book, and a sled, bee
ich was on the floor under his stock the
don't remember what papa and lica
NINA Raymond had, but it isn't of wei
consequence, for they were only tall
wn-up folks. sim
[etty's Uncle John and his wife and fina
ee children, and Aunt Maria, who old
widow, with her two children, sool
he in season for the Christmas din r,ti
And the little Raymonds showed otht
If presents to the five cousins, and his
five cousins told the little Ray eide
ads what beautiful presents they sorr
And Ben told the five cousins all ed,
ut Hetty's present to Santa Claus, he '
Santa Claus letter to Hetty, and Will
l the letter had to be read over and to d
r again; and the cousins Opened pino