The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-12-23
GRA NDMA'S CHRISTMAS
TREE,
BY AUNT ADDIE.

RANDMA'S CHRISTMAS
BY AUNT ADDIE.
Bertha and Ella, two little girls seven
and nine years old, with heir big broth
ers, Frank and Jimmy, left their home
in the city one snowy, December day,
and started TO: the country. where their
papa had bought farm, which was very
near their grandma's house.
When the cars stopped at the depot,
they all went out on the platform, and
there, waiting for them, stood their own
dear grandp pa, with their three little
cousins, Lily, Mamie and George, and
their big cousins Lou and Berthe.
After great deal Of hugging and
kissing and such a lot of questions
as only little boys and girls know how
to ask, they all climbed into bob-sled,
which Ella thought was the queerest
carriage she ever saw, and started for
their grandpa's house, where they we're
going to stay until their own was ready
for them.
For the next two days the little people
were very busy. Mamie, Lily aud
George had such treasures to display as
made their little cousins eyes sparkle
with delight. First they all went to the
barn yard to look at the cattle, and very
wonderful did the great looking
cows seem to Ella, while the flock Of
sheep were Bertha's great delight, and
she decided that she would like to have
one for her very own, to pet and take
care of; so her grandpa said she might
have her choice Of any sheep he owned.
To the great amusement Of the family
Bertha chose the Oldest and ugliest sheep
in the flock, great, fat, lazy fellow with
dirty brown wool. sp1inklcd all over
with black spots. The whole of his face
was black except the very tip of his nose
and one eyebrow, which would have
been white If it had not been so yery
dirty.
"Why, Bertha" said cousin Lou, "why
don t you take that pretty, little, white
lamb, the one standing over there by its
mother?'
"No, indecd,' said Bertha, edo you
think l would take that little baby lamb
away from its mamma, besides it is such
a pretty little thing everybody will be
good to it; but my old spotty Qor so
she had named her sheep is SO old and
ugly that no one will like him or bc kind
to him, and I am just going to put red
ribbon round his neck and wash his face,
and get brother Jimmy to make him
nice house, and then I guess he will he
glad.'
Grandpa thought Bertha was very
tender-hearted little girl, and then he
told Ella she might take her choice of
any animal on the farm for her pet.
After looking all over for some time
she saw flock IF geese, and she thought
she would like to have one for pet;
her grand pa told her she could have a
pair of them.
ELLA thanked her grandpa, and started
towards the two she bad decided to take;
but Mr.. Gandcr and Mrs. Goose thought
they ought to be consulted in the matter
a little, and prepared TO defend them
se.ves.
Mr. Gander spread his wings and rush
ed towards Ella while Mrs. Goose fol-
lowed, Tapping her wings and making
great NOISE; cousin Berthe ran to the res
cue, and Ella came back to grandpa say
ing:
NASTY, ugly things!1 guess I won't
have goose for my pet: think I'll have
some nice little chickens;'' and so it was
finally settled that Bertha should have a
sheep and Ella white hen and a very
pompous, proud old rooster. You can
believe the little girls were proud enough
Of their pets.
The next Gay it showed part of the
time, and rained the rest, but Bertha and
Ella we're determined to visit the school
in which their cousin Lou was teaching,
and 80, taking grandpa's big umbrella.
they started out, followed by Frank and
who were going over to visit
their new home.
ners of the rail fences and made little
drifts, which the children thought fine
fun to wade through, and so laughing,
running and sometimes stumbling they
came to the top Of a small hill, when e.
la proposed to Bertha to spread the um
brella behind them and let the wind
blow against it and so help them along.
The plan succeeded very we'll until they
were about half way down the hill
when an extra hard gust of wind took
them right off of the ground and spread
them out in the snow, little noses down
ward, and then very kindly stuck the
umbrella up over them, making nice
little house.
As soon as Bertha and Ella could get
out of their house and get the snow out
of their eyes and ears they decided that
any further help in getting down the hill
was not needed.
After few more tumbles the children
reached the school house, where Cousin
Lou met them at the door; she thought
by the shouting and laughing that a
tribe Of Indians had come to visit her.
The next day was the one before
Christmas, aud all the little folks were
husy getting their Christmas presents
ready.
Grandma had a secret all her own, and
not till after supper did any one find it
out; then the large folding doors between
the sitting-room and parlor were opened
stood large Christmas tree, beautifully
trimmed from top to hottom with lovely,
white popped-corn and cranberries strung
on strings and looped over the dark,
green boughs of the tree. There were
horns of plenty, made of white birch
bark, and filed with hickory nuts, but
ternuts, beechnuts, and apples.
On the lower limbs of the tree hung
five bright, new sleds, marked with the
names, Bertha, Ella. Mamie, Lily, GeOr.