Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-22
JEANNE'S CHRISTMAS.
IRON TIE FRENCI.

stores ana shops were already lighted.
crowds OF people poured In and ont OF the
toysbopS, the butchers the bakers and the
cOnfectioneTS, and boys with bundles and pack.
ages pushed their way through the streets, Car
rying pleasure 10 thousand or households
And YET not al who were able TO buy We're
our on shopping excursions
ID one OF the numerous quarters OF t1e city
lima oited by the poor classes OF wofkngmen,
stood tenement house. whose oItSide bore
Sir6ng evidence or the poverty within.
A rlchly-clad lady descended the steps OF this
mouse, paused moment. as II in thought, ana
then walked slowly along the street, an ex-
her face.
II was the rich Nine kondel, who had been
lnaking h2r weekly calls among he Door Of the
quarter. by whom she was warmly be.oved.
= What shan dor Sue murmurei softly 10
herself rs she walked aiong.
or weeks she had repeated the same que3-
lion In he same puzzled tone. on closing the
Go0r OF the house she had just left.
sually. when she returned homo atrer calls
a. o,heI places, her husband would say: YCu
nave been visiting the poor to-day"
" Why DO you think sog'
p" Because l can see their happiness In your
But whenever she went TO cal! UPON Jeanne
she brought back in her eyes ouly disipo o,Ht-
ment and sadness. In vain her husband im-
porIuhed her TO let the Wondn and her family
alone.
II cannot" she would reply. They would
suffer. cannot abandon them.
JeanDe-honest Jeanne. as she was called BIZ
most skilled worker In embroidery In the UIIar-
ter. Active, industrious. she was az her WORK by
SEIflSe aud Went 10 Ded-nO one knew at what
hour When all the other lights la the quarter
"tlt eXtlDgu1Shed, hers still Shone at tue Win
Cow.
rs long as her husband had work she was
happy AID light hearted; but when he was
mace helpless cripple by an accident little by
lttle nlatry had crept into The household
Al nFSi She Struggled against the approach
OF poverty with all desperate womans
10 nv hon. ,.I.
vol rom The door and herself beyond The hu-
mutation q. asking or accepting charity But
with Two little children and a helpless nus
band II was not possible. and when she had
seen that all the courage in the world availed
nothlng, Sue grew bitter, aud said TO herself
IL ltr Is unJus! IT Is wrong; IL Is wrong
from that time happiness LETT her. Her whole
being changed. Her children she loved as a
~0n 10 rs her young, and she bore her hls-
oandS inHrDltieS with patience. But toward
all the world else she was hard. bitter and slls-
pciOus-
She worked harder than eyer-rose earlier
ana sat up LATER And yet for all that there
was sometimes Ii lack OF bread IN the house
For herself, she would have starved; bur for her
chldren'S sake She accepted the atd pronered.
hunger.
Instead OF feeling gratitude for the interest
eHnloited by Mime Rondel. or for her many acts
Of kindness, She regarded her with a pef.uIiar
jealousy AID suspicion.
she has something to gain by it. she said
OF Ill '-''
She remembered what her ather. Socialist
ana atheist, used TO say to her:
- Ii ever you fall into poverty, shIn those
VINO pretend 10 want to help you. They ONLY
want 10 bring you into the church: TO take away
can.
one or two benevolent but very pious ladies
Who had co1ne 10 see Jeanne before she was
Known 10 Mine; Rondel. had mingled Their
adj i.alu -1in
elect OF rendering Jeanne very angry
But An!e. Rondel, with a wise instinct.
Always aVoidtd anything OF the kind.
- IL Is Singular, Sometimes thought Jeanne
that she never asks Inc II go 10 church or say
MY prayers.
she is better than the others one day said
her husband.
:, BAH. responded Jeanne They are all
alike, these fine ladies. None Of them last long.
she viii soon tire OF coming
Ana she counted on her fingers the weeks
That her former visitors had perseVered. Ii
must DE confessed that the reckoning did not
tahe all the fingers.
- You are visiting Jeanne. hear" said one OF
tx Sc ladies TO Nine. Rondei, One day. All
my dear. / tried IL Tor six weeks, | could do
nothing with her.
Jeanne" said another, 81 1!d ali could:
but bea'cn knows / got completely worn out
Win her. Ny husband finally forbade my speak
Ing heT uaIne.
The rarest quality one encounters in charity
IS perSsNei ance- III is LOthlng 10 do good for a
lctm5 o, the poor. the paying OF the rent The
ore sstng CT ragged children, the emptying OF
Ont purse Is 4 pl"aauge The difficulty Is 10
CONTINUE IL. ~
Il spite of all these discouraeeinents Nms
Rcudel continued her visits.
Jeanne did not 1T all relax from her uncra
ciouS mood when she came, but the children.
Who had learned 10 look upon her as a GOOD
angel, were mutely glad 10 see her.
III IS astonishing now she keeps coming"
SAID Jeanne this day, as she saw her mounting
,ne broken steps. She had begun TO soften u
little In her mind toward the DeneracInpss or
her Children, but she was LOO proud to SHOW II.
even 10 her husband: ana Mme. Rondel de-
PaIteo, as we nave seen, conscious OF no change
III her Feelings or behaviour.
lt was the afternoon before Christmas. almost
Christmas Eve.
tor week Jeanne had thought Of little else.
Her children talked or II continIal,y p,,.sse1 a;
the presents which they felt sure ii would hrln"g
1heIn and laid plans FOR the enjoyment or me,
itte III was agony for the mother who DREADED
the disappointment which might happen.
She was at work on a piece OF embroidery
Which had Dech promised for Chris mas There
"as much 10 40 On Ii yet, and her fiugerS Ii.N
Win WI, ls,ersh rapldIy. almost fury, as she
listened 10 The ptdttle OF her children
Il snail never De able TO finish IL " she said N
herself. despairi1gly. IL Will be Just sucn
Christmas as last Sear" IS
She wished 10 put The chi dreu to b. AZ An
early hour. SO That she might work unCt- -Irned
She sDatched a few nlOInents from her : ,rE fn
break a LOAF or bread for Their supper a ID Give
tntIu III! vi waiter.
Before they could be got TO bed. ths. lille
ones mad 10 hang their stockings in the csiI.l-
MY.
with confidence which nothing could dis
courage, they Dusled themselves fOr q long tt,ne
III arranging the stockings III different III tca,
against tDt chimney, Changing them nera aud
thtF't, and daPuting as TO the best positions
MS Is tlS place " here he Will come down
sald me little boy. with tone or deci- ion "A he
changed his stocking from one nail to apOther
- no he wiz lay his first pi eseuI do VA acre, !"
said the little girl 49,
Al that Inoment the wind made a sudden
noise IN tne chimney. and the Two dropue, unon
tHelr Knees. Their eyes closed, their mouths
OPT IA. In expectation or the descent OF ..;a nariJ
No.L" NOtEiDg came. ana after moment fh.v
arose, AND approached TO look I'D the cnimneT
suddenly the girl said softly TO her ocoi aar III
we v atch Tor uim. how Will he descend
Tbi, thought had not occurred TO Them h.
Tore, and they began to undreSs thelnseive, Tor
Oed, Whlch their mother, Choking back her
tears. prepared for them.
Al last they were tucked away under the
clot hes, where they continued their praItle.
:. Will lend you my doll. sometimes, said
the little girl. '-ard you must let LIE axe your
Jack-in Int box.
THESE were the Two particular fhings on Which
they had set their childish .lr.,rts
GO 10 steep. now. pleaded their mother. in
at1Heo voice, TOR every word YVES ttkr knife
III her heart.
There was short Silence
MAMMA. at ldSJ sad the boy ..Siu Won
wake us a. soon aS Christmas romes,''
Yes. No" SOtU sleep"
\ Tor ger silence followed. The chatter nf tho