The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-12-23

I"Ipacc, good VIII, ana rove Oh c'u'
Dear little children, ring, pray,
Sweet bells in some lonely heart today.
LOOKING FOR SANTA CLAUS.
One wintrv day little Nina arose
in the morning and found that her
mother was not up.
This was strange, for the sun was
high and his beams fell asi2nt
through the high garret window
upon the barn floor. The stove was
cold and the coffee pot stood empty
on the shelf. Nina laughed at the
thought that she mad walked before
her mother She slipped on her
blue wooden dress, her large checked
apron, her knitted stockings, aud
her thick shoes: and having washed
her face, and braided her hair in
two tight little pigtails, crept
around TO her mother bed, intend
;ng to kiss her awake. But her
mothers eyes We're vide open, her
checks were red and her hair was
tossed about on the pillows.
"Oh, my child she cried, as she
saw her little girl, ''what shall we
do now? 1 am i'll. | have a fever
of some sort. My head is as heavy
as if 1t was made of lead. | am not
even able to rise, much less to go
about my work. We shall starve
together, you and l, poor, unhappy
widow and orphan that we are"
"Oh, no, MOTHER said Nina.
1--WE need not starve. | can make
the coffee, and go and buy the
bread and sa sage"
Child, child" cried the mother,
every soon there will be no money
to buy anything. have felt my
self breaking down fog wo"k !
have no hope now. ! must send
foY the doctor, and when he finds
am not able to pay him he will send
me to the hospital. You, poor little
soul. you Will soon be motherless as
wen rs ldbucl ltSS.
The poor woman hid her face IN
the pillow. Nina wept. Tears ran
down her cheeks; but she soon went
to the stove, and kindied fire, and
made the coffee, as she had seen her
mother do it.
The coffee will do you good,
mother" she said But the poor
sick mother was too fcverlsh to
taste it,
Then, indeed, Lima felt that
everything was wrong.
"Christmas time Christmas
timew repeated the poor woman,
talking more to herself than to her
child; "and Christmas used to be
so happy
At this Nina crept closer to her
mothers bed. Yes, in two days
Christmas would come. She had
looked forward to it so. She had
hoped that she would find in her
stocking q wax doll with blue eyes,
and candy basket full Of sugar
plums. at least: but she should not
care for them if her poor mother
were so sick.
"Child go to the old doctor" said
the mother. "Go tell him to come
quicklyl Imust be made well if he
can do it! Go! Coz
Miua put on her hood and ran
away. The good old German doc
tor came back with her, and felt his
poor country woman's pulse, and
wrote prescription, and pattcd
little Nina on the head, and bade
her take care of her mother But
1.-THE child took nearly all the small
purse contained to pay for the pow
ders he had ordered, and though
she watched by her mothers bed
all day, the mother grew worse
She lay tossing to and fro, talking
of the past
"Ie was Christmas time when
l ran away with your father, she
said with the quick speech of fever
"My father did not like him, nor
my mother either; so we ran away
and were married. We came,to this
country in a great ship. We were
very happy until he died. Nina
do you remember how good he was
to us last Christmas? All, only
for yor, only for leaving you, my
little girl, it would seem best fol
me that | am going to him.
"Christmas! Oh, in Germany, at
home in Germany, we always had a
Christmas tree, ard we sat together
in the parlor, and the window lifted
and St. Nicholas came in. He gave
| us toys and gifts of all sorts. We
were glad, and yet frightened. Oul
wooden shoes were set in row OF
the hearth at night. In each VIZ
;, found some Gift. Such a supper
J. dancing! music.
II wonder whether my old father
is dead; whether my Old mother
lives; whether they forgive me!
t She wept, but little Nina sa
thinking. She thought of SAINT;
Claus-oid St. Nicholas, the goot
Christmas friend of all good chi
dren-he who would come dowi
the chimney, or in at the window
with any gift he pleased. Surely
if he was so good to her mothe
when she was little girl, he woul'
remember her now that she wa
sick. But how was he to know
; He could, if he pleased, give he
mother plenty of money OF tha
she felt certain. But how was on
le to find him9
u Mother" she said, ''where doe
in Santa Claus liveY
The poor mother was fast GROWN
IS delirious.
9. "What did you ask?' she sai(
Nv dreamily. "Where he lives? Oh,