The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-12-25

One wintry day little Nina arose In
the morning and found that her mother
was not up.
This was strange. for the sun WINS high
and his beams fell aslant through the
high garnet window upon the bare floor
The stove was cold and the cofee-pot
stood empty on the shelf. Nina laughed
at the thought that she had walked be
fore her mother She slipped OH her
blue wooden dress, her large checked
apron. her knitted stockings, and her
thick shoes and having washed her
face. and braided her hair in two tight
little pigtails, crept around to her moth
er's bed, intending to kiss her awake.
But her mothers eyes were. wido open,
her cheeks 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?
I'm i'll. I have fever Of some sort. My
head is rs heavy as if it Was made Of
lead. am not even able to rise, much
less to go about my work. We shall
starve together you and |, poor, un-
happy widow and orphan that we are.
"Oh, no, mother" said Nina. I'VE
need not starvc. can make the coffee,
and go aud buy the bread aud sau-
sage"
"ChId, child" cried the mother.
.svery soon there will be no moyiey
to bay anything. I have felt myself
breaking down for week. l have no
hope now. / must send for the doctor,
and when he finds am not able to pay
him he will send me t, the hospital.
You, poor little soul, yon will soon be
motherless as well as fatherless.
The poor woman hid her face in the
pillow. Nina wept Tears ran down
her checks; but she soon went to the
stove, and kindled a fire, and made the
coffee, as she had seen her mother do
it
1.-THE coffee will do you good, mother"
she said But the poor sick mother was
too feverish to taste it.
Then, indeed, Nina felt that every
thing was wrong.
Christmas time! Christmas time :"
repeated the poor woman, talking more
g. herself than TO her child; 'apd Christ
,nss used to be so happy"
At this Nina crept closer to her moth.
er's bed. Yes, in two days Christm; :
would come. She had looked forward t.
!. 10. She had hoped that she worli
lad in her stocking wax doll with blue
s-.es, and q candy basket full of sugar
ilums, at least; but she should not curt
}T them il her poor mother were SO
sick.
Child! gu to the old doctor" said the
mother. "Go tell hir; to come quickly
! must be made vel if he can do It'll Col
Col"
Nina put on her hood and ran away
The good old German doctor came back
with her, and felt his poor country wo-
mans pulse and wrote prescription,
and patted little Nina on the head, and
babe her take care of her mother. But
the child took nearly all the small purse
contained to pay for the powders he had
ordered, and though she watched by her
1Sother's bed all day, the mother grew
worse. She lay tossing to and fro, talk
ing Of the past.
'It was Christmas time when I 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 great ship. We
were very happy until he died. Nina,
do you remember how good he was to us
Last Christmas? Ain, only for you, only
for leaving you, my little girl, it would
seem best for me that l am going to
him.
christmas! Oh, in Germany, at
home in Germany. we always had a
Christmas tree, and we sat together in
the parlor, and the window lifted and St
Nicholas came in. he gave us toys and