The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-22

Inc l00A OF 60O00 MUGS MAKING 10I.
tune out OF shirts Ut ok cents apiecei''
Miss Kent laughed At the innocent
delusion, but sympathixed with her
little neighbors. for she knew oil about
hard times. She had good wages now,
but spent them on herself, and liked to
DO fine rather than neat. Still. she
was good-hearted girl, and what she
had overheard set her to thinking
soberly. then to acting kindly. as we
shall see.
IF hadn't spent all my money on
my dress for the party to morrow night,
I'd give each of them half-dOllar. As
I cannot, I'll hunt up the other things
they wanted, for it's q shame they
shouldn't have q bit of Christmas, when
they tried SO hard to please the little
ones"
AS she spoke she stirred about her
room, and soon had white apron. an
old carnelian heart on fresh blue rib
bon, and two papers of bonbons ready.
As no stockings were hung up, she laid
q clean towel on the floor before the
door, and spread forth the small gifts
10 look their best.
Miss Kent was so busy that she did
not hear step come quietly up stairs,
and Mr.. Chrome. the artist, peeped Al
her through the balusters. wondering
what she was about. He soon saw. and
watched her with pleasure, thinking
that she never looked prettier than
now.
Presently she caught him at it. and
fastened to explain, telling what she
had heard, and how she was trying to
atone for her past neglect Of these
Young neighbors. Then She said good
night, and both went into their rooms,
she to sleep happily. and he to smoke
rs usual.
But his eye kept turning to some of
the "nice little bundles that lay on
his table, as if the story he had heard
suggested how he might follow Miss
Kents example. I rather think he
would not have disturbed himself if he
had not heard the story told in such a
soft voice, with pair of bright eyes
full of pity looking into his, for little
girls were not particularly interesting
to him. and he was usually too tired to
notice the industrious creatures tOiling
up and down stairs on various errands,
Va cC"uS az CAO AOhS ACu cCdAS.
Now that he knew something of their
small troubles, he felt as if 1t would
please Miss Kent, and be a good joke,
to do his share of the pretty work she
had begun.
So presently he jumped up, and,
opening his parcels, took out two
oranges and two bunohes of grapes,
then ho looked up two silver half-dol-
lars. and stealing into the hall, laid the
fruit upon the towel, and the money
atop of the oranges. This addit on i'm
proved the display very much, and Mr..
Chrome was stealing back we i pleased,
when his eye fell on Miss Kent's door.
and he said to himself: "She, too. shall
have little surprise, for she is dear.
kind hearted SOUL"
plate. and this he filled with green and
purple grapes, tucked sentimental
note underneath. aud leaving it on her
threshold. crept away as stealthily as q
burglar.
The house was very quiet when Mrs.
Smith. the landlady, came up to turn off
the gas. "Well, upon my word, here's
line doings, to be sure!' she said. when
she saw the state of the upper hall.
"NOw l wouldn't have thought it of
Miss Kent, she is such giddy girl, nor
of Mr.. Chrome, he is so busy with his
own affairs. meant to g We those chill
dren each a cake to morrow, they are
such good little things. I'll run down
and get them now. as my contribution
to this fine set out"
Away trotted Mrs. Smith to her pam
try, and picked out couple of tempt
ing cakes. shaped like hearts and tun of
plums. There was goodly array of
pies on the shelves. and she took two
OF them, saying as she climbed the
stairs again: "They remembered the
children, so I'll remember them, and
have nv share of the fun
So up went the pies, for Mrs. Smith
had not much to give. and her spirit
was generous, though her pastry was
not OF the best. 1t looked very droll
to see pies sitting about on the thresh-
Odds OF closed doors. but the cakes were
quite elegant, and filled up the corners
of the towel handsomely, for the apron
lay in the middle, with the oranges
right and left, like two sentinels in yell
low uniforms.
1t was very late when the flicker of a
candle came upstairs, and pale lady,
with a sweet sad face, appeared. bring
ing a pair of red and a pair of blue nit
:ens for her Dolly sAld Polly. Poor
Mrs. Blake did have a hard time. for
she stood all day in a great store that
she might earn bread for the poor chill
dren who stayed at home and took care
of one another. Her heart was very
heavy that night, because it was the
first Christmas she had ever known
without ri is and festivity of some sort.
But Pitkin. the youngest child, had
been ill, times were very hard. the
little mouths CAPPED for food like the
bills of hungry birds, and there was no
tender mate to help fill them.
If any elves had been lowering about
the dingy hall just then they would
have seen the mothers tired
face brighten beautifully when she
discovered the gifts. and found
that her little girls had been so
kindly remembered. Something more
brilliant than the mock diamonds in
Miss Kent's best earrings fell and gilt
tered on the dusty floor as Mrs. Blake
added the mittens to the other things
and went to her lonely room again,
smiling as she thought how she could
thank them all in a sweet and simple
way.
Her windows were full of flowers. for
the delicate tastes of the poor lady
found great comfort in their beauty.
=" have nothing else to give. and these
will show how grateful 1 am." she said.
as she rejoiced that the scarlet gerani-
ums we're SO full of gay clusters, the
white hrvsanthemum stars were all
out. and the pink roses at their love-
liest.
They slept now, dreaming of sunny
morrow as they sat safely sheltered
from the bitter cold. But that night
was their last, for gentle hand cut
them all, and soon three pretty nose
gays stood in glass, waiting for dawn.
TO be laid at three doors. with few