Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-12-22

music in her new home. Every one
loved her. Old Jim, who had drunk
his wits half away. and worn out the
love and patience of his nearest kin,
had ALWAYS kind word for her; and
wonderful horses and kittens, dollies
and dogs, were cut out by his ready
knife.
Mrs. Hurst felt almost a mothers
love for these little ones, but her heart
had heavy load of care, and her hands
were very weary with each days work
Old Aunt Lucy Stone took them into
her withered arms and broken old heart
at once. The Lord sent 'em, Mrs.
Hurst" she would say, 1.-THE Lord sent
EN-" Her faded eyes were very dim
with CRYING for graceless boy who had
long since forgotten his mother; but
they looked with sympathy upon every
little creature around her, and fairly
grew bright with glances of love for
these little ones. Ii had long been her
self-appointed task to act as peace
maker among the jarring. discordant
elements of this heterogeneous family;
and il had come TO pass that she bound
up the dirty, cut fingers, bathed the
poor little bruised heads. pitied the
scratches. was sorry for the aches, and
even kissed the battered little beings
about her as if she had been mother TO
the whole flock. praying Lucy" the
others called her with a sneer; yet old
Jim wanted Aunt Lucy's "yarb tea"
when his " rumatiz" was too much for
him; and growing "Mother Moody
wouldn't let any other nurse come near
her when down with any one of her five
hundred complaints. To teach the
children about her some Christian
prayers WAS her great delight. and no
little pauper dropped off into his dreams
without being coaxed into saying some-
thing that passed for prayer. Aunt
Lucy had seen a great many earthly
hopes fail, but her faith in "God and
little children" was strong.
Thanksgiving came and went at the
poor-hOuse. 1t was a feast day there.
Mrs. Hurst would have it so; but MANY
phantom sat at the board. and many
poor heart was sadder than fasting
could have made it. Christmas grew
near. Little Daisy chartered off its
wonders. Santa Claus was coming. He
would bring "hosses and dogs, and
desses, and states, and pictures. and
books, and dollies--ittle bits of black !
dollies, and great big dollies -.
The children listened in wonder 1t
was an Arabian Nights tale to them
As the days flew on, the child added to |
her prayer: ''Bess Santa Claus, and
make him member everybody"
Every one hated to spoil her little |
dream, and Mrs. Hurst was bordering |
ways and means for some little Christ |
mas when Aunt Lucy took the matter |
up. ''Daisy, dear" said she one night |
when the darkness was settling down,
Santa won't stop here. darlin'; he
goes right straight by. I've lived here |
nigh onto ten years, and he never come
once"
Not come? The little heart was al
most bursting with grief, but the woman
soothed her with tender words and the
cradle songs her babies had loved. She
told her it was Christ's Christmas, all
the same. and God wouldn't forget her.
if Santa Claus did II her own fainting
heart needed the encouraging words
more than the child in her arms, surely
she was feeding one of the lambs for
the Master, none the less.
Daisy grew quiet As she listened to
the sweet old story of the Babe in
manager Graded eighteen hundred years
ago; and looking up with her own sweet
smile, she said: IL dess Santa Claus
don't know we're here; but / dess
God I! tell him."
The days flew on, and Daisy's fears
lew away with them. Santa was COM
ne, sure. lie hadn't known, but he
vas coming now. No one said any,
hing more to weaken her faith. and
he chartered on. planning gifts for
very one. /:
Heavy SHOWS fell the week before
christmas. and the children kept in
ioors or built forts in the yard. Two