The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-12-21

First came a tall fellow with a verv
bright, promising face. On one hand
was stamped the letter o, for obedience;
ON the other ID, for diligence but both
hands were broken, and hung uselessly
down. One shoe was marked s, for
swiftness; the other IL, for hurry; but
they were all twisted out of shape, and
letter d, for dwaddle, hung from the
I torn clothes in which the figure was
habited. On the back of this ghost had
been printed the words, Good resolu-
/ tons" but the letters were 50 broken
and tumbled out of place, that Lilywas
/ only able by the assistance of conscience
to make them out.
The next ghost held in his hands. or
had disposed about it, all Lily's unfn-
ished work of the past wear There was
the white silk handkerchief she had
promised to hem for grandpapa. with
great black hole in the first side, where
the rusty needle was still sticking.
There were the pieces of beautiful lit
tie cardboard basket that was to have
been, for the materials of which she had
teased her mother night and day for
week, and which, with one side COM
pleted, the Others broken, and the silks
all tangled together, now presented
woeful wreck. There were Harry's
worsted reins, all done but the bells, but
vet not complete enongh to be intrusted
to the care of Santa Claus this Christ
mas eve. There was great pile of
calico pieces cut out and arranged for
patchwork bed-quilt; a shuttle with
an inch or two Of very dirty tatting
hanging to it; crooked needle with
part Of a baby's sock, dolls dresses
without sleeves; skirts without bands;
aprons without strings-but it is impos-
sible to give full list, for Lily was won
derfully good beginner, and it scarcely
seemed possible that one little girl
should have commenced so many things
in one year.
The third ghost was a wonder to be-
hold. On his head he wore an atlas
covered with ink-blots aud scrawls sew
eral spelling books with torn leaves and
broken covers dangling from his waist
two arithmetics with mysterious imps
crawling in and out among the figures,
and very black "dog's ears" showing
where the multiplication table was
printed, stuck out of his pocket in his
hand he carried several fractured states
and pointed to the ground whereon lay
a pyramid of broken slate-pencils; n
basket hung behind this strange figure,
containing few miscellanies, such as
defaced copy.books, grammars illumi-
mated with pencil sketches, French
phrase-books blistered with tears, inky
sponges, Clipped rulers, chewed-up pen
holders, and the like.
Then came the saddest ghost of all.
He was stamped all over with such
words as "shan't," "wont's,' 81 hate
you" you're real mean" "there, now,
take that" etc. He was quite black
and blue with blows that naughty little
fists had given him, his heart was
bleeding with the sharp words which an
angry little tongue had shot into it, his
eyes were full of tears for the unkind
things.the little girl who looked at him
had done, and on his lips trembled the
untruth which one day she had almost
spoken. In his hand he carried n
dreadful book. 1t had three hundred
and sixty-fve pages, and on each was
written some dreadful story of disobe-
dience, unkindness, or deceit.
"Oh dear !" said Lily, beginning 10
cry, "they're all marching straight TO
my stockings; they'll fill it up with
those dreadful things, and there won't
be any room for Santa Claus to put in
anything"
"Crying Christmas morning ?" said a
gentle yUiCv -uioSu beside her. A. Merry
Christmas, Lily! Wake up and see
what Santa Claus has put in your stock
ing. Fanny got hers an hour ago"
81 don't want to see my stocking"
said Lily; Il have seen enough of
what's in it," but thinking better of it,
she rubbed her eyes, and, seeing no
ghosts, sprang out of bed, and seizing
the very fat stocking, found it contained
all the beautiful things she most wanted
the very counterpart Of those which
had Just come out of Fanny's; for
Santa Claus and parents are, in this
respect, very much like the good Father
above, who maketh his rain to fall on
the just and the unjust. Perhaps the
ghosts were part of the rain, too, and
it fell with good effect into Lily's heart
as her mother and friends can bear
testimony.
If she did not make so many good
resolutions this Christmas she certainly
kept those she did make better. One
by one unfinished pieces of work were
looked up and completed, the new set
of school-books we're kept in such a
condition as to be presentable before u
respectable teacher, and, best Of all,
Lily learned to ask the dear Lord Jesus,
who is the friend and helper of all
children that want to be good, to enable
her to be truthful and obedient, to
speak only kind words and do only
kind actions, so that in her next Christ
mas dream she might not see the ghosts
of her past failures, but the shining
angels who came to tell the shepherds
of Bethlehem that the Baby Christ was
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