Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-25

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a thin, faded face, with nothing pretty
or attractive about it, except when she
smiled, and then little children would
be sure to forget all about the wrinkles
and the LONELINESS, and tangle her
spools of thread and play with the sc1s-
sors, which always hung around her
neck, fastened with black ribbon, and
never dreamed of stopping or being in
the least alarmed by her frequent
''There, there, children! Dear me! I
do believe little hands are the busiest In
the world! Who ever did see?"
Poor Miss Charity Green! She was
that very sad spectacle, lonely, almost
friendless woman, without father or
mother, brother or sister, husband or
children in the world. Her life was
turning its face toward half century of
years; her health. never very vigorous,
was gradually failing her; and cold,
lonely old age rose up sometimes and
appalled, her with its chill and gloom.
She had to work early and late for the
roof that sheltered and the bread that
nourished her. Poor Miss Charity
Green!
But as she tied on her straw bonnet
that evening, there was a quick knock
at the door, and the next moment little
brown, curly head, with pair of eager,
bright, dancing eyes, was thrust inside
| the door.
''Come in, Johnnie; what do you
want?" said Miss Charity Green. And
if you had only heard her voice just
then you would have understood some
thing of the secret of her being SO gener-
al favorite with children.
"Mother wants to know, Miss Green,
if you will lend her DRAWN O tea. She
will pay you tomorrow"
"Oh, she needn't be in the least bit O.
hurry about that" SAID Miss Green, as
she took the little blue cup from the
boys hand. ''Do sit down, Johnnie,
and warm yourself by the fire.
And the boy sat down in the great
arm chair, while the woman measured
the tea in the cover of her tin canister.
"Mother and sisters pretty well to-
day, Johnnie?"
Eyes ma'am, only mother said she
felt little O. rheumatic in her right
shoulder this mornin'"
"Dear me, suzl It won't do for her to
let the rheumatic get hold on her this
time o year. I'll jest step out into the
shed and get her little boneset. I
al'ays lay up some every fall, for there's
nothin' like it for rheumatic, as my
grandfather used to say"
And as the woman tied up the dried
herbs in a piece of brown paper, it struck
her that her little neighbor was unusual
~ grave and silent; so half with the pur-
pose of drawing out any concealed
trouble which might possess him, Miss
Green continued the conversation.
"Well, Johnny, you all going to have
merry Christmas at your house?'
81 don't know" said the boy, in dis
consulate tone of voice, twisting his
brown fingers in and out of each other.
"What! you and your sisters not go
ing to hang up your stockings?"
''No ma'am; mother said she couldn't
afford to give us any presents this year.
Ellen and Jane cried all the afternoon
about it.
"Well, now, I declare! That is too
bad, answered the sympathizing voice
of Miss Green, and she silently tied the
paper and snapped the thread with her
scissors. and as she placed it in the boys
hands, she said to him: ''Never mind,
Johnnie, dear. Pluck up good heart.
Maybe somethin' i'll turn up about them
Christmas presents, after all"
eff I was only little better off,
now," murmured Miss Charity Green, as
she rocked herself back and forth in her
great armchair, ''them are children
shouldn't go without hangin' up their
stockings. I'd willingly sell my dinner
to buy 'em some presents, for l know
Jest how much store children set by em.
I shan't take a minutes comfort thinkin'
O. the children's disappointment, and yet
I don't see how in the world can pre-
vent it. If didn't need that plaid dress
nowhere the woman unclasped her
bead purse, and drew out the bank-note
and looked at it wistfully.
''Them children must hang up their
stockings; but if they do [ must go
without my dress, for it's just come to
that. One things sartin, couldn't take
a minutes comfort there in a new one,
thinking on Miss Russels children; no,
not if it was the finest satin that ever
stood alone" and here Miss Charity
Green brought down her foot with sol
emn emphasis. Unjust wear my shabby
old silk, and those that don't like the
looks must tur1 their heads t'other way;
for as long as hold three dollars in my
hands, them children sha'n't go without
a merry Christmas"
sob! is that you? Do come in, Miss
Green" and the little pale. sorrowful-
faced, careworn Mrs. Russell lifted her
head from the child's stocking she was
darning, as her neighbor entered the
room.
'Little folks all abed?" whispered Miss
Green, in a low, mysterious tone of
voice, as she came into the room with
something carefully concealed under her
shawl.
eyes, I sent 'em off an hour ago-poor
thingsl' and deep sigh heaved the
heart of Widow RUSSELL sigh that was
born of wearying cares, and baffled
hopes, and fainting spirits.
"Well, you see, Miss RUSSELL" still
preserving her low, mysterious tones,
and slowly uncovering her red merino
shawl, revealing several packages in
brown paper. 81 thought as how it was
about Christmas time when little folks
would want some fxin's-you know