The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-12-28

thought of another Jenny that died
90 many years ago. The little mound
above her has subsided. and ahollow in
the sod marks the place. as if Earth
smiled and showed dimPle every time
she thought what q treasure she had
there. and that was sil the time. Yor
know what that hollow means. 1t means
that, save s little dust and q dim outline
like the form hare leaves in the
grass. her shapely body ID not there any
more; that it has gone out into the
bright and living world; that it has en-
tered the green grass and the roses
above it like a soul, that it may be
wrought into the wing of asparrow or
the plume of pine; that IN the small
grave there is no semblance of Jenny at
all She was = Christmas gift the year
round, and she lived but twelve of them.
for on a Christmas she was born, and
on Christmas day she died.
1t was just as the gates of morning
were swinging OPEN Fading like
accomplishing all the while, the chrys-
ais grew thinner and thinner before our
eyes, until it could hold the immortal
butterfly no longer, and the easket was
emptied with 8 little sigh. /, that
write this, watched her breathing
through the night" She had known
for many days that voice was saying,
Come unto Me" and she was obeying
as fast as she could. All along she had
been praying that she might live to see
one Christmas more. She had her an
swer. As the dawn grew on she asked,
sis it Christmas yeti"
And the pale mother rose to part the
curtains of an east window. '.Don't,
.fasv, L \
side, as If she half fancied the curtains
gauzy barrier might stay the dying girl
a minute. 1t was too late. The dra-
perry drawn aside. there were the doors
of day set wide. Jenny's eyes, so large
and dark, looking out from her pure
pale face, opened full upon the celes-
tial gates, kindled an instant as with a
thought, a little start of glad surprise,
flicker of a smile, a little sigh, the
white eyeIids like pale rose-leaves
slowly closed down upon those sweet
eyes, whence truth had always looked
out as from two windows of heaven;
and Jenny had gone home for Christ
mas unending, which is far better.
There had been six in that upper cham
Der, and now there were only five, and
so Rachers lament was heard in the
dawn of the morning. But not for long.
There was no need. Her sweet intiu-
ence could not be banished from the
home she left. Her brothers grew
gentler, her sisters lovelier. The Christ
mas gift was with them still. Jenny
was no perfect child, for there never
I0GS but one, but she was always fulfill
ing a child dear mission: to keep the KEY
of our hearts all safe and bright. ready
at an instaat's warning to turn them in
the locks and open to every holier
thought and tender recollection, and so
we grow young evermore.
That mothers hair crowns her
brow to-day with silver bands;
1.-the daughters of music are brought
low" but her girl of long ago
yet makes melody in her open heart.
The other children are blown abroad
like thistle-down in the wind, and to
this day when they all come, children
and children's children, to the old home
stead for Christmas, the aged mother
sets plate at the Christmas board for
her that is gone. Her place will never be
lost out of the charmed circle while that
mother lives. But it makes nobody sad,
neither is this melancholy story. It's
forget-me-nots and immortelles; it is
roses and lilies; it is anything but cy-
press and willow.
Oh. children young and old, sit is
not all of life to live, nor all of death to
die" Be somebody's Christmas gift,
like Jenny of blessed memory, and so,
hoping, trusting, loving, Merry Christ
mas, every One.-BenJGnIi1 f. Taylor,
in Good Words.