The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-12-22
Miseell
JACKS CHRISTMAS.
BY EMMA X. PARRISH.

Jack had just heard of Christmas for the
first time. Ten years old and never knew
about Christmas before Jacks mother was
a weary, overwOrked woman, and had no
heart to tell the children about merry times
and beautiful things in which they could
have no share.
His parents was very poor. When l tell
you that they lived in log house you might
think so, although some people live very COM
fortably in log houses. But when say that
the snow drifted through the cracks in the
roof until the chamber floor was fit to go
sleighing on, and that it was so cold down
stairs that the gravy froze on the children's
plates while they were eating breakfast, and
| that the little girl had no shoes but cloth
ones, which their mother sewed to their
stockings, you will see that they were poor
indeed.
Mrs. Boyd, Jacks mother, generally went
| about her work with shawl tied around her,
| and comforter over her ears, on account of
the ear-ache; and on the coolest days she
| kept Jacks little sisters wrapped up from
head to foot and perched on chairs near the
stove so they wouldn't freeze. No; she
didn't feel much like telling them about
| Christmas, when she didn't know but they
| would freeze to death, or may be starve, be-
| fore that time. But Jack found out. He was
going to school that winter, and one learns
| so much at SCHOOL, He comes home one night
| brimful of the news that Christmas would he
| here in three weeks, and that Santa Claus
would come down chimneys and say, 81 wish
you merry Christmas !" and then put lots of
nice things in all the stockings.
| Mrs. Boyd heard him talking, and was glad
the children were enjoying themselves, but
hoped from her heart that they wouldn't ex-
pect anything, only to be bitterly disappoint-
| ed.
For week Jack wondered and unused
within himself how he could get something
| for Christmas presents for his little sisters
He couldn't make anything at home without
| their seeing it, nor at school without the
teachers seeing it, or else the big boys plaguing
him about it. Besides he would rather
buy something pretty, such as they had never
| seen before-china dolls in pink dresses, or
something of that kind.
One morning, however, Jack discovered
some quail tracks in the snow near the straw
stack, and he no longer wondered about ways
and means, but in moment was awake to
the Importance of this discovery. That
very evening he made wooden trap, and the
next morning early set it near the track, and
laid an inviting train of wheat quite up to it,
and scattered little inside. He told his
sisters, Mary and Jane, about the trap, but
|
quails when he caught them. That afternoon
Jack went to his trap, and to his unbounded
joy found an imprisoned quail, frozen quite
stiff. He quickly set the trap again, and ran
to the house with his bird All that eve
ming he worked at quail traps and made three
more.
1t was so much warmer that their mother
let the children stay upa little later than
usual, and Mary ventured to bring out hel
playthings and Janey's.
"Does Santa Claus bring dollsP" asked
Mary, suddenly of Jack.
ooh, yes dolls with pretty dresses on and
little bonnets and pink shoes and little cup
boards to keep their clothes in and chairs and
everything" said Jack, enthusiastically.
ooh, myp' sighed Mary, as she looked
dolefuly at their poor. little heap of toys.
Reader, their dollsWere cobs, with square
pieces ofcalico tieaqround them for dresses
and after hearing Nat Jack said, it wasn't
so much fun playing, and the little girls soor
went 10 bed After they were asleep, Mrs
Boyd said, responsibility:
Jack, wish you wouldn't say anything
more about Christmas to the children"
"Why, is it badP" asked Jack, SO astonisheG
that he stopped whiting.
"No, of course not but you're getting
their heads full of notions about fine thingl
they never can have"
Jacks eyes twinkled.
"Oh, but you don't understand, mother
said he; may be Santa Claus will come thi'
! year"
His mother shook her head.
"You know l caught one quail to-day P
whispered Jack.
"Wellp said his mother.
swell, I'm going to save 'em all the week
Z and Saturday take 'em to the meat'mar
in the village. Iguess he'll buy 'em. heart
that quails were fetching two cents apiece
and Pm going to get enough money to buy
the girls something nice, and you must MAKE
! 'em hang up their stockings, mother, ant
then We'll put the things in after they ge
asleep"
His mother smiled cheerfully. "Well,'
said she, do the best you can"