The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-12-30

II16 uluO Ol U1f. CpOOuGT I'd perform tile
functions of Santa Claus for these two
children, but the question was how to do
it? Happy thought. Mr.. Spooner
noticed that on two or three occasions
when these children were chilled with
the cold, and their lips and cheeks be-
came of purple hue, they would retire
through narrow avenue between the
hotel and the shoe store, and in about
fifteen minutes return again, apparently
warmed. The next time they retired, he
gazed after them and found that the
avenue at its extreme end entered into
small court occupied on either side by
low, dingy houses, some of which we're
considerably dilapidated, and barely
habitable. On the second story of one
of these houses these children had their
home, and Notwithstanding it was ex-
ceedingly humble, and rather cheerless,
yet it was neat and clean like the chill
dren themselves.
On inquiry among the employees Of
the hotel he learned chat the children
he'd widowed mother who had long
been in delicate health. That she had
several other children, all still small and
that the family subsistence was mainly
drawn from the earnings of two elder
boys, one OF them sold penny papers ,and
the other "shined" gentlemnen's boots,
but none of them begged.
Moreover he was informed that they
were honest and Industrious, but since
the death of the head of the family they
| had become very poor, and this arose
| from the fact that there were q hall
dozen mouths to feed, and only two that
| made any wages. The mother took in
| washing when she was able to do it, but
her, liabilities were monthly increas
ing.
That information sufficed; neverthe
| less he chose to act through the medi
umship of the inferior employe of the
hotel who was acquainted with the fam
lily, and forthwith he produced pair O.
copper toed boots and pair of misses
CATERS, besides some other necessar,
domestic articles, including a stock O.
provisions. and sent them in on Christ
mas eve, as surprise to the family fol
Christmas morning.
The articles were all received or
Christmas eve, and Mr.. Spooner begar
| to experience pleasant sensation sbou
the region of his heart, such as he hao
never remembered to have felt before
| IS
but his feelings would occasionally over
flow with shere ecstasy, and when he re
| tired to his room on that, to him, blessed
Christmas eve. he fairly chuckled witt
| selfish delight at the good thing he be
OF mind he passed into gentle slumber
and dreamed lever SO many" pleasan
/ dreams.
The next morning Mr.. Spooner aros,
more than ordinarily refreshed, and til,
first street view he had, after breakfast
had little boy and girl in the fore
ground; neatly, although oddly clad
and their hearts all aglee about th,
copper toed boots and the button gaiter
brought them by the good Santa Clau
the night before. He was ALMOST over
come. and retired to his room to smok
his cigar and read the morning papers
but all he could do he could not keel
his mind from fairly gloating over hi
achievement and its effect upon thos,
s'little ones" Holding the newspape
by one corner, looking up towards th
ceiling of his room, and blowing th,
smoke in a succession of revolving rings
he thus soliloquized:
s'Let me see; those boots just cost N,
| 80 cts. and the CATERS 40 cts, $1.20 il
all; and Yeti never in my life before ex
perienced the real satisfaction at q 81
yenison supper, that have for the pal
try sum of $1.2O given away. / nov
have faint apprehension of the otter
repeated words. 1T is more blessed t.
| give than to receive;' and, it is very
probable too, that many glibly repeat
those words without realizing any of the
| pleasures connected with their persona
experience"
Mr.. Spooner returned to his house an
| altered man, alleging that experimental
| pleasure for transcended that of theory
| alone--the reality outweighed the ideal
when it's object was some person, place
or thing outside of self. Hence, ne also
felt it was selfish to hoard up these feel
ings of pleasure in his own heart, there
fore he impaired them to others, and
others reasoned that if the Indifferent
and close-fsted Mr.. Spooner could find
delight In doing thus, why may we not
go and do likewise.
At each returning Christmas Mr.
Spooner would select some human OBJ
iect among the worthy lowly, as the re-
cipients of his benifcence. He saw thai
the rich cared for the rich. perhaps in
the hope of obtaining some part of each
others riches; but he for his part, found
more pleasure in bestowing his gifts
among the worthy and needy poor
those from whom he could not possibly
expect any material return.
He felt that 'if you salute your breth
rem only, what reward have ye, do not
even the publicans SOP" There is some
good-indeed, perhaps much latent good
in every one, but it is surrounded by 6
hard and often almost invulnerable shell
but if, through the power of "self-com
pulsion, that shell is once broken, the
| heart may be discovered to be cornu.
copia of goodness. that had hitherto been
in an Indifferent, unsympathizing OF
dormant condition.