Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-27

him and smoothed the hair under hi.
new collar.
"Tatters seems to be as sleepy as tn,
rest of u.s." said Aunt Grace, laughing
Il think he must have had a famous
dinner He locks rounder and lazieI
than ever. Poor little doggy he's grow,
ing quite old and sober. l meant to tell
you, in better season, such a pretty thing
that l read the other day, in book
about Norway. They always give all
the animals belonging to a household
| double their usual allowance, and SO
there is great Christmas feasting; but,
mere than that, both the peasants and
the people in the towns always feed the
wild birds. They buy little sheaves of
oats and barley in the markets or. tie
them up for themselves on the farms,
and these are fastened on trees or out
side the houses. Nobody forgets, not
even the very poorest people, to give the
birds Christmas dinner"
I'm. going down stairs this very min
ute TO! some crumbs" said Annie.
Here is whole flock of sparrows just
outside, on the parlor roof" and away
she went in a hurry.
1t was good bit Of fun to watch the
sparrows squabb,ing over the bits of
bread, and Jack aud Annie were much
entertained for awhile; and, at last, Miss
Elliston yielded to their entreatieS, and
came to see two valiant members of that
family of birds, which had seized piece
of crust together and would not let go.
| They t1utteTed about and ruStled their
wings in the lsafieSs vine that grew on
the house, and they lost hold for min
ute, and then caught fast again. 1t was
truly an exciting moment. Jack clai
ped his hands with delight and behaved
as if he were four, instead of fourteen
| but pesently the sparrows all flew
away down the street and the entertain
ment was over.
81 do think Christmas is a lovely day,
said Annie, after lit e silence. 81
don't think | ever had such good time
as have had to-day. Everybody is SO
nice and everybody does the kindest
and pleasantest things for you. 1t is a
good deal of trouble to get ready for it /;
but nobody minds. Even the people in
the streets look at you and laugh"
Il do think it is wonderful how eve
Ty one feels something of the peace on
earth and good will to men," said Aunt
Grace. 81 think the great pity is
that with so many it is the only day in
the year when that feeling does come.
And great many give presents just be
cause they must, and they make hard
piece of work over it and don't know
what they shall get and wonder what
they will do. 1t is too bad ever to have
that cold-heartedness about Christmas,
and it is worse to forget afterward the
kindness our friends have shown US and
10 go on just the same as ever. When
we give something to one of our friends,
| think it ought to be to show our love
for and to give picoourU. L have been
thinking this afternoon what a business
we make of kind things this one day.
and l wonder why we don't wish to do
them every day in the year and try to
put the same spirit into the whole of
our lives. wish We could have whole
year of Christmas days. mean whole
year of trying to do everything we can
for everybody"
Il know one thing" said Jack; my
money wouldn't hold out long" And
Miss Elliston and Annie both laughed.
"But do you know, Jack, that 1 think
the things we give away are, after all,
the least of it. 1t is feeling that people
are fond of US and have tried to make
US pleased and happy. Your grand
mother has said half dozen times to
me about that shawl that Annie gave
her: Il can't get over the dear chlid's
having taken all those stitches and done
all that work for mer And your father
is wondering how she found time, with
her going to school and practicing and
all, to make him the little afghan for
the library sofa; and mamma has been
so much delighted with the workable
you have made for her and inlaid so
prettily. 1t really is charming thing,
Jack; but she likes it best because you
spent so much time and such loving
care in doing for her, and, in order to buy
presents, you went without things your
self and saved your allowance. Don't
you see you have shown a dear, gen.
erous, good will to all of us?" And,
now, Christmas is over, don't thiuk we
ought to stop and behave as if we were
done with all that; and, since we have
shown our affection one day in the year,
our friends must be cOntented and wait
until they get their next Christmas
present. l wish we could try to make
the days after Christmas happy ones for
the people we are with. There are 80
many little pleasures and small services
to be given, think it is a pity We
shouldn't wish our neighbors a merry
day very often and do IA great deal more
to make things pleasant for them. /
have lived long enough to find out one
thing: That it is doing little things for
our friends that makes them happiest.
A great service or an expensive gift oft
entimes carries with it weight of OBJ
legation; but We all like to feel that the
small comforts and concerns of our lives
are of interest and Importance to the
people we love. And believe, if we
try to do all the lille things we can ev-
cry day for the people we live with, the
great gifts and services will take care of
themselves.
Jack had been silent, and so had An
ME, and it had grown dark out of doors.
They never minded their Aunt Graces
little sermons, as they did some other
peoples, there was something that al
ways made them glad to listen. Annie
came across the room, and sat on the
rug by the sofa in the freight; and
Jack said, yaliantly: Il was wondering.
a little while ago. what | should do with
myself, now it is after Christmas; but
never thought of keeping it all the
year round"
AN anti-Masonie lecturer in New