The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-01-11

warmed. Inc neXG Time Iney reIlreu, ne
gazed after them and found that the
avenue at its extreme end entered into q
small court occupied on either side by
low, dingy houses, some of which were
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 cherries,
yet it was neat and clean like the chill
dren themselves.
On inquiry among the employees of
the botel he learned that the children
had 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" gentlemen 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
from the fact that there were half
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 employee of the
hotel who was acquainted with the fam
lily, and forthwith he produced pair of
copper-toed boots and pair of misses
CATERS, besides some other necessary
domestic articles, including stock of
provisions, and sent them in on Christ
mas eve, as surprise to the family for
Christmas morning.
The articles were all received on
Christmas eve, and Mr.. Spooner began
to experience pleasant sensation about
the region of his heart, such as he had
never remembered to have felt before.
He, however, chose to remain sin cog"
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 with
selfish delight at the good thing he be-
lieved he had done, and from that state
of mind he passed into q gentle slumber,
and dreamed lever so many" pleasant
dreams.
The next morning Mr.. Spooner arose
more than ordinarily refreshed, and the
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 the
copper toed boots and the button CATERS
brought them by the good Santa Claus
the night before. He was almost over.
come, and retired to his room to smoke
his cigar and read the morning papers,
but all he could do he could not keep
his mind from fairly gloating over his
achievement and its effect upon those
"little ones" Holding the newspaper
by one corner, looking up towards the
ceiling of his room, and blowing the
smoke in succession of revolving rings,
he thus soliloquized:
"Let me see; those boots just cost me
so cts. and the CATERS 40 cts, Sl.20 in
all; and yet never in ny life before ex-
perienced the real satisfaction at a So
venison supper, that l have for the pal
try sum of $1.20 given away. l now
have faint apprehension of the often
repeated words, 1t is more blessed to
give than to receiver and, it is very
probable too, that many glibly repeat
those words without realizing any of the
pleasures connected with their personal
experience"
Mr. Spooner returned to his house an
altered man, alleging that experimental
pleasure far transcribed that of theory
alone--the reality outweighed the ideal
when its 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-fi sted 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.
ject among the worthy lowly, as the re-
cipients of his benificence. He saw that
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 We, do not
even the publicans so?" There is some
good-indeed, perhaps much latent good
in every one, but it is surrounded by
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, or