Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-12-21
NO. 81.
4 CHRISTMAS BREEZE
which Rumed Two Little Girls.

tel just nov IL happened TO DlOW up all OF
sudden, but I think it began by Zaidees let.
ting herself feel so cross that afternoon at
Mrs. Springs 1 am sure all of you little
girls-and boys, too-know very well how
one little heart by anger stirred,
Two little lips by naughty word
Danish the angel of pearly wing
Darksome spirits instead they bring.
"Oh, it's dreadful to have your children act
so when you're specting company" said Za
dee, shaking her largest doll. "Why, Blue.
bell, how rude you are Now, il you 20 and
get the friz out Of your hair, you shant have
any cake for your party"
MY Butterfly is Just as bad as your Blue.
bell, only worse" cried little Jessie Spring
Sometimes l wish l hadn't any children
And we working so hard TO make EN- happy
and give EN- Christmas party. Zaidee, how
long will it be before Christmas p
Iaidee always knew "how long it would
be before anything, and could actually tell the
time on the clock, though she was only seven
years old.
ut will be three nights and two days, and
one afternoon" she replied promptly. "Why,
Christmas is almost here, and my naughty
children haven't made any presents for their
mother" went on Zaidee, growing more in
dignant the more she thought Of their base
ingratitude.
So she shut up the whole famly-there
were nine Of them-in a large basket which
served as a dark closet. Then Jessie found
that her children never made her any presents,
and they must go into the wood. box and stay
there till they were sorry.
While this severe but Just punishment was
going on, the two wise little mothers sat on
the rug and fell to talking about Christmas
trees
II know one present that will be on our
tree, and l wish l didn't know it," said Zai.
dee, who seemed to look gloomier every min.
ute. ITS gold bracelet-a splendid beauty.
Aunt Fanny bought it last week, because
asked her to and promised her I'd forget
all about it; but somehow 1 can't forget.
Don't you think it's just awful when you try
to forget and can't p
Yes. Only some things are awfuller,"
said Jessie, little spot in her heart aching
with envy. "Some folks don't have any
aunties to buy em bracelets. l never saw a
girl have so many things as you do, Zaidee
Sedeu, never !"
"Well, you needn't be so cross at me for
that. can't help it, Jessie Spring There
now, our children have been in long enough
to feel sorry, so wen take EN- out and pacify
EN-. Oh, I'll tell you what my Bluebell wants
to do. She has been teasing this ever so long
to go up in balloon and she shall go up
so she shall. :"
Upon this, the little girls proceeded to tie
their dollies to come toy balloons and give
them ride in the air.
Away they go, up in the sky. Isn't it
gay =! wish l could go up in the sky my
self, said Jessie, dsintily settling the plume
in Butterhy's bonnet
And perhaps it was at this precise minute
that the breeze really began for Zsidee said
very sharply indeed
well, don't want to go up in balloon.
shouldn't think ybody d want to. should
think they'd want to wait until they are dead"
"There, now, Zadee Selden, you needn't
say anything about me being cross. It's you
are cross You keep saying No, no. to eve
rything say And it's just because you're
30 proud about that bracelet"
mo, it isn't either, said Zaidee, with dig
nifty. She was subject to little attacks of dig
nifty. II forgot all about that bracelet It's
the first time I've forgot it this whole day. 1
only said didn't want to go mp in the sky
and why should want to 60 up in the sky,
when I'm not dead at dH?'
As she spoke, she glared at Jessie with her
large black eyes in a remarkable way aud
Jessie, whose patience had been tried all the
afternoon, was moved to say now the most
unkind and cutting thing she could think of
well, you needn't go up in the sky, Zai-
dee Selden. But now I'm going to tell you
what my Uncle Horace said about your Aunt
FSnny. Yes, am. He said she had hu-
man nose"
Jessie meant Roman but it was all the
same to Zaidee. A word against her best
friends nose was more than she could bear
aud the visit, which might have been such a
happy one, ended, at last, in quarrel.
"Why what has happened ?" exclaimed
Mrs. Selden, when Zaidee rushed home long
before tea-time, looking wildly unhappy.
30 mamma !" replied the little girl, almost
sobbing from excitement, "Jessie's very disa-
greeabe; and besides, she knocked me
down"
Mrs Selden looked very much surprised.
1T doesn't seem possible" said she. Il
never heard of Jessie's behaving like that.
What had you done to make her angry?"
''Oh, it was she that made me angry, talk
ing about Aunt Fanny's bracelet and Aunt
Fanny's human nose !"
Mamma let her work fall in her lap, and
laughed and laughed
IA human nose is the very best nose in the
world, said she, at last. ''But Jessie didn't
knock you down for that ?"
Nom ;" and Zaidee bowed her head very
low in shame. Nom 1 knocked her down
first"
Then it was all out ZIidee had been the
one really at fault; aud she had known it all
the time, though she had tried to make her
self believe it was Jessie.
This is very bad 1 am extremely sorry it
should have happened" said Mrs. Selden,
gazing sadly at her dear, wretched, hayward
little daughter. "And to have it happen just
as the beautiful Christmas is coming, when
every body o1ght to be glad and happy!
What kind of a Christmas day is it going to
for my poor little ZAidee?'
"Oh, mamma, l wish l hadn't been naugh-
ty. l wish could take it all back l have
MT acted so since was a little, little girl !"
said the child. throwing herself weeping into
her mothers arms Cant l ever ever take
it back"
'Yes you can ask Jessie to forgive you"
80 mamma, mamma, mamma! Jessie WAS
bad herself! If l ask her 20 forgive me- she
will think she was good And, oh, she was
MT good She was almost half as bad as -
Mrs. Selden said no more, but wisely left
her little daughter by herself to think.
At supper-time Zaidee's eyes were still pink
from weeping but her face looked serene
and the smiles were playing about her mouth.
The truth was, she had written a letter to
Jessie. 1t was very neatly done in violet ink
and she had put in the left hand corner of the
envelope, kindness of ZAidee, thinking that
was the latest style, though the person who
took the letter was Nancy, the cook. And she
| laughed to think Zaidee called herself kind
The letter was short
MY AFFEcsHIoNArE FRIEND: / am very sorry
| nockt you down first will forgive you If you will
forgive me. Yours respectively, z. s.
This was all Jessie needed TO make her nap
py, for she had the tenderest little heart in
all the world.
She wrote in reply, 81 forgive you" And
in the lefthand corner of her envelope were
the words, kindness of Jessie" for she sup
| posed that must be the proper thing, and she
never allowed Zaidee to be more fashionable
than herself if she could possibly help it,
And indeed, there l0ds Kindness" now in
the hearts Of both little girls, and sincere re-
pentsnce, too for their foolish, bad behavior.
The angel with pearly wing" had come back
again the unhappy little "breeze" had blown
over and in 'three nights and two days"
Zadee and Jessie were enjoying the merriest
Christmas that ever dawned in Boston town"
Sophie May in December Wide.ADdke.
Tommy counted his money the week be-
fore, and thinking of Christmas presents, he