Middletown transcript., 1884-12-19
a HUNT FOR SANTA CLAUS.
4 STORY FOR CHILDREN.

One wintry day little Nina arose. in
the morning and found that her mother
was not yet up. This was strange, fol
the sun was high and his beams fell
aslaAtthrOugh tlle.highag agafretswiHdOw
upon the bare floor. The stove was
cold and the coffee pot stood empty ON
the shelf Nina laughed at The thought
that. she had walked before,her mother.
She slipped on her blue. woplenv dress,
Iier large checked apron, her knitted
stockings, and her thick shoes and
having washed her face, and braided
her hair in two tight little pigtails;
crept around to her mothers bed, in
tending to kiss her awake. But her
mothers eyes were wide open, her
cheeks we're red, and her haiE~as tossed
about on the pillow.
''0h, my child.'' she cried, as she
saw her little girl, :. what shall we do
now L am i'll. l have a fever of
some sort. My head is as heavy. as if it
was nlatte lead m m ret even able
to. rise, much less to go about my
work. We shall starve together, you
and /, poor, unhappy widow and orphan
that We are" 't' ''t<
5e0h. no, mother, y said Nina, we
need not starye. lean make the coffee,
and ego sand' buy the bread and sau-
sages," als 7aa,.U.gtr. 9rt
"Child ! childl'' cried the mother,
/" very soon there will be no money to
buy anything, Thaye felt myself break
ing down for a week. | have no hope
now., / must send for the doctor, and
when he findsI am not able to pay him
he win send me TO the hospital You,
poor little sou, will soon be mothsrless,
as well as fatherless. BINS 4aETg
The poor woman hid her face in the
pillow. Nina wept. Tears ran down
her fair cheeks but she soon went to
the stove, and kindled the fire, and
made the coffee, as she had seen her
mother do it. -.i '- -.'-l
g The coffee will do you good,
mother, y she said But the poor, sick
mother was too feyerish to taste it,.
Then, indeed, Nina felt that every
thing was wrong. ,-4
Christmas time /! Christmas time p
repeated the poor woman, talking more
to herself than to her child "and
Christmas used TO be SO happy.''
At this Nina crept closer to her
mothers bed. Yes, in two d;sys Christ
mas would come. She had looked for
ward to it 50. She had hoped to find
in her stocking a wax doll with blue
eyes, and a candy basket full Of sugar
plums, at least +; but she would not care
for them if her poor mother were so
sick.
"CfiId, go to the old doctor, - said
the poor mBther. "Gotell him to come
quicklyl. i must be made well if he
can do it Go u Go ~ al.
Nina put on her hood and away she
ran. The good German doctor came
back with her, and felt his poor country
woman's pulse, wrote a prescription,
aud patted little Nina on'the heady aud
bade her take care Of her mother. But
though the child took nearly allethe
small purse TO pay for thesppwdeFs he
had. ordered, and though she watched
by, be-, mothers bed ,all day. the mother
grew worse. She lay tossing to and fro,
talking of the past, :"
Fit was Christmas time wien | ran
away with your father, she said, with
the Quick, speech Z Of ''fevef.g ~ My
father did notlikehimg ghof my nOther
either. TlleYlhtde him Oomeno more ;
seswe ran away and were marrisdsaWe
came tosthis ,eeuHiEN in! q greatAship.
We were very happy until he, died.
Nina, do you remember hew, good he
was to Us last Christmas Ah,, only
foofr you, only for leaving you, fny y-little
girl,i would seem best for me tfEit |
am going to hiB.9 Christmas r Oh,
N Germany, at home iSGanIahy, we
always had a Christmas. tree, and We
sat together il thea RarloE, and, the
window lifted and jolly old Saint Mich
olas. came in He, gave, us, gifts ard
toys of all sorts. We were glad and
yet frightened. Our wooden shoes
were set in a row on the hearth at
night. In each we found some gift.
sdeh a sGpperI daneihgl musicl ]
wonder whether my,old father isiead
whether my old mother Lives !; whether
] they forgive me p, 5aed a