The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-12-18

AVIAN oAAu WIN ShL0 VI Ouo tAOU1oIs
Her heart was very heavy that night,
because it was the first Christmas shet1
had ever kno without gifts and
fesEvity Of some sort. But Pitkin, the
youngest child, had been Ill, times were
very hard, the little mouths capped for
food like the bills Of hungry birds, and
there was no tender mate to fill them.
4 # any elves had been lowering about
the dingy hall just then they would
have seen the mothers tired face bright
en- beautifully when she received the
gifts, and found that her little girls had
been SO kindly remembered. Some;
thing more brilliant than the mock dia-$
nonds in Miss Rents best earrings fell
and gl1ttered on the dusty floor as Mrs.
Blake added the mittens to the other
things and Invent toyh lonely room
again, smiling as she thought how she
could thank them all in a sweet and
simple way. 5,s..s.
Her windows were full Of flowers;
for thet delicate tastes Of the poor lady
found great comfort in their beauty.
II have nothing else to give, and these
will show how how grateful T am,n she
said, as shereioiced that the scarlet ger
aniums were SO full Of gay clusters, the
white chrysanthemum stars were all out,
and the pink roses at their lovliest. \
They slept now, dreaming of sunny
morrow as they sat safely sheltered from
the bitter cold: But. that. night was
their last, for q gentle hand cut them
ALI and soon three pretty nosegays
stood in 9 glass, waiting for dawn, to
be faid at three doors, with few CRATE.
full words which would surprise and de-
Light the receivers, for flowers were
rare in those hard working lives, and
kind deeds often come back to the giv-
ers. IN fairer shapes than they 60. 4. h,
Now one would ,thir k that. there had
been gifts enough, and no. more
conld possibly arrive, since all had ad-
dedS his or her mite except Betsey, the
maid, who was off on q holiday, and the
babies fast asleep in their trundle bed, ).
with nothing to give but love and kiss
es. Nobody drealned that the old cat
would take it into her. head that her
kittens were in danger, because Mrs.
Smith had; said she thought they were
nearly old CROUCH to be, given away.
But she must have und erstood, for when
all was dark and still the anxious moth
er went patting up stairs to the chill,
dren's door, me Gaming to hide her babies
under their bed, sure they would save
Them from destruction. Mrs. Blak e had
shut the door,, however, so poor Puss
was disappointed; but finding a soft,
clean spot among q variety of curious
articles, she laid her kits there, and
kept them warm all night, with
her head pillowed on the blue mittens..
IN the cold morning Dolly and Polly
got and scram bled into their clothes,
mot with joyful haste to. see what. their
stockings held, for they had none, but
because they had heslittle ones to dress
while mother got the breakfast. /.
i5& Dolly opened the door, and started
back with q cry Of 'astonishment at the,
lovely spectacle before her. The other
people had taken in their gifts, so moth
ing destroyed the magnificent effect Of
/: the treasures SO collected in the night.
\ Puss had left her kits asleep and. gone
/ down to get her own breakfast, and
there in the middle Of the rufaed apron,
as if ina dainty cradle, lny the-two
|. Maltese darlings with white bib and
boots on, the white tips to- the tiny tails
lcurlsd round their, little noses in the
Ssweetest way. + 3;s3si &.
Is Polly and Dolly could only clasp
THEFT hands and look in rapturous 81
s1ence for: minute; then they went
down on their knees and reveIed in the
unexpected richness before them. = $5;E
Z do believe there is 81 Santa Claus,
and TINT he heard us, for here is every
thing we wanted = said Dolly, holding
/ the carne lian heart in 1one5 hand and the
splummy one III the other. 3sss & b
IT must have been some kind of a,
fairy, for swe didn't mention kittens,
but we wanted one, and here are two.
darling Z; cried p oll almost purring
with delight as the downy punches nm
rolled and gaped till the air bits of pink
|, tong lie. S q AZ.
Mrs. Smith was one fairy, u guess,
land Miss Kent was another, fort that is
her apron. shouldn't wonder il Mr..
lChrsme gave na the oranges and the
money; men always have lots, and his
name IS on this bit of paper said Dol
49, ASuy LII iSUt2 SlAu! NJ WstsASua1l
have d Christ lass like Their people, and
TIL never say again that rich folks don't
remember poor folks: Come and show
|Sall our treas ures to mother and the
babies, they must have some.8e answered
Polly, feeling that the world was all
right, and life not half as hard as she
Thought IL last night. And all that
morning there was Joy and feasting il
Mrs. Blak D u room, and Id ID the after
noon DolIy and ri oily went 10 the mus
cum, and actually saw s.P uss in Boots, =
Tor their moth Ter insisted on their gong,
having disco how the hard earned
quarters had been spent. This was
such I'm hoped; for bliss that they could
hardl believe it, and kept smiling at
bne so brightly that people
wondered who the happy little girls
III shabby cloaksE could be who clapped
their neWmittenB so heartily and laughed
till II was better Than music 70. hear
| them Is.
This was . very remarkable Christ