The Portland daily press., 1884-12-20
From Good cheer.l
Pine BOughs.
BY HOPE LEDYARD.
a Christmas story

and Mrs. Loring handed Nora, her upper
servant and faithful friend, two small
branches which had been cut off the great
Sundsy-School Christmas tree which they
were trimming.
Nora was kind and loving soul, aud
when Mrs. Loring handed her the branches
OF pine, she ran down the stairs and out on
the sidewalk, thinking that it was pity to
to throw those beautiful branches away.
A ragged, dirty girl was standing at the
chapel dooc, looking curiously in; she had a
hardened, wicked look, and when Nora an
peared in her pretty, dark dress and apron
trimmed with rick-rack, the girl made face
at her. But Nora saw below the dirt and
ugliness, below The hard crust of hateful re.
belion, into the heart which God loved and
for which Christ died.
Would you like these br nches for a
Christmas? she said. "Here is quarter to
buy something to trim them with"
1t was her last quarter till after Christmas
but Nora did not mind that then.
The girls face hardly changed; she did
not hold out ber hands for the greens, but
seized the quarter wolishiy, and Nora
sighed as she ran back.
Nance looked at the quarter hungrily,
turning it over to be sure sit warn't filed
in" and then she stopped aud picked up
the branches which Nora had dropped.
Dick shall have 'em and the money too',
she muttered, "but must be flynn Iouud,
or Sail 'ull beat nae agin tonight Christ
mas! II they'd ha' let me into that church
last Sunday, might ha' found out for Dick
what IFS all about, but the gal said as how
no new ones would be Flowed till next Sun
day, and then irll be over! Well, Pn hide
these and be offp'
The girl ran up an alley aud showed her
branches behind barrel, which was frozen
fast in corner. and then she hurried off 10
the junction of Bro oadway and Fifth Avenue
where she begged from passers-by. 1t was
lucky day for Nance; people are inclined
TO be liberal just before Christmas, and la
dies With their arms full of bundles dropped
pennies into her hand, some of them with a
thought OF what their own girls might be
nut for Gods goodness, some merely to re-
leve their purses Of cumbersome coppers.
None really cared for the girl, for she was
not by any means attractive. None? Yes.
one woman did care.
Late in the afternoon, as Nance was rat
Ting her pennies and thinking she might
treat herself to stale bun and cup of cof
fee, she saw lady coming toward her with
a little boy on each side. Nance was shrewd
enough never to let woman with a child
go by, for she had learned that from some
cause or another such an one seldom refused
her a copper.
Please, ma'am," she whlued, as the la
dy and her boys passed. The Oldest bov
pressed his mothers arm and looked up in
her face.
MAY l give her my ten cents9'' he asked,
The mother looked at the hardened, dirty
face, and NO." rose to her lips, but some
God-given impulse changed it to eyes" and
she added, You two boys may run on to
the shop window while speak to the girl"
hob handed Nance bis dime and then
Mrs. Haring said gently:
Couldn't you earn living instead of beg,
ging? I'd buy you broom if you would
sweep crossing. Then, after while, you
might get something to sell. Would you
like 10 try?''
'Tain't no good" muttered Nance.
Mrs. Haring stopped in her earuestness
and said my dear girl, it's worth trying!
Either you can grow up good, true woman.
as God wants you to, or you can go on beg
ging and perhaps-before you know it
stealing. Come to my house for your Christ
mas dinner-here is my number--and |
hope you will be able to tell me you are
earning. not begging, living Shall buy
the broom?''
PLEASE, ma'am," said Nance very hum
bly,, and with strange stirring at her poor
heart. So they joined The boys and Mrs.
Haring chose cut a good stout broom for
Nance. Rob was greatly interested 10 the
whole matter, and whispered 10 Nance that
the pudding was just splendid and mamma
would give her lots of turkey.
1t was too late to begin business that day,
SO, with her broom in one hand and the
branches of pine in the other, Nance went
back to the wretched place where she lived
with woman named ''Sa," who boarded
several girls and boys, making item beg for
her. But before she went to 'Safs" room.
Nance climbed to the attic of the house next
door, and, going in without knocking, she
flung the branches down on bed in the
corner, where lay a sick child.
"There, Dick, that's a Christmas! And
I've whole qparter to spend on stuff to put
on it-prety things Aad Pm set up in
business, Dick and Pm a-goin' to be good
just think of il, Dickv
The crippled hoy was glad to see how
pleased Nance was, and very glad of the
pretty gIeeu branches Poor little fellow!
1t did not take much to make him glad.
"Have you got time to fix 'em up like a
tree, Nance?" he asked. 81 seen a tree
ouce, when father was alive aud before
mother took TO druk. It bad bright balls
On it and candles and candies. I'd like you
to set these up. My! Ain'C they heavy?''
and the poor weak bands gave up trying to
lift the boughs, which seemed but feathers
weight to Nance.
"Why, Dickp' the girl exclaimed joyous
ly, there's your fower-pot-it'll be just the
thing! The dirt's in it yet-i'l wet it up
bit and plaut 'em--shouldn't wonder if
they'd growF'
Dicks eyes lighted up with hope, and ca
gerly he watched as the girl stuck the
branches in, tying them together and max
ing quite pretty little tree of them.
snow tomorrow night TIL put the things
on, Dick, and we'll have Christmas-we
twol sAnd then the next day I'm to go to
dinner at the 'ady's, and I'll try TO bring
you some Of the pudding and turkey the lit
tie boy told me Of"
Then Nance had to leave, while Dick
waited in the gathering gloom for his moth
er's step-would it b. firm aud soft, or heavy
and tottering?
An hour after she came up the stairs; she
had kept away from the corner store, and
was more like herself than she had been for
long time. More like herself, but, just
for that reason, more utterly wretched and
discouraged than we, who have never been