Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-12-20

4 .H E.
Two figures-a boy and girl
stood looking wistfully into shO]
window. 1t was a stormy day, ant
they were lightly clothed-the bo,
without an Overcoat, the girl bon
netless, with only thin shaw
| pinned around her shoulders. The,
seemed, however, SO absorbed b.
the contents of the window as TO b.
| quite unconscious of the weather
and were talking earnestly.
There was, indeed, everything
there to delight child's fancy, an6
make it seem unlikely that SAINT,
Claus's palace could contain any
thing more wonderful-great wOolly
dogs, horses and tin express wag
| ons, dolls dressed like babies, which
not only opened and shut their eyes
but if you held them in the righ
position, said Papa and Mamma
| on one side Il great kitchen, with {
doll cook at the table making
bread; on the other, grocery
store full of customers, and gro
Ger just about to sell Christmas
turkey.
But the gaze Of these little ones
travelled past them all, and lighted
On-What do you think pa greaf
heavy black shawl, which you
might have supposed had been put
there as a background for all the
rest, if it had not had price-mark,
twelve shillings.
"It's no use trying, Polly" said
the boy; 1--WE never could make as
much money as that by Christmas
"There are three whole weeks,
said the girl "that will make just
half dollar a week, twenty-five
cents apiece. Oh, Jack, don't give
it up! Just think how surprised
and pleased mother will bew
81 know it," said Jack, "and
that's just the reason / don't wan
to get my hopes raised for notn
SBut," said Polly, eagerly, 'GR i:
Christmas-time now, and there will
be lots of people out to buy, aid ev
erybody feels kind and .80od-na-
tured. Oh dear! / think J6u might
try, Jack"
al don'tsee that Christmas makes
people much kinder 40 poor folks y
said Jack, rather bitterly sits just
the same with US fthe time, and
I am sure nobody wants to buy
black pins for Christmas presents
All the same, / want that shawl fOl
mother just as much as you do, Pol
ly, but | like to see my way clear
II I had shovel now, / could clear
away snow
"The very thing!" cried Polly.
Sand here we have snoW-storm
right away, to begin with. Why,
Jack, how did it happen we never
thought of it before s"
Jack laughed. "F0r the very
reason we can't think Of it now. ]
haven't any shovel, and it would
cost half as much as the shawl is
worth to get one"
"But," pursued Polly, nothing
daunted, couldn't you borrow one
at some OF these great houses, and
do the work for half price? L know
you could. Oh, Jack, Pm sure we'll
get the shawl"
"That's an idea," said the more
deliberate Jack. 81 never once
thought of it. Suppose, Polly, you
lend me your broom it will look
as though 1 had something's; and
you take my pins and sell as many
as you can"
The arrangement was soon made.
Polly was duly instructed as to the
price of the pins, and having ap-
pointed the shop window for u
place OF meeting, the two children
separated, Polly in the direction OF
q thoroughfare, Jack to begin his
labOrs in a side street.
Somewhat shamefaced he felt as,
selecting the least imposing house,
he ascended the doorstep and rang
the bell. An untidy-looking Irish
girl opened the door.
"And have you brought me all
the way upstairs to ask that, and
the snow falling fast yit ?' she an
swered, Indignantly. ats the likes
of yerself that had better be goin' to
the basement-way;" and slam went
the door into Jacks face.
This was sad Encouragement. 1t
took Jack several minutes to recov-
er, and at first he felt very much in
clined to give it all up; but the
thought of Polly's disappointment
and his mothers pale, tired face de-
cided him.
"They can't do more than take
my head off," he said to himself.
"Mother does want a warm shawl
so bad. She never does anything
but sew, sew at that machine all
day long. She said 1t used TO be
such a comfort to her to go to
church. Ii only didn't have to
ask them for the shovel, wouldn't
care bit what they said to me. !
guess I'll go in here :" and he STOP
ped i'm front of large brick house.
A tiny fair haired girl was on the
sidewalk playing with her nurse
and a shaggy dog. The nurse would
throw a SNOWFALL, and the child
and dog ran after it, shouting and
barking with glee.
Jack watched the sport for a mo-
ment, and then profiting by his re-
buff, stepped down into the area |;
the dog followed, and began to
smell suspiciously at his heels.
s'COme here, FlOSsy," cried the
child, imperatively; "what a bad
doggy you are! The poor boy is
not going to do anything wrong"
"Perhaps Flossy is better Judge
than you, Miss May" said the maid.
swat do you want? she contin-
ued, urning to Jack.
Jack stammered out his request.
"Humph and how do we know
but that when you've finished the
snow, you'll run Off with the shovel.
A coal boy served me that trick not
long ago."
Jack colored and began to pro-
test.
show can you be so cross, Mag
gle ?" said little May, "Don't you
see the poor little boy is cold, and
perhaps hungry, too" And she
went toward Jack.
"You always did have a fancy for
beggars," replied her nurse. "What
do you suppose your mamma would
say? Come, it's time TO go into the
house."
May stood for a moment looking
at Jack, who had turned hastily
away, and was walking very last
down the street. Then she broke
away suddenly from her nurses de-