The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-26

festivity of some sort. But Pitkin, the
youngest child. had been i'll, 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.
If any elves had been lowering about
the dingy hall just then they would
have seen the mother's 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-
monds in Miss Kent's best earrings fell
and gllttered on the dusty floor as Mrs.
Blake added the mittens to the other
things and went to her lonely room
again, smiling as she thought how she
could thank them all in q sweet and
simple way.
Her windows we're full of flowers,
for the 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 I am" she
said, as she rejoiced that the scarlet ger
aniums were SO full of gay clusters, the
white chrysanthemum stars were all out,
and the pink roses ct their lovliest.
They slept now, dreaming of a sunny
morrow as they sat safely sheltered from
the bitter cold. But that night was
their last, for a gentle hand cut them
all, and soon three pretty nosegays
stood in a glass, waiting for dawn, to
be laid at three doors, with a few CRATE
full words which would surprise and de-
light the receivers, for flowers were
rare in those Woodworking lives, and
kind deeds often come back to the CIV
ers in fairer shapes than they go.
Now n would think that there had
been gifts enough, and no more
could possibly arrive, since all had ad-
ded his or her mite except Betsey, the
maid, who was off ON a holiday, and The
babies fast asleep in their trundle- bed,
with nothing to give but love and kiss
es. Nobody dreamed that the old cat
would take it into her head that her
kittens were in danger, because Mrs.
Smith had said she thought they we're
nearly old enough to be given away.
But she must have understood, for when
oil was dark and still the anxious moth
er went patting up stairs to the chill
dren's door, meaning to hide her babies
under their bed, sure they would save
them from destruction. Mrs. Blake had
shut the door,, however, so poor Puss
was disappointed; but finding o soft,
clean spot among o 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 up and scrambled into their clothes,
not with joyful haste to see what their
stockings held, for they had none, but
because they had the little ones to dress
while mother got the breakfast.
Dolly opened the door, and started
back with o cry of establishment 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 rufied apron,
as if in n dainty cradle, luy the two
Maltese darlings. with white bib and
boots on, the white tips to the tiny tails
curled round their little noses in the
sweetest way.
Polly and Dolly could only clasp
their hands and look in rapturous 81
lence for o minute; then they went
down on their knees and reyeled in the
unexpected richness before them.
II do believe there is q Santa Claus,
and that he heard us. for here is every
thing we wanted" said Dolly, holding
the carnelian heart in hand and the
plummy one in the other.
1T must have been some kind of a
fairy, for we didn't mention kittens,
but we wanted one, and here are two
darlings," cried Polly, almost purring
with delight as the downy punches I'M
rolled and gaped till their bits of pink
tongues were visible.
MRS. Smith was one fairy, I guess,
and Miss Kent was another, for that is
her apron. I shouldn't wonder if Mr..
Chrome gave us the oranges and the
money; men always have lots, and his
name is on this bit of paper" said Dol.
ly.
ooh, Tn so glad! Now we shall
have q Christmas like other people, and
I'll never say again that rich folks DOM
remember poor folks. Come and show
oil our treas ures to mother and the
babies, they must have some" answered
Polly, feeling that the world was al
right, and life not half as hard as she
thought it last night. And all that
morning there was JOY and feasting il
Mrs. Blake's room, and in the after
noon Dolly and Polly went to the mus
eum, and actually saw stPuss in Boots,
for their mother insisted on their going
having discovered how the hard-earnet
quarters had been spent. This wa
such unhoped for bliss that they coult
hardly believe it, and kept smiling a
one another SO brightly that peopl
wondered who the happy little girl
in shabby cloaks could be who clappe,
their ne mittens so heartily andlaughe,
till it was better than music to hea
them.
This was q very remarkable Christ