Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-19
TIE NOLLBKENS CHRISTMAS

-Heu fNltttpH bFooh"t ~ ~
|
TIE NOLLEKENS CHRISTMAS
1t was not Chr stmas weather at all. Meth
er frost nor snow had visited the city, moth
lug but warm misty rain, aud a temperature
that had developed the setds Of fever to an
alarming extent The doctors in the outly
ing suburbs were worked almost to death,
and every day the mischief seemed on the
increase. ''If only we could have a good
frost !" said everybody. But it seemed Ike.
ly that the "open winter" would continue un-
I'll Christmas with all its associations should
have come and gone Perhaps the very poor
had least reason to regret il fuel was not so
costly as usual and less OF II was needed, but
the unhealthy misty warmth took sad re-
venge for any such compensation, and little
ones died and we're buried in alarming mum.
bers Mrs. Nollekens, in her wooden shanty
upon the hillside, had been heavily tried.
First her husband was away. and although
that had in some sort been at first a matter
for congralulation, it did not tighten her load
when her fve children sckened with scarlet
fever. And in the last three months he had
neither written or sent her any money. She
sometimes regretted that she bad urged bis
going, and yet, was ii not the only chance Of
making man Of Pettrr Sad indeed were
her thoughts, as she went back IN imagine.
ton to the days Of their early married life,
and remembered how proud .hs had been Of
her handsome, clever husband, how certain
they both had felt OF happiness, Of COM
Portable home, with plenty for the children
when they came. How was it that things
had turned out so differently The little
business had been lost, one by one house.
hold goods had gone, and in the seven years
OF life together, had she not seen, that sad
dest Of all things, the slow, gradual dvterio
| ration Of the man she bad loved and still did
love with all her heart? Alas Peter had
been too much of good fellow" for bis
own gain. Little by little, 10y those slow,
| impeTceptible steps which constitute habit, y
he had fallen iuto vice-liquor became q ne
| cessity, the upright honest workman sunk
into the besotted drunkard. Yet, he was not
or 80 bis wife thought, utterly irreclaimable
II only he could be separated from those
| boon companions who were his ruin, il only
| in a new atmosphere. he could begin again .
| Polly Nollekens bad such faith in that 'be-
| ginning again :" such faith that she at last
| persuaded Peter himself, in one Of his re-
| pentaut intervals, that away from temptation
| be could overcome bis degradation. could
| once more establish q character, could be-
come an honor to his family, could in short
| be once again her own Peter in whom she
| took such pride and comfort. Aud so, main
| ly by her own wish, and partly by the inhu
ence Of friends, Peter had gone to q distant
state to try his luck, half believing himself
that absence from his associates would make
q new man Of him.
All, well it had proved harder than Polly
expected. She had no tdings from him
Three months had past and still no letter had
| come and meantime the children, pretty
darliDgs, who we're dear TO her as her hearts
| blood had sickened with fever, one after the
other, and despair had almost taken possess
sion Of her. The neighbors, helpful as the
poor always are one to another, shook their
| heads.
ITS likely she'll never see more of that
ne er do. well husband of hers" WAS the gen.
eral opinion expressed, and as time passed
and no tidings came, a terrible dread crept
into Polly's own heart Peter might be dead
| Otherwise she surely should have heard some
thing from him. He was good hearted aud
loved his children, II only the drink did not
gain the upper hand. He had made so msDy
promises be could not mean to desert her
and the little ones.
Mother" said little Aggie, the second
girl, the last of TIL family to recover froui
the fever, "Christmas will be here directly
Il know it, Aggi-," was the sorrowful re
ply but In thinking Christmas II mak-
| lAlle uluTTfuCt " W III 10 9tuIs MuAubT thu
get you food, much less make a Christmas
for III !"
''Aud the Christ Kind will forget us too =
said little Hans, with tears ia his voice. TIE
Christ Kind knows We have been sick, yet he
will forget Us -
well, we'll !" said the mother in her pa
tient voice "Who knows, Hanscheu be
may think Of us all double next year"
But this was sorry consolation to the little
ones brought up in all the inherited belief OF
good German ancestry. No "Christmss'
aud no expectations encouraged as to the viii
of the Christ KIND meant indeed sore dis
tress in the little home. Polly had all the in
dependence of her nation and class. She
could not endure the acceptance of charity
and, although in the sore straits to which the
long sickness of the children had reduced
her she had received help from a chaTitabl,
association, il had gone sadly against tn,
grain, and she strove desperately to repay il
in plain needlework and such embroideries a.
she could accomplish For seven long week.
no food had found its way to herself anC
children save Indian meal, and this. by tn,
doctors advice, she had bought as bette
suited for their sick condition than potatoes
but do what he would to brighten their lives
it was not surprising tn they like herself
felt the encouragement of circumstances.
MY pride, said honest Polly 10 herself
sis almost gone. II things do not mend, II
have TO beg hslp any way" 1t went terribly
against her notions TO see her children ruI
the street barefoot, yet how to provide shoe
for Ave pair of feet WAS a task that was be
yond her power. Clean she might keel
them, but alas as the days pa sed she own
ed that more was beyond h-r strength
Patches on the worn clothes became almos
an impossibility, and here was every pros
pect, it seemed to her, that her Aggie ant
Tom and little Hanschen, TO say nothing o
the two youngest, would soon be not onl
barefoOted but actually In rags.
Things had reached this point when motto,
reached her from the charitable association
to which she owed the little help she had re
ceived, that a public distribution of gift
would take place before Christmas Eve, in th
large church parlors, and that her children
might be amongst those invited. What
struggle took place in Polly's heart on re-
ceivng this intelligence it would be scarcel!
possible to describe Her love for the littl
ones fought her hatred of charity. Shoul
she let them go? How could she refuse
To the children such treat would, perhaps
make Christmas appear like the old happ
time, while to herself it seemed as thougI
, the very idea of their accepting publicly th
gifts OF charity was degradation too great 70
words. Finally, after much debate, love COL
quered pride, the three little ones, the thre
elder Agnes, Tom, and Hans, after brisk az
plcation of soap and water, and many futil
efforts to make the worn garments les
threadbare, the addition of another patch o
two, and many injunotions ito behave" wer
sent at the hour named TO the church. Poll
could scarcely restrain her tears when sh
sent them, and they flowed freely when th
little ones returned each with gift of toy
and handful of cake aud candy. She ooul
: scarcely endure the sight Of the pleasure th
: children took in their acquisitions, and sut
: ceeded in iuouloatiDg so much of her ow
: pride aud wounded feeling into the eide
. ones, that Tom threw his gun remorsefull
I down, aud Aggis, with tears in her eye
promised again aud sgain never to "waI
= anything mother could not pay for"-until
/ suddenly dawned upon the mother that eIal
gerated views OF the occasion we're as bad
their way as want OF independence woul
have been. She reproaohed herself for lac