The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-12-25
POLLY'S CHRISTMAS TREE.

"Well, mother" remarked Farmer Wilson,
''it's about time we cut our Christmas trees.
was out in the woods yesterday aud | noticed
that little Polly's tree is big enough to cut"
"What, fatherl' interrupted the good wife.
''You are not going 10 cut our Polly's tree this
yeal, are your
''Why not, mother? It's as shapely as If 1t
had been grown to order, and the top is al
most as high as my head You know she said
that when that tres got SO big that couldn't
see over it we were to cut it and have it set up
i'll the old dining room right beside the big
fireplace, so that Santa Claus could fill it full
of candies and toys Then she was going to
have all the poor little children come in and
share the gifts with her."
"Poor little dear!" exclaimed the farmer 8
wife, as she wiped q tear away with her
apron. ''She never lived to see that time"
"No," continued the farmer, choking back
sigh. "but you know what she said just befc o
she died. She wanted me to cut the Tree and
send 1t to some poor little children in the city,
/ who never see bit of green from one year
end to another, and she would lock down and
enjoy it just as much as If she were alive.
That day Pollys tree lay on the very top OF
a huge pile OF everSreens i'll the farmers barn
yard and the next afternoon it was loaded on
schooner bound Tor New York. few Gays
| later il was landed at the dock together with
several hundred other trees ready for the mar
ket, and the agent was looking through the
| pile with a letter in his hand
"Say, john" he called to his assistant,
| Farmer Wilson wants little tree labeled Pol
ly's Tree laid one side and sent to the orphan
asylum. Will You attend to it? No charges
are to be made. It's free gift"
| But there were SO many trees, and the
weather was so cold and the clerk was SO busy,
that the matter was overlooked and late that
| day Polly's tree was found standing prime and
| upright among hundred other similar trees
on the broad pavement in front of Washing
ton Market, with the little label half hidden
by the crisp green needles.
| That was great day for evergreens. Thou
sands of people passed along the street, felt OF
the trees, measured their height, examined
| their trunks and haggled about their prices
All came and went, but no purchasers for Pol
lys tree.
1t was too slight, too strong. too short and
| too tail, until the dealer began to think II
would never be sold. Finally it stood alone
noon, the day before Christmas, and the dealer
was waiting TO close out to go to his own tree
at home The crowd was hurrying past the
| tree, bound on other errands, when q little
| girl whose tattered cloak hid still more tat
tered gown stopped in front of the tree, which
short as it was, lowered above her like fores
| tree.
"Oh, my" she exclaimed, "wouldn't 1 like
that tree!'
"What would you do with big tree like
that?" replied the merchant gruffiy.
ard take it home TO Mother and Johnnie
He is sick and can't go out to the festival a.
the church."
''Well, I'll tell you what I'll do, sissy" sale
the dealer, rubbing his mittens together tc
warm his hands. II you'll take that tree ava!
with you. you can have it. Can't take it? Well
| jump into my wagon here and I'll take it fol
you. It's the last of the lot and hate to waste
| it."
Half an hour later large tree was pro-
PEELED up five flights of narrow stairs BY q
pair of stout legs and into a small back room
OF tenement house. where it filled one side
completely and .hnt out the light from The
dingy windows like great green curtain.
"There!' exclaimed the owner of the legs al
he emerged from the foliage, II guess tina
will do. Here. sissy. take this money and SEE
what you can do towards filling it. That's al
right. That's all right. Don't say anything
about it. | was youngster once myself"
The next night Pollys tree was blaze Of
candles. The green needles sparkled and giis
tened like green jewels. Never was there Q
tree more beautiful. Around it sat little John.
ME, his mother and his sister.
II wonder, mother, he remarked, after 6
long pause, "whether that tree has got a soul
1t seems to me as il it was growed just on pur.
pose for us. It looks Happy to see how glad ii
makes us feel"
| Little Polly had her wish.