Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-31
SHOOTING. STARS.
Tho Good Fortune Which They
Brought to Little Girl.

:sparkled very brightly, for the heavens,
seeing so many lights on earth, in pal
ace, cottage and howell, did not wish to
,6e niggardly, and lighted twice as many
stars as usual.
A poor little girl of eleven winters
was trudglng homeward through the
streets of Hamburg. Her frock was
thin and the wind was icy, but the
child was cheerful, for Paul Senatorin
had given her bright eight-shiIling
piece for sweeping paths and perform
inc various other little services in prep
aration for the Christmas feast at the
rich mans mansion.
And as the little one was returning
home thinking of her poor mother and
of the cold and cherries room which
awaited her, she suddenly noticed a
shooting star, and then another, and
she remembered that she had heard
chat if one makes a wish at such a mo-
ment it is certain to come true. And
when another star fell she cried as
quickly as she could: ''Luck and bless
ing! Luck and blessing for my poor
mOther!'
Just at this moment, while she was
looking at the stars, she ran against
something, and when she looked for
ward she saw before her big fat man
who held his hands before his stomach
and cried: "Mercy on me! What be-
havior for the public street,
The gentleman had just come out
from fine dinner at the hotel above.
He was bachelor, and always good
liver, but to-day he had given himself
more liberty than usual, for it was
Christmas time. why don't you look
out, you dumb girl? Why did you run
against my stomach7" said the man,
GROSSLY, and grasped her arm so tightly
that it panied her.
The poor child wept with fright, and
in broken sentences tried to explain
how she had been watching the shoot
ing stars and wishing blessings for her
mother, and had thus neglected to no.
ticc her way.
Nonsense! Nonsense!" said the gen.
tleman, ''all superstitions and shooting
.stars-thcy give nothing!"
Just then great meteor shot
through the sky, with loud report and
a light which was reflected with bril-
liancv from the ice-covered river near
which the child and the man were
standing.
..Sapristir' cried the frightened gen.
tleman, who had travelled and under
stood many strange languages: lone
would think that that forebodcs some
thing"'
Then he looked curiously into the
pale. sweet face of the girl, and the
moon which was just peeping over the
top of the neighboring palace helped
him to see more clearly. His heart be-
came moved, for the features of the
child awakened memories of his own
childhood. of merry Christmas and a
long-forgotten paradise.
In every human heart there is spot
where hope. love and pity thrive. In
some hearts the spot is large, in some
smaller, and in many it has become uh-
fruitful ground. This was the case
with the respectable gentleman of our
little story.
But when he looked into the eyes of
the child he began to feel some return
ing touches of emotion; and after a
little time the spot in his heart became
more green than it had been for many
wears. 1t was so peculiar that it stirred
him, but not unpleasantly.
what is your name. little one?" he
asked. with mild voice, and where do
you live?"
Then the childtold him that she was
called Susie, and that her mother was
= washerwoman and lived beside a
,,:rLl,o,;,,r ,,1l,x- W, haro tho Sup navor
shone, even in summer.
Come" said the gentleman, 81 will
take YOU home, and if all that you have
told me is true, then shall the promise
of the shooting stars be true also;
Gomez
Then they went through the goose
market. and straight ahead until they
reached the narrow streets where the
poor people live, then on until they
reached an alley full of miserable
houses.
Here is the place." said the little
one, and sprang forward and stood be.
side low door which opened into a
passage through which the gentleman
could not pass without stooping-and
STOPPING was something which he new
er did willingly. mother is in there
and has a fire in the stove" continued
the child, Il can see through the
cracks"
And SO twas. The poor woman who
had washed and scrubbed for the rich
people during the livelong day, in order
to make the houses bright and clean fol
Christmas. was now celebrating the
holy Eve herself. She sat upon low
stool before the little stove, pleased
with the fire which she had kindled-
and the stove was pleased, too, for thi:
was the first fire which it had felt for 8
long time.
Upon the rickety table lay tiny
sprig of evergreen, few apples and
nuts, and'a little yellow wax taper. fol
. surprise to Susie.