The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-18
HOW AMELIA AUGUSTA HELPED.

IN the conservatory with Amelia In her arms.
The air was full Of dolls, the talk was about
doiIies-can you guess the reason why9
AN the older members of the family, even to
grandma, had been coaxed into service to dress
dozens Of them, who were to swing high in the
Christmas tree at the church that evening.
Dolls in Christmas tree9 Yes indeed; mis-
Elopary dolls, every of them. The sweet
lives they were living were enough to ennoble
the whole business of doll-dressing for ever.
You must know that there were two Christmas
trees standing in the great church at this mo-
msnt One was filed with pretty little treas
ures for the home Sabbathschool The other
was filed with gifts from the Sabbath school to
the orphans gathered in certain home in a
large city. Over the trees, in letters of gold,
hung with invisible wires, swayed the motto:
Freely Ye Have Received
This was over the church tree. Over the or
phaHs' tree: Freely Give"
The children said it was ''Just lovely"
Within that Home it was known that there
was hospital filled with little white beds; in
every bed sufferer many of whom would go
lout from that Home only when they went in
their collins. 1t was to this room that the dolls
were going and they were being dressed in silk
and velvet, and lace, and every choice and beau
fiful thing that dolls shonld wear
Helen, sitting IN the conservatory, could hear
the talk. II wish we had a great lovely doll,
something like that of Helen's, for that poor
who has never walked step, would like to
give her tho pretty things could think Of" 1t
was Helen's grown-up sister that was speaking
There was that in the words which made Helen
hug Amelia Augusta closer to her heart and
tel her she was her own darling, and she would
never part with her, never in the world But
for all that, she did not, and could not, for
get little lame Maggie who had never walked
a step
What must it be like never to walk-always to
HaSryH To nm nj in no
same ROOM and see the same things day after
day, and know that one would never get wel9
Poor little Maggie, without any mother. Would
a great doll like Amelia Augusta give her com
foTti "You would be TOO heavy for her to hold,
Amelia Augusta 1 am sure you would"
'As if could give you away. when you have
real hair, and eyes that open and shut. What if
she cannot walk. A doll wouldn't help her, any
WY; and she might let you fall off the bed and
break you, and that would break her heart o,
Won can't go, Amelia Augusta and that is the
whole of it. If Louise wants that Maggie to
hare great DOLL why doesn't she buy her one?
Uncle bought you'll can't give you away"
WHO could be whispering to Helen, asking
her to give her doll away2 No one was to be
BeSn in the room.
Helen arose presently, and laid Amelia Au-
gRsta in, the upper bureau drawer and turned
the key, and tried to forget her. It couldn't be
done. Amelia Augusta was determined not to
be forgotten.
Mamma" Helen said, in the course of the
mCrRing, 'if you had a baby, and you thought
somebody else wanted it very much. would you
give it up?"
What question: Of course not, child un-
less was obliged to- What made you think of
such a thing?"
Nothing, mamma was thinking of dollies
Don't you suppose that little girls think almost
as much of their dollies as mothers do of their
babies 2"
90" said Helen's mother. in a tone which
said u begin to understand" Why, no,
daughter; don't think so. Sensible little girls
know that dollies are only images of real babies
which some man or woman has made for them.
They remember that they have no souls, and
that by and by they will be laid aside and not
cared for any more. But mothers never outgrow
their babies; they love them just as dearly when
they are gray haired men and women. They al
ways think of them as Gods gifts"
And mamma" sent a loving glance over at
her own gray haired mother who had never In
oil these forty-four years grown weary of her.
Helen sighed. There certainly was some diff
ference, and she could not help owning it.
An hour later she made another effort.
"uncle Mott. don't you think it is wrong to
give away presentW
why, not necessarily, little woman I can
0ncelve of person giving away present that
would make the original giver glad and proud
when it was done in unselfish love, and for the
help of some other who needs it more"
Let me tell you what happened between 2
and o'clock of that same day little girl.
by the handle, went across the street to the
great closed doors of the church. where~the two
Christmas trees waited for evening.
In the trunk, reposing among her elegant silks
and laces, was Amelia Augusta; and she was to
swing on the Christmas-tre that night and
travel afar to little lame Maggie on the morrow
The sacrifice was made; and Helens face, though
grave. was sweet; and all traces of tears had
been washed away. The church was locked but
papa was one of the trustees, and Helen carried
great brass key in her pocket. The door
swung back at her touch. The hall felt dark
and still. No one had been in the church for
hours; nobody expected to be for hours to come
Not until 1t was time to light up for evening
What queer smell was that2 1t half choked
Helen. She went forward and pushed open the
inner doors. What! Great clouds of smoke
little spiteful tongues of fire! No sight of trees
or of anything, indeed but volumes of smoke
1t was the work of an instant for Helen to set
down the trunk. fly to the door, closing it after
her in her wise forethought, lest the outer air
should rush in and fan the smoke into flames
She had heard of such story as that, only a
few days before. She pulled to the door. Then
she shouted, above the rising wind Fire! Fire."
90 Charlie Parsons, the church is on fire."
''Firel' shouted Charlie, his sixteen year old
lungs good and strong And Fire yelled the
boys at the corner, delighted to pass the word
along; and in less time than it takes me to tell
You. the city was In a commotion. Bells rang
engines ratified, the great hose poured water
fron its generous throat, and eager hands
worked with will Half an hour and it was all
over. ''She saved the church" Doctor Dennis
said. wiping his black face with his black hands
Mo- sobbed Helen, too much excited to stop
crying, 1T was Amelia Augusta that did it."
The story few, as stories nearly always do
aud am sure you do not need to be told that
doll az like TO Amelia Augusta as the city could
produce swung that evening on the topmost
branch of the Freely Give" tree. But Amelia
Augusta herself stood on the very tip top of the
other tree, and bore on her dress a card which
read For brave and thoughtful work. by
which sixty thousand dollars was saved, am re-
warded by being allowed to stay at home and
takeeare of dear mamma, Helen" The other doll
was Araminta Angelina