News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-12-17

and day when l was coming home,
she had a basket all ready for me, of
things to bring to the children, sne
said, (God bless herb So now come in,
you're ycry welcome. Maggie, give him
your chair; you can sit on half OF
Patsy's."
Maggie very cheerfully complied, and
Dick, accepting the cordial invitation,
seated himself at the table, and they all
began to enjoy their unexpected feast.
When at last the hungry mouths were
filed, and the feast seemed about over,
there was little pause. Maggie was
sitting on the floor feeding the cat with
bits she broke off from roll and dipped
in little dish of milk, and her little
brother Dennis was watching her. 1t
was quiet, and good time for Dick to
unfold his plan, SO he began.
Mrs. DonnelIy, he said, with di-
rectness which some older people might
do we'll TO initiate, II want Christmas
tree for the poor little children in the
yard here, that never have any Christ
mas, and l want you to help me-"
If it was quiet before it was still more
so for IN mute or two now. Then Mrs.
Finley, the old grandmother, exclaimed,
"Holv mother" and Mrs. Donnelly said,
Good bless US, what is the boy thinking
of"
'T'll tell you," he said; "Tve got it
all planned out. Last Christmas, you
know, l bought Mary something, doll
and some candy, and we gave some of
the candy to two or three children we
knew, and you had that bag from where
you work, and gave few children some
of the things out of that. But there
were some that nobody gave anything to.
1t was as much as ever they had any
dinner that day, and l saw one or two
of them up on the street looking at
the windows, and they looked SO sad,
and little Mike Flaherty said to me,
| why don't Santa Claus ever come and
see US poor folks; | think we need him
the most 1t made me want to cry.
Twas lucky l had five cents left. l
took him in the store and bought him
some candy right off, and he seemed s o
glad. Well, I'm going to try, and think
| can save a dollar, mebbe more, and
I think I know a man that will give me
tree very cheap, ten cents guess, after
all the best are picked out, and | thought
you would have it here, and mebbe Miss
Alice, who you say is so kind, she might
send along a few apples or something"
Mrs. Donnelly looked sadly at the
bows eager face. She could not bear to
disappoint him in such a generous plan,
but she said in low voice, lone dollar;
what is that among so many" Dick
heard it, and it seemed as if a sudden
| inspiration leaped into his face.
"Oh, Mrs. Donnelly," he said rapidly,
sit was in my last Sundays lesson at
| hn
learned. Don't you remember? When
all these people, great multitude, 1t
said, came to hear the blessed Jesus talk,
and they were very hungry, and he said
they must have something to eat before
they went away, and the disciples said
there were only just few loaves of
bread and few little fishes, and what
would that be among so many, and Jesus
said it was no mater, make them sit
| down and pass around what they had.
And it was enough. 1t went all around,
and there were basketfuls left. 1t was
faith that did it, my teacher said so let
us try to make my dollar go around"
Dicks face when he got through
this long speech was brightly flushed,
ing. the old people were Tnuttering
blsss nd Mfs ths heT oTnney he t%aa %as crying
t'Pu help you, my boy, the best l can,
and God help us"
ooh, mother, is it Christmas tree you
mean, for us2 Oh, jolly! Jolly! and
the children began to dance about so
wildly that the cat ran and HID under
the stove, and Mrs. Donnelly had to
Jump up and threaten them with being
''sent straight to bed if they didn't be
quiet" So peace was restored again,
and the question discussed a little.
ssThis room is too small, but there is an
empty one just in there, pretty big
one; it's likely to stay empty till spring,
l guess, and we can put the tree in
there" So it was settled that there was
to be a tree, and l can assure you the
news soon spread abroad in the yard.
But upon Mrs. Donnelly the question
pressed heavily. What could they get
to put on the tree! Mrs. Jocelyn, for
whom she worked, was an invalid.
Alice, her only daughter, taught music,
and had but little time or money to
spare, though Mrs. Donnelly was sure
she would give her what assistance she
could.
1t was cold evening. There was a
cheerful fire in the genuine old fashioned
fireplace in Mrs. Jocelyn's sitting room,
and Alice with her mother and aunt were
ENJOYING it. They had not lighted any
lamp, but the freight sent cheerful
CLEANS sometimes over Alice's thought
full face, sometimes lending a glow to
the pale, patient face of the invalid,
sometimes burning up SO brilliantly that
the whole room was quite illuminated,
showing the book shelves filled with
books, the hanging plants in the win
dows, the pretty sofa with its comfort
able pillows embroidered by Alice's busy
fingers, the aunt nodding over some knit
ting work, and little kitten making
dreadful snarl out of the ball of yarn
that had, fortunately for the kitten, who
was beginning to get tired of such quiet
company, just rolled on the floor. At
length the 81 ence was broken. "Mother, "
said Alice, MRS. Donnelly has told me
touching incident to-day of little
b b)otblack, Dick Conroy, who means to
get Christmas tree for the poor chill
dren in the yard where they live. Poor
children, they never have any Christmas,
and l want to help them" "
Aunt Jane suddenly appeared wide
awake, and said, in quite an energetic
voice. - 81 should think you had enough
On your ndHuS NOW, WlIAOul DOGA0lAhS B
yourself over those miserable little
street Arabs, and getting no thanks for
it, either" A soft, quiet voice came
from the invalids chair, 'Inasmuch as
We did it unto me-" eyes, mother.
thought of that, - said Alice, and Aunt
Jane, after a few moments of silence,
said in quite different tone, 81 could
make some of my pain doughnuts and
cookies, if you like; children always
like them"
"That would be very good, aunty,
and we have plenty of our own apples
this winter-pretty red ones they are,
too" said Alice. Then after moment
she went on. 81 see so much in some
places where l teach of the custom OF
loading children with presents wher
they are already surfeited with books
| and TOYS. The new ones only amuse
J them a few days, then are thrown aside
} Mother, III tell you what l will do; i
isn't very pleasant to beg, but I'm going
to ask is several families where | teach
if they will give me old toys, old books
and old clothing for the tree. | know
= Mrs. Green and Mrs. Wilder will do SC
, willingly, they are very kind hearted
and generous. | shall be sure of hell
3 from them. | will begin my collecting
to morrow"
r Two days before Christmas, if yol
had looked in Alice Jecelyn's room,
I think you would have wondered how sh
. managed to get into it herself. Every
=