Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-12-22

goln' to be good-iust think of it,
Dick!"
The crippled boy was glad to see
how pleased Nance was, and very glad
of the pretty, green branches. Poor
to make him glad.
"Have you got time to fix 'em up
like tres, Nance?" he asked. "Iseen
a. tree once, when father was alive and
before mother took to drink. 1t had
bright balls on it and candles and can
dies. I'd like you to set these up.
My! Amt they heavy?" and the
poor, weak hands gave up trying to
lift the boughs, which seemed but q
feathers weight to Nance.
"Why, Dick" the girl exclaimed
joyously, "here's your flower pot-it'll
be just the thing! The dirt's in 1t yet
-l'll wet it up q bit and plant 'em--
shouldn't wonder if they'd grow"
Dicks eyes lit up with hope and
eagerly he watched as the girl stuck
the branches in, tying them together
and making quite q pretty little tree
of them.
Now, tomorrow night I'll put the
things on, Dick, and we'll have Christ
mas-We twol And then the next day
| I'll try to bring you some of tho pud
ding and turkey the little boy told me
Of"
Then Nance had to leave, while Dick
waited in the gathering gloom for his
mothers step-would it be firm and
soft, or heavy and tottering?
An hour after, she came up the
stairs; she had kept away from the
corner store and was more like her
self than she had been for long time
More like herself, but, just for that
reason, more utterly wretched and
! discouraged than We, who have never
been enslaved by drink, can guess.
"Is that you, mother?" asked Dick
in the dark. ''Oh, won'tyou light the
| lamp, SOS | can see my Christmas
tree? What does Christmas mean,
anyway? I asked Nance, but she
couldn't tell"
Mary Wallis heart smote her that
her boy should ask such q question.
''Why, it means-it means-well, it's
Christ's birthday. He was born on
Christmas day"
Christ Is he the Jesus that you
| talk ABOUT when-when-"
The woman flushed Eyes, Heis Jesus
Christ--He is God, and He came to
earth AS a little baby"
81 suppose he was rich and grand.
even when he was a baby?" asked
Dick, curiously-he did so love g. sto-
ry!
"No, indeed" said his mother slow
Try ~
condescension dawned upon her as she
told the "old, oldstory." "No, indeed
He came as apoor child-He was born
in q stable"
"Why, that's worse than garrett, !"
put in Dick.
eyes, and then, when He grew up,
He went about doing good. But at
last, they nailed him to a cross"
The child gave g long, shuddering
sigh.
but He came out of the grave,
Dick, and went up into heaven, and
there He is now.'
'Don't He care for us, mother ?"
said Dick, after a pause. "Don't He
care for little lame boys like me? Do
you think He remembers about
Christmas and likes us to have q
tree?"
eyes, do, Dick, l know He cares
shame on me that I've not taught you
better! He loves us and wants us to
pray to HIM.
The poor mother fell on her knees,
sobbing bitterly, but angels reioiced
ut her tears, for she, too, prayed at
last-"God be marciful to me, g. sin
nerm
Dick felt very tired after this and en-,
Joyed his mothers gentle care of him
and the cup of tea and bit of toast
she prepared SO lovingly. Then hefell
asleep and dreamed pleasant dreams
till the morning broke.
Nance was very fortunate the next
day, for it was "slushy," and no one
claimed the crossing she chose. She
worked hard and kept it thoroughly
cleaned, SO that one and another as
they passed by felt that she had
earned a penny and she had great
number by the end Of the day. Tired,
yet wonderfully happy, she dragged
herself, cold and dirty, up to Dicks
attic, but when she threw open the
door she started back, thinking that
she must have made q mistake. But
there lay Dick.
"Come in" cried the boy, '.come in
Mothers just gone out, but she'll be
back. 0, Nance, she knew about
Christmas, and it's just lovely-Jesu
Christ was born on Christmas, and He
loves us still, and mother and me,
we're going to do just the best we
know how, cause that pleases Him
and you can talk to Him and ask Him
whatever you want"
! Nance stood still, amazed. The
room had been thoroughly cleaned,
even the fower-pot in which the green's
stood was scrubbed.
sWell It's splendid anyhow" she
said at last, "and I've bought lots OF
things for your tree. See-hens O.
candy and little candy chickens and
dogs and big elephant; and here's
lots OF pop-corn-a llstrung-th WON
an says Pm to hang that on the tree
and-just look a-here!" and Nance
lifted carefully out of it's tissue wrap
pings, little figure of an angel.