Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-12-15

with lantern in their midst, were
singing one of those joyful carols
which tell Of !'Peace on earth, good
will toward men,"
"Why, it's tiny girl-a poor little
miserable girl exclaimed an old
man, who had heard the cry, and left
off singing to find its cause. "She's
near dead, seems to me, and as thin
as piece of paper" And, being a
kind-hearted old man, who had had
children of his own, he lifted up the
little lifeless burden, and carried it
tenderly in his arms into the centre
of his surprised companions.
"What'll you do with her?" said
one of the men, wonderingly.
"Take her as the Lords Christmas
gift, as she don't seem to have none
to take care of her." replied the old
man, promptly, "if so be as he hasn't
taken her to himself already. But ]
believe it's only kind O. dead faint"
he continued, as he held the lantern
close to the pale, worn face, and gazed
anXiously at it to discover some signs
of returning life.
"Should ha' thought you had
enough to do to keep yourself, let
alone any on3 else" sneered one of
the singers. But old putty" as he
was called, was too busy chatting the
child's hands and wrapping her up in
his threadbare cloak to notice his
friends remarks. Presently, finding
that poor little Tangles never spoke,
Putty set off at brisk trot in the di-
rection of his home, carrying the
child with him, and leaving the waits
gazing after his retreating figure in
mute establishment.
" Vel, he always lCas the comical-
list old man as ever was, but this is
the very comicalist thing as ever he
didW observed one, after a pause,
nodding his head in the direction in
which old Putty had disappeared.
All, pity that there are not more
, tender-hearted "comicaF folks like
, this humble old man, ready to put
: aside their own pleasure and profit
for the good of Others worse off than
themselves!
Thus, it happened that when poor
little Tangles opened her eyes again,
r she found herself in a tiny kitchen,
} with Putty bending anxiously over
her, and trying to force something
> warm and sweet down her throat.
. AS soon as he saw her begin to revive,
he moved quickly aside and stood be.
hind the door.
"The child'll be less startled if she
t RECEIVERS a bit before she sees my ug.
g ly old face" he thought.
4 Tangles gazed with a look of sur,
V prise round the bare but tidy room
: with the pets of struggling geranium
? in the window.
!, "It don't look much like heaven
D old Putty heard her whisper to her
f self, "and don't see that beautiful
star nowhere. I s'pose it wouldn't
e show me the way eos wasn'ta wist
i. man. Why, there's a tea-kettle anG
t a fire! o, it can't possibly be heav
en-" continued Tangles in a louder
o tone asif she was arguing with some
a one. 80, where can / be-"
Y AT this moment, Putty increased
e her establishment by appearing hasti
T., ly from his hiding place, wipin&
d away few stray tears, that had un
n expectedly appeared in his eyes, witt
O his coat-sleve.
Various explanations followed, anC
d little Tangles was soon seated on thu
:, old mans knee by the fire, chatting
IS away cheerfully, so true is it that jo!
t. and sorrow follow each other in chill
r dren's lives as quickly as cloud fol
r lows sunshine on an April day.
e "Fancy my thinking that that Ian
tern was Christmas starr" CRIED
n Tangles, presently. "Why, yer!
s. likely if I'd seen you, should hav,
d thought you were an angel, and you
If know, though you are so nice
e you're not a bit like an angel
COS angels amt old and gray ant
~ short"
o "No, my dear, I'm not a bit lik
n an angel; Pm only an old man" re
g piled Putty, contentedly, patting tn
d child's dark hair. But perhaps hi
j. was more like one than in his humil
,, ity, he imagined.
r, Little Tangles looked an odd figure
I as she sat on the old mans knee
t, feeding herself with the bread ant
IT tea he had prepared for her. Al
IS old shirt and coat of Putty's wer