The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-12-20
For the Reporter.
How We Supplemented Christmas
By Gretchen.

By Gretchen.
Santa Claus. like many other great per
sonages, sometimes overlDokS, or forgct-
| to visit the homes Of the poor; but "hrl
we consider what an extensive clichl1 ne
travels, and the vast amount Of good he
really does accomplish, we can ind an eA-
cuse for an occasional oversight, 1Iav-
cling in the midst of cyclones, earth
| qnakes and icebrrgs rs he does, what
/ wonder if he is sometimes delayed, or
/ loses from his sleigh, some toy, or par
of boots or skates that are intended Tor
/ some little boy or girl, thus making them
/ feel neglected aud unhappy on that day
of all days when the VIII sic world should
/ rejoice.
But whether it was by accident or de
! sign, it was fact that one Christmas
/ day, his "reindccr express did actually
pass right by the door Of nice lltuc
girl in SkoWhegan without a. much as u
nod or a MERRY Nmas" from the driver.
The name of the little girl was Maggie
Merton She was the child of widow
who was very poor Her father WHO was
soldier died when Maggie was tiny
baby, 50 She coul not remember how he
looked, even She had very pretty man
ners, and her gentle, quiet ways showed
that her home training was good, and we
thought her mother must be lady III the
true sense. We had never seen her moth
er, and it was by accident that we be
came acquainted with Maggie. We usei
to laugh among ourselves and say that
Maggie might bc Il princess in DISGUISE
perhaps Il relative of Little Lord Faun-
leroy with whom al. the readers oil ST
Nicholas have been made acquainted,
although She looked more like Gender
ella whose history was 50 intensely IN
terestng to the children Of the past gen
Grafton, and whose cruel treatment 1T the
hands Of the acruel step-mother Drought
tears into as many eyes. Maggie had no
"cruel step-mother," hut a real, loving
mother who would gladly have done as
much for her as the fairy god-mother'
did for "Cinderela" if she had had the
power, but she was poor and could barely
furnish her with food and clothing.
When our Susie found out that Mag
gie had been thus neglected she was very
sorry and exclaimed, 'Wcll, she shall
have something, if Nmas is over, Mn
purse is not quite empty, and if you are
willing, we Will invite her over here and
make old Santa Claus ashamed of him
self. think he wa real mean to forget
such Il good little girl. of course | was
only too willing, so we constituted our
selves into "cDmmittec of ways and
means, and went Immediately Into conn
ell to consider the child's needs, and what
our almost empty purses could do to-
ward supplying them. We found that
there was a limit to our means II not To
her wants, but we determined to do our
best which is all that any body can do.
SO after making out such II list as tile eX-
hausted state of our fus DIS would war
rant, Susie was appointed to make the
purchases. First on the list was nice
warm hood, then materials tor dress.
two pair of stockings, a pair Of mlttens,
a handsome doll and "FlaXic Frilze' for
wants are not bounded by food and cloth
Ing. We got some moasses and sugar
and nuts, for we wanted some candy and
thought we could make some that would
be nicer and much more healthful than
what we could find at the stores. Besides
Susie SAID, lit would be such fun for
Maggie to help make it.
The mumcntous day at last arrived,
and So did Maggie, just as Susie was in
the midst of the candy making. Susie
said, oh, you are just in time. cannot
leave this candy for fear it will boil over
and | was wishing for little pair of fin
gers to pick out these nuts from their
shells" So oil came the old faded hood
and the darned mittCnS aud soon til,
nuts were stirred into the boiling molas
ses, and the candy was poured into Ii
buttered dish to cool. Some sugar was
boiling in another vessel which Maggie
watched with good deal of interest.
When that was ready to pull Susie gave
her biz piece, and at it they wedtpnlling
it out till il grew white and brittle, and
then ii was placed ON board and cut
into sticks,
All this was delightful to Maggie, but
when the time came for her to 20 home,
and the nice presents were spread out be-
fore her. she was almost beside herself
with joy. The old hood and mittens
were made into II bundle of themselves,
aud the new ones put on, and Maggie
wondered if her mother would know the
little girl who looked so line in her new
hood and mittens, with enough in her
bundles to stock Il peddier'S cart! So
So away she went taking with her all the
candy she had pulled to her mother,
for Maggie is not selfish child. but al
ways wants to share with her mother
whatever she has that is nice
Some day she is coming again, with her
doll, for Susie has promised to make il
whole wardrobe from a knitted under
vest to a silk pelissc and velvet bonnet.
SO we find that we are not dependent ON
SANTA Ci0HS,' but we can take the spirit
of Nmas right through the year and car
nv out our benevolent plans As well one
time A. another.