The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-01-30
Srletteo tStorp.
Mrs. AppletOn's Gifts.

on six young faces in the Appletons'
living-roOm: and on Christmas eve.
too, of all nights in the year when chill
dren, the world over, are supposed to
be happy in anticipation of the NOR
rows joysl What was it all about?
Well, to answer that question | must
tell you that six weeks before Christ
mas the Appleton children held coun-
Gil in the nursery, one rainy afternoon,
and decided to save all the money they
could until Christmas-time, and then
buy something for their mother that
would be worth the having. or course
ii was Elsie's idea; all the good ideas
and suggestions were Elsie's-the dear,
motherlv, siXteen-year-od sister who
was such a comfort and help to every
one in the household. She it was who
placed the tin bank on the table in her
own room and proposed that all the
pennies saved and the pennies earned
should be dropped into it for the
mothers Christmas. There were not
many spare pennies in the Appleton
family these days, for since last Christ
mas the father, who had been the dearly
loved minister of the Congregational
church in one of the large towns of
New England, had died, leaving his
wife to care for their six children with
out very large portion of this worlds
goods with which to do it; but, with
the help of many kind friends, Mrs.
Appleton had been able to keep her
family together; and though they had
not many luXuries, there was much hap
piness under the roof that sheltered
them. How they had toiled and
planned these last weeks to make the
bank grow heavy and quite heavy it
was that very afternoon, when 1t was
broken open and the contents counted,
Even Elsie was surprised at the
amount-four dollars and eighteen
cents-and as she put the money into
little plush bag and started out with
her brothers and sisters for the event
full shopping her sweet face beamed
with delight What should they buy?
That, of course, was the important
question that had come up several
times a day since the scheme was first
thought of.
Allan, the eldest boy, wanted new
dress, but this suggestion was not re-
ceived very enthusiastically by the 9th
ers, who objected that all that money
put into cloth would give only one
thing. Rob, Familiarity called d" Bob
kins" by the family, was decidedly in
favor of candy, nuts, cologne, hand
kerchiefs, "and lots of other fXin's
thatll just make her eyes stand out,
and fill both of her stockings chuck
full" while Elizabeth, being of prac
teal turn of mind, suggested new
gloves, work-basket aud purse with
a gold dollar in it. The twinnies."
Mabel and Dorothy, who were not
quite seven. had not very decided
opinions, but rather leaned toward the
candy, while Elsie, who felt that it
have the money spent in buying sew
eral little things, sided with Elizabeth's
proposal. They were still discussing
the details of the shopping when they
reached Goodman & HOLSTERS, where
they usually went with their mother.
Rob begged so hard TO carry the bag,
reminding Elsie of the hard mornings
work piling wood, which had added
fifty cents to the fund, that she at last
gave it to him, cautioning him to hold
it very carefully and not lose it.
Looking at gloves and handkerchiefs
was not very interesting to this active,
twelve-year-old boy, and seeing an en-
CINE on the toy-counter, he wandered
away from the others and was soon abb
sorbed in looking at it. He put down
the bag to examine the wheels, and was
intent upon them when Mabel came
running up to him and said: Bob
kins, where's the bag? Elsie wants to
pay for the things"
The bag Rob put his hand down
for it, but it was not where he had left
it. He searched among the TOYS,
knocking them over in his eagerness
and calling out reproof from the man
who had charge CT the counter, but no
bag was to be found. The clerk re-
membered to have seen poorly-dressed
boy standing near Rob, and said that
he was very sorry, but that undoubtedly
he had taken it.
1t seemed to Rob that he never could
face the others. All their earnings
gonel All their plans aud talk for
nothing! 1t could not be, and, big boy
as he was, he burst into tears and
rushed out of the store, leaving Mabel
to carry the news to the others, who
could not realize at first that their
precious bank money was really gone.
They hurried home, and after long
search Rob was discovered by Elsie in
the back part of the attic, his eyes red
and swollen, and altogether a most sor-
rowful specimen of small humanity.
He was finally persuaded by the tender
hearted sister to come down and taken
to the living-room, where the others
were assembled, as we found them at
the beginning of my story.
Mrs. Appleton had gone to the church
to finish some preparations for the Sun
day-school festival, and had told the
children that she might not be home for
tea, so they had time to talk matters
over freely.
Allan was inclined to grumble and
scold, and the twins, realizing that the
candy was not within their reach, said:
"Oh, Bobkins, how could you lose the
bag?" but Elsie hushed them all and
said: " We must think of something
else to do for mother; we shall have to
tell her that we meant to get her some
thin,, nj Int oA,,1I -