The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-18

But little Elizabeth, who was at heart
brave child, had grown quite cherry and
said, go, you certainly would do no BARN
to little maiden who has done nothing to
you; come in now; it is so cold" "Yes,
it il cold" murmured the old man; ego
home and leave the old man to die"
"Oh. no, )" said Elizabeth, boldly, "you
do not need to die yet" and she began
busily to gather up dry sticks in her
apron, for in the house she had seen none.
$50 away and let my woodaloneW cried
the old man again.
Eyes, indeed" said Elizabeth good
naturally, 81 will 90 when l am ready"
and she sprang into the hut with her
apron full of wood; the old man limped in
after her, muttering.
Were you not uneasy, little Elizabeth,
so alone in the smoky hole with the fright
full old man? The old man seated himself
on his sack Of leaves quite exhausted and
looked at the lively little girl with tired
eyes as she pulled together the shoulder
ing ashes on the Fireplace, laid on dry
leaves and twigs, pulled little piece of
paper from her pocket and blew out her
little checks nightly, until a cherry fire
burned
Elizabeth was hardly thirteen years old,
but her mother had early taught her all
household affairs, and now she liked to
work around in the house and help her
feeble mother, and she had learned to do
it very skilfully.
She was right earnest, as she filled the
old pot without a handle, which lay on
the ground, with water, put it on the fire,
and then went toward the old man.
"You look so pale and weak You are
freezing" said she, compassionately.
There lays an old brown mantle in which
you can wrap yourself. though it is not
beautiful" she added laughingly, and
decked him in the rough mantle. Per
haps it will soon become warmer in here"
He pushed her hands back and said
without anger, but also without friendli-
ness, 81 am not cold; 90 homew
81 shall soon go" said Elizabeth, pleas
antly, and found something which looked
like broken dish; in it she poured some
of the warm water. NOW we must wash
away that nasty blood. Isthere no sponge
here? Then l must use the corner of my
apron"
The old man must have been, indeed,
very weak, for he willingly suffered the
little one to wash his bloody forehead and
face; her little hands glided lightly and
cool as snow flakes over the bare wrnkled
head of the old man.
But the blood began to flow again after
the washing. 'If / only had some spider
webs!" said Elizabeth. 1t occurred to her
that her mother considered that the best
thing to stop blood. This moderate wish
was easily fulfilled in the old smoke-hole of
the hut. The spider-webs hung around
like curtains. Soon Elizabeth, who did
not fear spiders, had stripped down some
of the webs, and stopped the blood very
well.
80" she said, and laid fresh wood on
the fire; ''now will 90. Do you feel bet
ter? Does your head ache now"
NO" he growled, ego home"
Now that grieved Elizabeth, for she had
hoped for a friendly word from the old
man. She turned sadly to go. But as she
looked back when she reached the door,
and the old man lay there so lonely in
that sad place, he made her feel indie
scribably sorry. She went back to him
and gave him her hand.
"Poor man." said she; shave the people
become so wicked toward you ?"
He started up so suddenly that she was
frightened and retreated, thinking he
wished to strike her. But he only looked
at her with sad, tired eyes, and asked, not
so roughly as before: "Why, child?"
why" she said, now somewhat en-
OdA AdSoCu, DNCcuoC NOu 81 IOuEl
passionate, and tomorrow is Christmas
thought of Christmas and visit one an
other;T believe you are the only one in
the whole village who holds no Christmas"
Christmas? said the old man, sadly;
al know not, now, what that is"
80, do not believe thatw cried Eliza
beth. She became more and more ardent,
and the old man looked more earnestly in
the moving face of the child. every
one knows that the dear Savior of the
world has come, and that He has been SO
good and kind His whole life. And He
made many sick people we'll again and
raised many from the dead, and He never
was bad or angry, even when bad people
tortured Him and nailed Him on the
crossw Tears had come into Elizabeth s
eyes, for this very day her mother had
read with her the history of the savior,
and it had gone deep into her heart. The
old man nodded to her, Perhaps again in
his heart stirred the holy history which
his mother had related to him.
But Elizabeth thought that perhaps he
knew nothing about it and was sad over
the martyr-like death of the Savior; there
fore she smiled at him quite comfortingly
and said: THAT happened long ago and
ne 10 NOW III HcdNSn III Tile ulShcSJ power
and glory. But" she spoke her inner
thoughts gently and confdentially, 81 be-
lieve each time His birthday comes, He re-
members that He was once a child. The
little children think the Christ child
comes himself and brings them beautiful
things; but my mother says that although
we do not see Him yet he comes again to
earth on Christmas and makes the hearts
friendly toward the children. Then one
has beautiful Christmas trees and lights
thereon and good things and dolls and
playthings, and if mother is poor, still
she gives her children something, for the
Savior loves ali people"
"All?" said the old man, sadly. "No;
there are people whom the Savior loves
no more" ~ do not think that" said
Elizabeth, shaking her little head; "my
mother says it is never too late to obtain
His love. But l must go home now, or my
mother will be anxious. Goodbye, and
come down when it is cold; we are poor,
but we always have a warm room and
you must not take it unkindlY; il you
were not so rough, think that many a
time the children would come and gather
wood for you"
"No, no, little one, but wait a moment" "
And from corner of his hut he fetched
an old brown sachel and took out some
thing There, child; take that"
Now Elizabeth had become very eager
to know what secret treasure the old man
would bring out of his sachel. She was
therefore somewhat disappointed when il
/ rroved tn he a naDar with niece of old