The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-24
MADGE'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
The Still Small Voice That Proved
to Be Quite Real After All,
THE NEWS" CHRISTMAS STORY
BY WILLIAM e. sAcKETT.

How the children's imagination
revels in the Christmas dream! The
airy snowflake, shaken from the region
of mysttry above and vanishing like q
spectre to the touch, spreads a new
world beneath their feet. The trees
glistening in their armor of frozen
sleet are fairy castles in their eyes.
The sparkle of the frost on the snow
crest is diamond dust scattered by
sprite hands. Even Santa Claus, the
1eshly monarch of the scene, loses his
u~nethereal, very material aspects, and
only the kindly humor OF his round
face and the tender bounty of his
great heart remain to the youthful
fancy
And the dream ONE alike to the
rich and the poor, Even little Madge,
gazing into the windows of one of the
gaily decorated stores one Christmas
eve, forgot the poverty of her nome.
and lost herself in gorgeous dreams OF
happiness and wealth. The busy,
bustling crowd that thFonged the
streets surged around the store door,
in, empty handed, and out, loaded
Will Lllot lAlNs MAlCI 4haOhNf klANSAA
ing the infection of the hour. followed
| along till she found herself before the
brilliantly illuminated window, filed
with hosts of pretty things she could.
only look upon, she fell beneath the
magic spell, and lost herself in dream
land. t9sjtn s
In the warm glow of her musings,
she was insensible to the nipping
frost of the night as it crept beneath
the thin shawl that she pinned to her
breast with her hands, and forgot
that the frozen now on the sidewalk
was b~enumbing the feet which her
worn shoes but poorly protected.
Her heated fancy pictured a cheer
full fire blazing upon the hearth that
she left black and cold at home. The
warm rug in the window seemed to
have spread itself over the thread
bare carpet of the floor. The plain
wooden stools swelled out into great
easy chairs, covered with rich fabrics.
and gay with painted tides. The
stained table of pine stretched itself
the full length of the room to hold the
dainties that were spread upon it.
Mamma became as richly attired as
the queenly doll in the window
Madge thought she had never seen
anything SO grandly arrayed.
And papa! Well, if papa were at
home, perhaps her dream had not
been all a dream. He had helped to
make the cheer of the last Christmas;
but death had claimed him before this
new Christmas came around, and left
mama to struggle against the world
as best she could. Madge realized
now more than ever she had before
how poorly that was! Yesl She had
heard mama say something about a
rich grandpa some where. But he had
refused to see her after she had mar
ried papa, and had turned her away.
from his door even now that papa was
gone. 81
And then there was little Jack, the
red checked and blue eyed baby pet
of the household. Madge's imagina-
ton wandered till it had summoned
him upon the scene; there it anchored.
He had seen other Christnlases,, but
he had not known them; and this
was the first when Santa Claus, with
his sack of toys, had risen upon his
vision. Poor little jack Dear little
jack Was there no one in the great
throng of gift makers who would
gladden. his Christmas morning with
the expected toy?
-sBut then, only me and mamma
know Jack" Madge sighed, and we
CAN'T
Then Madge became filed withsel
reproach, becauseit was she who had
filed his mind with all the poetry.
and tradition of the season, and when
she laid him III bed with kisses had
even put bright anticipations of the
dawn in his dancing baby brain. 1t
would be little short of cruel. she
unused, TO disappoint his expectations,
and the thought touched her tender
heart, till, almost unconsciously, she
found herself moving with the tide
that swept in at the store door.
She passed gaudily dressed dolls
and trundling dolls wagons, and
mock pianos that would have de-
lighted any little girl. But nothing
tempted her till her eyes rested on a
1eecy lamb, white as the driven snow,
that stood within her reach.
With what glee jock would
romp UP and down the ROOF
with it, stopping, only when out
Of breath. to plunge his cold finger
| tips into its warm WOOL The picture
of his happiness was one she. couldnot
let go unrealized; and in a twinkling,
when she thought no eye was upon
her, she had smuggled it under her
shawl and was fastening, under the
sting of guilty conscience, out of the
door. AE.a 8xesS ii N
She Rugged it to- her side as She
sped up the street-out from the
illumination of the window, around a
corner, and up a darkened streettthat
pointed to her home. No one was in
Sight! Yes, one man walked in front
of her, but he knew nothing of her
little sin for Jacks sake; and on she
went, hugging the stolen trifle to her
bosom, and binding her shawl around
it to keep it warm, till
"Wouldyou be thief, little girl?"
The voice was so audible and real
that she trenbled with apprehension
as she glanced behind to see who had
detected her.
No one was there.
Don't be afraid little girl, but you
have been naughtyln
The voice this time seemed to be at
her side, and she leaped to the side
walks edge to escape the hand she
felt would next be laid upon her?
SITS God talking to you through
your conscience, child.n
The voice seemed to come down
now, from the clouds. Nothing but
l the darkness of the night, with the
j 4 80 -. 1 -. Ah 81 q oIna