The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-17
Nellie's Gift.

Did YOU ever want anything awful
bad and then have it come? Then you
know how I felt when the package
came from my auntie in New York,
and I opened it and found pair OF
real silk mitts. Jack said they were
lust "splen- -dor-if-ic," and Jacks my
brother, and he knows. I had wanted
some for ever so long, but I didn't say
much about it, cause when you live in
little cuddled-up house, and your pa
pa has to buy bread and shoes for so
many, the money all flies away before
it gets around to what little girls want.
/ don't know how auntie found it
out unless Santa Claus told her, and it
wasn't near Christmas time, either.
They were such pretty brown mitts.
Tilly Jones said they were just the col
or of my hands, but I didn't care for
that. Little hands will get brown
when they weed the garden beds and
do 80 many things. looked at them
most hundred times in two days, l
guess, and then it came Sunday.
Wasn't I glad! I put them on and
walked to church. just so. Jack said l
held my paws like a scared rabbit, but
I didn't ever see rabbit with mltts
on.
1t isn't right to think too much about
what you wear when you 60 to Sun
day-school, and by and by I didn't, for
we had such a good Sunday-school l
forgot every thing else. A missionary
man told all the folks about some poor
little children away off; how the fire
had burned down their school-house,
and they hadn't any nice houses, or
clothes, or any thing, but they We're
trying so hard to get along and to
learn and he said what was given to
those little ones was just the same as
giving to Jesus. Think of that Just
the same as giving to the dear Christ
Child! / just supposed every body
would give. Why, some of the folks
are worth as much as ten dollars, or Q
hundred, and yet that basket stayed
most empty.
/ did wish was rich, and all at once
remember the poor widow in the Bi-
BILE. I'd read it that very morning,
how she had given her two mitts, every
living mitt she had it said so. So
slipped mine off and dropped them in
to the basket, and / was glad, If my
throat did choke up. But pretty soon,
when that basket was carried up, the
gentleman picked them right out.
"Has any little girl lost her gloves?"
Nobody said anything, and he asked
again "Did any little girl drop her
gloves in the basket by mistake" IT
was awful still in that room and !
thought he was looking right at me, SO
I had to say something. at wasn't q
mistake" 1 told him; 1T wanted to
help and hadn't any money, but ]
knew how that woman in the Bible
gave her two mitts, and so" Then
those folks just shouted. they did and
/ felt rs if I'd like to drop right down
through the floor.
I knew I had made some dreadful
blunder, but couldn't see what, for il
mites don't spell mitts what does il
spell? Course cried, but my teacher
put her arm right around me and
whispered, Never mind, little Mel
lie i" and she stood up and said, with
her voice all trembling: "Deal
friends, this little girl has given hel
greatest treasure have we older ones
done as much 2" Some way, the mon
ey Just poured into that basket aftel
that, and the missionary looked glad
der and gladder. They brought my
mitts back to me, and my teacher sait
she would show me how to get some