Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-12-24

er's way of laughing at her poverty was s.
brave and chcery!
"Have the children any dolls?" asket
Miss Priscilla, pinning the stockings witt
her own fingers to her cherished plush lam
brequin.
"Yes, two forlorn, little relics. Tot
has lost it's head, believe, and Angelina
arms are gore, but the children love then
and couldn't afford new ones this year.
must run back to Tot how. am SO CRATE
full to you, Miss Hopkins; hope Marjor..
won't disturb you. Goodnight"
.sGood- night" answered Miss Priscilla
and then she went back to the fire and star
ed hard at the little crimson stockings glow
ing in the freight.
SI'll do it-so!" she said at last, decided
ly. Softly leaving the room she called dowl
the speaking tube for the chamber maid
Good natured Katie readily promised t,
|."mind the child bit," and, while givint
numerous cautions, Miss Priscilla arrayet
herself In bonnet and cloak and started ou
into the night.
The stores we're dazzling with gas ligh
and the air was sweet with the odor Of pint
branches, but the gay festoons of bunting
were not in half so happy futter as Mis-
Priscilla's foolish old heart. How hard i
was to decide between blue eyes and brown
wax and bsque, and blue or gold tea sets
And should she get nuts and raisins, o.
candy, or purple and white grapes? Misl
Priscilla couldn't tell, SO she ended by get
ting them all and trotting home as fast al
possible, with her arms full of delightful
looking bundles.
"Arrahp' cried Katie. when she reached
the kitchen. "Whatever has come ovel
the ould lady? Bless me stars ef she didn'l
hev a tay-set, little stove an a wagiE' an
two Elegant dollsi An she were tip
toeing roun' like Saint Nick himselfP'
In the gray dawn of the early morning.
Mariory, cuddled close within the protest
ing circle of her new friends arm, reached
up timid. little hand and touched her
cheek.
''ssyp' she whispered, shyIy, ''do You
think he's come yet?"
"Who?" asked her bewildered bedfellow.
"Why, Santa Claus. l don't think can
wait much longer to see-I don't think l
can."
'sTry and wait till mamma comes with
Tot. Lie down and I'll tell you story"
coaxed Miss Priscilla.
Luckily for the success of the story, Mrs.
Clark tapped at the door just then, and
with a bound Marjory was standing upright
in bed, her eyes fixed on the fireplace.
"Oh!" the child cried softly, "Ohl" The
next moment the little voice burst out into
The happiest ripple of song, without words
or tune, but it seemed as if any one would
know it was q Christmas carol.
81 declared" said Miss Priscilla, wipiDg
her eyes on the pillew-case, II declare, it
makes me think of that hymn, Break Forth
into Joy!"
The chubby fingers were already diving
into their stockings, and untying puzzling
knots, and each new discovery was greeted
BY little jubilee from the children and
grateful glance from their mother at Miss
Priscilla, who, somehow, seemed always to
be looking out of the window. But Mar
jory found something that puzzled her-a
ong, black stocking hanging over the back
of chair.
"Why, it's big like yours, mamma-how
funny! And there isn't any thing in it!''
"Yeth, there ith!' lisped Tot. "Tum.
pin round and hard. o oh, look, mammal
And the first ray of sunlight that struggled
INTO the room cleaned on a gold piece in
Tots hand.
Miss Priscilla had disappeared into deep
d oset and was fumbling round for some
thing, which for some reason could not be
found; perhaps because her nigii;csp had
bobbed down over her eyes. B1t the next
minute two arms were wound arYuud her
and size heard a tearfnl voice whisper:
''Y ou have been SO good. 80 good to me,
dear friendl l wish could thank you"
tThere, there, child. Don't say another
word. I've been a rich, selfish old crea-
ture, but I'm going to reform. And we've
all made sach good beginning this morn
ing that really think this is going to be
the first merry Christmas ever had! There,
don't say another word!"-H. A. Hall, in
Interior.