Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-12-24
Christmas Stories fer and Aheut
Chri,tHxs Chlldrel.

A long, long time ago, on the
night Just bef,re Cnrisirn Is, little
child sll slnn4, wandered in ibe
STREETS Of larsz city.
There were = great many fathsr>
and mothers hIrrying bunl- with
bundles f presents for their little
ones, and some rnllei past in finv
carriages, one after the other, bound
for holp-, Ia e-sebrsie the happy
time with th-ir chilinen.
1hls lil'le child -esinrd In have no
home, bat just wandered up asd
down; looking into the windors aud
watching the lights No one SEEMED
20 uo;ice the little Oue except Jack
Fr1s,, who bit the bare to-s snd
sagers, and the north wind who s.
most brblght teA-s 10 the chiid's
eyes with his blowing. Ii Was cold,
oh. very cIld that night.
paDd d,rp the streets the little
child passed, and The walks were all
Snowy and icy. Tne child had Oh
neither shoes nor stockings; but
thoQgh II Was cold the little one w-s
glad for it vas Christmas eve, and
the whole world seemed 10 tr
glad, tno. Everywhere the hghl
WAS streaming our Of the windows,
and If one looked in there could U-
seen the beautiful candles and the
Christmas trees. In some Of the
houses the trees were loaded with
presents for the children, and in one
place into which the child looked,
The boys ana girls were playing aud
skipping, and their merry laughter
rsng % loudly through the hnu--,
that il ,uId oe heard through the
thick walls and doors, out in the
street.
The little child was glad with
them. and elapsed its hands ano
said, 'Oh, they are 50 happy il
there. surely they will share with
me, aud let ne come into their warm
room and sing aud play"
And the iitte feet irippei up tine
great wide staircase, and, without
fear, the child tapped softly at the
door. And the door opaned. There
stood the tall footman. He had on
gloves and shiny shoes, aud huge
white cravai; he looked ~ the child,
but sadly shook his head ami said:
Go down of the steps. There i- no
room in here for you" He looked
sorry when ne said il, for ne probably
his own little ones III
home, and was glad that they were
Lot ont in the cold.
Through the open door light, oh, 4
such q bright light, shone, aud j I
was 50 warm But the child turned 4
away into the eold ana darkness, (
not Enowing why the footmau spoke I
40, fur surely the children would +.
have loved Ia have another couIpan !
ion 10 Join ia their joyous Christmas .
festival. But tue children did not I
know that the child mad knocked.
The street seemed colder and f.
darker To the child than before, aud .
he bright windows We're not nearly .
~ bright because the child was sad.
But all along, Oh both slider If the
wide street. the light str-amed out,
and IL was almost as bright be day;
and the t.eauty all about made the
little child bright again. The great
,ity WAS full of happy homes that
night. aud the cold outside Was en-
tlrely forgotten. All remembered
,nly the happy time, and no doubt
thought that every single person in
he world was happy, too.
Farther and farther slung. down
There the hon-s were not quite 81
arFe or beautiful, the little child
There seemed TO be
inside Of nearly all the
,ouses, and they were dAncing aud