Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-01-23

DOW NJ
for hundreds OF years, and that is the
reason why there are so many OF them.
Then. too, they grow very wise, having
lived SO long. and they learn all about
Christmas and Thanksgiving and all
other happy days.
On Christmas Eve they come up to
the top Of the water and sit very still on
the rocks. listening.
What do they hear? The sweetest
music ever heard in all this wicked
world. They hear the angels singing Of
peace and love and goodwill and bless
ing and helpfulness and loving
toward every created thing.
Now ! will tell you very great Sc
cret. Next Christmas Eve every boy
and girl who has done something to
make some one else happier or better,
if they wish, can see the water babies,
but no one who is selfish or unkind ever
gets glimpse of them
But must get at my story. As l was
saying, once upon time, ever so long
ago, these happy little babies down in
the sunny bay heard some news. A
big green lobster came sailing down and
told them that q new baby was coming,
that he would be there the next day.
'.Oh. tell us about him. won't you?"
cried all the babies at once, and they
clapped their little pink hands, they
were so happy.
Il don know much about him" said
the lobster, except what some friends
of mine who are imprisoned in New
York have telegraphed to me. They
say that this now baby was newsboy
down in Park row, wherever that is, and
that he never had a home in his life nor
a friend, and that no one was ever kind
to him nor loved him bit. He used to
sleep wherever he could find place TO
lie down.
cone night he went to sleep on
street corner and somehow he got hurt,
so badly hurt that after moaning and
crying little he lay very still, and
group Of fairies came by and saw him
lying there. They were SO sorry for the
poor little fellow that they lifted himup
and brought him down and dropped him
in the bay, and that is how he came to
be a water baby.
When the old lobster had finished his
story all the babies were crying, they
we're so sorry for the poor little man.
"Oh. they said. eve must give him
grand reception when he gets here. He
shall be happy for once
II wonder what his name is?' said
dainty girl baby.
Il believe" said the lobster, 'sthat
when he was a newsboy they called him
Jim"
The babies didn't ask any more ques-
tions, but all set to work to get ready
for Jim's Christmas.
81 wonder if he ever saw Christmas
tree?" said one Of the babies.
III don't believe he ever did" an
swered another. How could he if he
never had any friends?'
"Well, then. the thing for US to do is
to give him a Christmas tree. Let's go
and find pretty one"
So away they all went in search Of
Christmas tree, and what do you sup
pose they got for one?
A big branch of beautiful pink and
white coral. It took hundreds of tho
babies to get il set up, for water babies
than your finger.
But at last they got it in place and
propped it up with some pretty shells.
Then they started out again to find
something to put on it, They began to
wonder what Jim would like to have on
his Christmas tree.
One of the water babies who had been
a newsboy himself before he came down
into the sea gave it as his opinion that
Jim would like best TO have something
to eat. He could remember how he
used to 60 along the streets whom ne
was very hungry and look into tine vim
dows at the cakes and the taFg and all
the other good things.
SO they set to work getting an The
good things they could find 10 hang on
Jims Christmas tree. They go5 some
beautiful phosphorescent flies, that
shine all the time, Ike the are-fies you
have seen in the park, and covered tie
Christmas tree all over with them
Then they all gathered together 70
wait for j i'm, and soon he eamc. timid
little fellow, for he wasn't set used to
the ways of the world under the water,
nor he hadn't quite forgotten his old
habits, for the first thing be did when
he saw the water babies co5aipg toward
him was to shout:
Here's yer extrv; full aecoaato' the
big fire. and all the babies laughed.
They thought it was joke. Jim
laughed, too, but he felt rather foolish.
we are very glad to see you, Jim,
cried all the babies as they caught hold
Of him We knew you were coming,
and we have been Watching you for
long time and they all surrounded him
and took him down 70 where the beauE-
full Christmas tree stood.
When they told him il was for him
and that all the things on il were his,
Jim was very happy. And when they
put him rightup under one Of the blg
coral boughs and then took hold Of hands
and Il anan1 n11 awor,v.1 -. I ..-rr 80