The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-09
NelIie's Gift.

"Did you ever want any thing
awful bad, and then have 1t come?s
Then you know how felt when that
package came from my auntie in New
York, and l opened it and found apair
of real silk mitts. Jack said they
were just 'splen-dor-if.ic; > and Jacks
my brother, and he knows.
II had wanted some for ever so long,
but 1 didn't say much about it, cause
when you live in a little cuddled up
house, and your papa has to buy bread
and shoes for so many, the money
flies away before it gets around to What
little girls want.
II don't know how auntie found ~ 4
out, unless Santa Claus told her; and
it wasn't near Christmas time. either.
Fhey were such pretty brown mitts.
lilly Jones said they were just the
color Of my hands, but didn't care
for that. Little hands will get brown
when they weed the garden and do sG
many things. looked at them most
a hundred times in two days, | guessi
and then it came Sabbath. Wasn't
glad? put them on and walked to-
church, just so. Jack says hold my;
paws like scared rabbit, but I didn't
ever see rabbit with mitts on.
1T isn't right to think too much
about what you wear when you go to-
Sabbath-school; and by and by I didn't
for we had such a good Sabbath school
that I 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'6s
any nice houses or clothes or any thlng,s
but they were trying so hard to get
along and to learn. And he said that;
what was given to those little ones
was just the same as given to jesus
Think of that ! Just the same as
given to the dear Christchild /! e
supposed that everybody would give.
Why, some of the folks are worth as
much as $40 or 500, and yet that 5
basket staid most empty.
II did wish that I was rich, and all
at once I remembered the poor widow
in the Bible. I'd read it that very
morning-how she had given her
two mitts, evry living mitts she had; its
said so. So I slipped mine off g.
dropped them into the basket; and T.
was glad, if my throat did all choke
up. But pretty soon. when tbs basket
was carried up, the gentleman picked
hem right out. ss
"'Has any little girl lost her
gloves?'
"Nobody said any thing; and he;
asked again Did any little girl drop
her gloves in the basket by mistake
at was awful still in that room, and
I thought ne was looking right at me
so had to say something.
"'It wasn't mistake told him.
Il wanted to help, any hadn't any:
money; but I knew how the poor
woman in the Bible gave her two
mitts, and So
"Then those folks just shouted, they
did and felt as if I'd like to drop
right down through the floor.
IT knew I had made some dreadful.
blunder, but I couldn't see what s; for:
if mites don't spell mitts, what
does it spell? Course cried, but my
teacher put her arms right around me,
and v hispered Never mind, little
Nellie : and she stood up and said,
with her voice all trembling: Dear
friends, this little girl has given her.
greatest treasure. Have we older ones 1
done as much? ~
"Some way the money just pouree
into the basket after that, and the
missionary looked gladder and gladden..
They brought my mitts back to me.
and my teacher said she wonld show
me how to get some money to give.
"But o how full the basket was!
And when that gentleman counted 1t
bis eyes grew all wet; and he said
softly, I didn't know what he meant
And a little child shall lead them. 'ns
Presbyterian.