Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-12-23
A PRETENDED CHRISTMAS.

OuG Ou IFuub Satc, O6lOTe al OlQ-Ia6Q.
Toned roomy house on quiet road, two lit.
tie girls with sober faces were swinging one
December afternoon.
for their dark woolen dresses came down
below their ankles, and on their heads
were thick worsted hoods, while each was
wrapped in big blanket shawl, tied at the
back.
They were used to the cold, and they did.
MT mind it in the least, and just now they
forgot all about it in their absorbing inter.
est in some subject they were discussing.
"We'll be awful 'shsmed to say we did
MS get anything, Rebecca," said the elder
girl, ''apd they'll be sure to ask lot of
questions"
"Well. we'll just have to stand it-that's
ALL" rejoined little Rebecca, sturdily.
"'Tain't our fault We don't have any
Christmas"
"But don't you suppose, if we spoke to
Aunt Jane, she'd-n
"No," interrupted Rebecca. 'It would.
MT do mite o. good. She'd say she did
MT believe in Christmas. You know she
would, Prue."
"I've good mind to ask her, any way.
don't want to go to school next Monday
N tell 'em we didn't have the first thing.
They'd think Aunt Jane m Uncle Reuben
awful mean to us. We've lived here five
years, and we amt never had any Christ.
mas yet"
Rebecca was about to ieply, but what she
would have said will never be known, for
at that moment tall, angular woman, with
a thin face, and iron gray hair drawn tight
ly back from her temples. came around the
side of the house.
GtHon m fipoor ha M rof fr kal1 WIN
girls not to swing on that there gate?" she
cried, in thin, rasping voice. "You'll
have it off the hinges yet. You don't pre-
tend to pay attention to thing say"
Prudence and Rebecca, with scared faces,
jumped down from the gate, and walked
quickly up the nerrow, box bordered path.
Their aunt stood waiting for them, and
when they were within reach pushed them
before her into the kitchen.
There's no need to idle round Jest be-
cause school amt keepin' this week." she
said. "There's plenty to do, dear knows!
It's all foolishness havin' vacation. I
don't believe in IT,
"But it's tor Christmas, Aunt Jane,"
ventured Prudence. "It's tomorrow night,
you know"
"No, don't know" rejoined her aunt;
"and if tendin' schoul is goin' to fill your
heads full o. nonsense, I'll take you away
mighty quick. don't believe in Christ.
mas. There amt no sense in givin'
whole pack of presents right and left. Now,
what under the canopy are you cryin'
about, Prudence2 declare, if one or the
other of you amt alwers cryin about some-
thin'r'
"She's thinking what the girls will say
when we tell 'em We didn't get anything"
explained Rebecca, for Prudence couldn't
speak. They're sure to ask, you know,
m think it funny"
"Let 'em ask, then!" said Aunt Jane,
sharply. cpd like to know if folks don't
think I'm doin' well by you as 'ris? Saems
send ye to school. Ye want a whole raft
o presents besides! Well, ye won't get
'em, no matter what folks say. I'm a will
in hoss, but l won't be rid to death by no.
body. Now, Prudence, you stop that cry.
in m go upstairs m get your patchwork; /;
m you 60 down suller after pan o. ap,
Piles, Rebecca. And I want 'em peeled
better'n you peeled those yesterday, too"
But whipping together squares of calico
and peeling apples did not sadse either of
the little girls to forget their disappoint-
ment. They were very young when they
came to live with their aunt and uncle in
the lonely farmhouse, aud they had been
kept there so closely that their ideas of
Christmas had been very vague and shad-
| owy until this fall, when they had begun a
term at the district school. They had
learned all about Christmas then, and for
the past fortnight there had been talk of
little else. 1t was hard enough to Prudence
and Rabecca to know that they would be
left out of all Christmas joys, but the NOR
! tlti :ation of having to confess this the fol
lowing Monday to their mates would be,
they thought, harder still.
Rebecca felt that she could bear it better
if Prudence didn't take 1t SO to heart; but
there was nothing of the heroine about
poor little Prue, and she made no attempt
to conceal the tears that rolled slowly down
her cheeks aud fell, one by one, on the
squares Of patch work in her lap.
Rebecoa, finding the sight too painful at
last, turned her chair so that she could not
eee her sister, and went over in her mind
all her small possessions, trying to think il
she owned anything that Prue would fancy
for Christmas gift. There was that
queerly-shaped g0urd Tim Binus, the hired
man, had given her, and the pretty glitter
ing stone she bad picked up in the pasture
one day. But Prue had seen these hun
dted times, aud, of course, would not care
for them. No, there didn't seem any
chance TO have any sort of a Christmas.
she turned her bead and furtively glane
cd at Prue. The tears were falling STILL
aud an occasional stifled cob made Aunl
Jane look up Grossly from the ham she wa,
skinaing. Rebecca sighed. II only Prue
would not take it 30 to heart! She was be