Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-12-29

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you on earth?"
Little Hannele was my name,
answered the angel. "I died of star
vation, and only once did anyone Civ,
me anything in my life to make m,
happy, and that was that woman yon
der"
Marvellous" answered Peter, strok
ing his white beard. "No doubt tn,
nuts were given as miserly payment
OF some service you did her."
"No. mol" the angel answered do
cidedly.
"Well, tell us how it happened
then" the apostle commanded, ant
the dear little soul obeyed.
"My sick mother and lived In th,
city all alone, for father was dead
Just before Christmas we had nothins
more to eat, so mother, though she la,
in bed and her head and hands were
burning, made some little sheep o.
bits of wood and cotton, and carried
them to the Christmas market. There
l sat on some steps and offered them
for sale to the passersby, but nobody
wanted them. Hours passed, and i,
was very cold. The open wound in
my knee, which no one saw, pained
me so, and the frost in my fingers and
toes burned dreadfully.
Evening came, the lamps were
lighted, but l dared not 90 home, 10,
only one person had thrown a copper
into my lap, and / needed more tc
buy bit OF bread and few Goals
My own pangs hurt me, but that
mother lay at home alone with no one
to hand her anything or support he,
when her breathing became difficult
hurt me still more. could hardly
bear to sit on the cold steps any long
er, and my eyes were blind with
tears.
"a barrel was set down in front OF
the house, and while a clerk was roll.
ing it over the sidewalk into the shor
the stream of passers was stopped
That woman there-I remember heI
well-stood still in front of me. / of.
fered her one of my sheep and looked
at her through my tears. She seemed
so hard and stern that I thought She
won't give me anything But she
did. 1t seemed suddenly as if her face
grew softer and her eyes kinder. She
glanced at me. and before 1 knew il
she had put her hand in the bag
which she carried ON her arm and
thrown come nuts into my lap.
"The cask had been rolled into the
shop by this time, and the throng ol
people carried her along. She tried
to stop. 1t was not easy, and she
only did it to toss ME a second, third
and fourth handful of the most beau
tiful walnuts. can still see it all, az
if it were todayl Then she felt in
her pocket, probably to get some
money for me, but the press OF people
was too strong for her to stand
against it longer. I doubt if she
heard that 1 thanked her."
Here the angel broke off and threw
kiss to the condemned woman, and
st. Peter asked her how it happened
that she. who had been so deaf to all
appeals from the poor, had been so
generous TO the child.
The tormented woman answered
amid her loud sobs: "The fearful
eyes of the little one reminded me OF
my small sister. who died painful
death before / had grown hard and
wicked, and q strange sensation-I
know not how it happened myself
overpowered me. 1t seemed as if my
heart warmed within me, and some.
thing seemed to say to me that
should never forgive myself as long as
l lived and should be even unhappier
than I was if did not give the child
something to rejoice over at Christ
mas time. longed to draw her to.
ward me and kiss her. After 1 had
tossed her half of the nuts which
had just bought, 1 felt happier than
had for many day, and would GER
tainly have given her some money,
though only little"
But Peter interrupted her. He had
heard enough, and as he knew that it
was impossible for any one in heaven
or hell to tell an untrutb, he nodded
to her, saying: "That was, beyond
dispute, a good deed, but it is too
small to counterbalance the great
weight of your bad deeds. Perhaps il
may tighten your punishment. Still,
great riches were meted out to you on
earth, and what were few nuts to
you! The motive that urged you to
bestow them is pleasing in the sight oil
the Lord, / acknowledge, but, as ]
said before, your charity was too pal.
try for you to be released from your
pains because Of it,"
He turned TO 60, but clear voice oil
wonderful sweetness held him back.
1t was that of the Saviour, who ad.
advanced with majestic dignity toward
the apostle and spoke: "Let us first
hear if the almsgiving of which VIC
have just learned was really too small
to plead for leniency toward this sin.
ming soul. Let us hear'-turnine
to the angel-"what became of the
nuts"
"Oh, dear Saviour" answered the
angel, 81 ate half of them, and wa.
grateful to you for 1 felt that I owed
them to your bounty, as they were my
little Christ child as the people ir
the city where we lived called Christ
mas present."
You see, Peter" the Savious in
terrupted the angel, "do we not ow,
1t 10 the nuts of that woman that .
spure child's soul was led to usf Tha
IN 'tseii was no small thing. Tel