The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-15


tree, hung up her stocking, or had a
Christmas present even.
Serena AIMS father was a farmer;
she had mother, and an Aunt Love,
her mothers sister, who lived with
them, and was to be married in Febru-
airy, and brother Ebenezer.
EbeneZer was two years older than
Serena Ann, and went to the district
school winters. Serena Ann herself
went to school only in the summer.
She was delicate little girl, and the
schoolhouse was too far away for her
to walk in cold weather So she stayed
at home, and her mother heard her
spell every day, and she did sums on a
piece of old slate, and was reading the
Bible through, a chapter every morn
ing. So her education was not neg
lected.
One night in the first week in Decem-
ber Serena Ann was sitting beside the
fire, with the piece of broken slate on
her lap, trying to do sum about ten
grayhounds running race, and how
long it would take for one to catch up
with the other when EbeneZer came
home from school. There was q light
snow falling, and Ebenezer was pow
dered with it. He came in stamping his
cowhide shoes and shaking himself like
a dog. Aunt Love was sewing green
velvet on her wedding pelisse, Mrs Bag
ley was pairing apples for sauce. Don't
stamp so, Ebenezer," said she. And
don't shake the snow on my pelisse, y
cried Aunt Love. Aunt Love was very
pretty, with smooth brown hair, and
pink cheeks.
1--WE got to get the snow off, painted
Ebenezer. "Oh, mother
You ought to get it off in the shed,
then" said his mother.
"Oh, mother"
"And not shake it all over the clean
floor and your aunt's pelisse."
Oh, mother, Sammy Morse says he's
going to hang up his stocking the night
before Christmas!
Then Serena Ann looked up from her
piece of slate and her grayhounds.
Il don't want to hear any such nom
sense" said Mrs. Bagley.
He says his folks are going to put
something in it for him."
IF they want to be so silly they can"
. Mother, can't | hang up my stock
ing?"
Yes said his mother, you can hang
it up all you want to, but you won't get
anything in it. You have all the pres
ents your father can afford to give you,
right along. Now go out in the shed
and bring in an arm full of that apple
tree wood for the fire.
And Ebenezer went out disconso-
lately.
Serena Ann pulled her mothers apron.
Mother, can't l hang up my stoclling"'
she whispered.
You can hang it up, but l shall tell
you what | did Ebenezer. You won't
get anything in it, I shan't treat one
of you any better than l do the other"
II never hung up my stocking since
I was born" said Serena Ann, plant
lively.
Neither did l." said her mother. 81
never thought of such thing when |
was little girl. Now, tend TO your
sum-"
And Serena Ann attended to her sum
but the thought of Christmas seemed
to gain upon her childish mind much
faster than one greyhound upon the
other. She could not quite give up the
hope that possibly. if she did hang up
her stocking, somebody might put some
thing in it. If not her mother, Aunt
Love, or her father might, or even
Joshua Simmons, the young man whom
Aunt Love was going to marry; he
sometimes gave her a peppermint. And
after all her mother was a pretty tender
one, and she might relent. So Serena
Ann hung up her stocking the night be-
fore Christmas.
1t is quite possible If Mrs. Bagley had
seen that poor little blue yarn stocking
hanging in the chimney corner she
might have slipped at least a bunch of
raisins, and a cinnamon stick or two,
into it, and Aunt Love might have
tucked in bit of blue ribbon. But no.
body saw it, for Serena Ann with the
want of calculation of her innocent
heart slipped out after everybody was
in bed and hung it up.
At breakfast the next morning Serena
AIMS mouth dropped pitifully at the
corners, and she did not eat much.
you are a silly girl to act So" said
her mother. you knew what | told
you"
Il s'pose Sammy Morse has got his
stocking chuck full" said EbeneZer.
He felt Serena AIMS injury to be his
own.
"Go out in the shed and bring in some
more of that apple-tree wood, If you've
finished your breakfast" said his moth
er, and then she sent Serena Ann up
stairs to make her bed
AS soon as the door closed, Aunt Love
turned to her sister. Suppose Joshua
and / take Serena Ann to Boston with
us" said she.
Mrs Bagley looked at her doubtfully
'I'm afraid she'll be in your way" she
said
mo, she won't, and it will make up to
her for not having anything in her
stocking. l felt sorry for her. Serena
Ann is good little girl"
"Well, I felt sorry she took it so to
heart" said Serena AIMS mother, ''but
III silly custom, anu L uOn KNOW
how to begin it. l suppose she would
be tickled to death to go with you and
Joshua. She never went to Boston but
once; Ebenezer's been twice"
"She must come right down and gel
ready if she's going said Aunt Love
"for Joshua will be here with the
chaise."
And Serena Ann was called and told
to her joy and wonder, that she was tc
go to Boston with Aunt Love and
Joshua Simmons. But you must be q
good girl and not make any trouble,
said her mother, for your Aunt Love
has great deal to do. She is going tc
buy some of her furniture, and her wed.
ding bonnet and shoes, and she is very
kind to take you"
And Serena Ann promised beamingly
She had never felt so happy in her life
as she did that Christmas morning
when she set forth to visit Boston
tucked in between Aunt Love and Josh.
ua Simmons in the chaise. 1t was very