Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-15

father can afford to give you, right along
Now go out in the shed and bring in an
armful of that apple-tree wood for the
fire"
And Ebenezer went out disconsolately.
Serena Ann pulled her mothers apron.
Mother, can't l hang up my stocking?''
she whispered.
You can hang it up, but I shall tell you
what i did Ebenezer. You won't get any
thing in 1t. j shan't treat one Of you any
better than 1 do the other"
Il never hung up my stocking since l
was born" said Serena Ann, plaintively
Neither did l." said her mother IL
never thought of such thing when 1 was
a little girl. Now, tend to your sum-"
And Sc; ena 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
rot quite give up the hope that possibly,
IL she did hang up her stocking, somebody
might put something 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 before
Christmas.
seen that poor little blue yarn stOc king
hanging In the chimney corner she might
have slipped at least a bunch of raisins,
and G cinnamon stick or two, into it, and
blue ribbon. But nobody saw 1t, for Serena
Ann, with the want of calculation of her
innocent heart, slipped out after everybody
was in bed and hung 1t UP.
AT breakfast the next morning Serena
AIMS mouth dropped pitifully at the cor
hers, and she did not eat much
You are silly girl to act So" said her
mother. You knew what 1 told vou''
Il s9ose Sammy Morse has got his stock
!ES chuck full" said Ebenezer He felt
Serena AIMS injury to be his own.
Go out III the shed and bring In some
more OF that applctree wood. if you've fin
ished your breakfast" said his mother, and
then she sent Serena Ann upstairs to make
he. bed.
As soon as the door closed. Aunt Love
turned to her sister. Suppose Joshua and
take Serena Ann to Boston with u.s." said
she.
Mrs. Eagl,y looked at her doubtfuIlv
m afraid she'll be in you way" she said.
mo. she won't. and ii will make up to her
fer not having any thing in her stocking. /
little glrl."
Well. ] felt sorry she took 1t go to
heart" said Serena AIMS mother, but It's
q silly custom, and l don't know how 10
begin it, / suppose she would be tfcklrd
- death TO go with you and Joshua. She
been twice"
''She must como right down and &c.
ready il she's going said Aunt Love, for
Joshua w.!i De here with the chsIss'
AVID SIr2Ea Ann Was called and told 10
Eer Joy ana wonder. that she was to go 10
Rost1a win Aunt Love and Joshua Sim
mons. ''Bil: you TEUst lie p good girl ana
ROT make Any trouble" said her mother,
FOG Taur Aunt Love has n great deal 10
d.. she IL going To buy some OF her furn..
tuTe. aHG her welding bonnet and shoes.
ana sl.a IS very Kind 20 take YOU
And Serena Ann promised. beau.ingiy.
She had never felt SO happy H. her life 6
she did thar CETfst:ras morning when she
eel forth 10 visit Boston, tucked in between
Amt Live and Joshua Simmons I'm the
:hais" T. was very pleasant, bur cold:
thtrc TGs a sHsE; rhine Of srCry on the
grou"l, aicE shoue Ike silver. Sercna
Ann wore her thick waddeG coat. her
lambs wool ,ippet and ncv waGded brown
SILK hood with cherry strings. She was
quite wsr!n. AMI her face was SO pink and
radiant With bliss that Aunt Love ard
Joshua BOXED al her and smiled at each
other above her head.
Serena Ann, moreover, had, tightly Arasc-
Ell IN oao ret-m!ttened hard. her mother s
ELK purse ard Il contained two ninepences
one OF wh!clI she was to- spend for hcrsel:
and the other FOR tackhnife for Ebruozer
Her father had given them TO her whom
she started. She made Up her mind. as
they logged along over the t.o8s1 read.