The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-26

make her first public speech. IN al
few words, she made known her
plan, and then told of the distress
Of the Brown, family, and pictured
the joyless lives Of little children
| who never have any Christmas, in
such simple, earnest way, that the
hearts of her listeners were touched,
and when she had finished, the boys
gave three cheers, long and hearty,
for Nellie and the poor children's
Christmas tree. The teacher prom
ised to aid in every way she could,
and the baby of the school offered to
give her prettiest doll, "'causc its
leg was broke"
The enthusiasm ran high, and
that very afternoon, attic trunks
were overhauled, toys were collected,
and mothers were besieged by chill
dren eager to know if they might
give this or that.
The two weeks preceding Christ
mas were full of the busiest prepar-
alton. The girls not only dressed
dolls, but almost succeeded in max
ing new ores. They put heads on
hcadless bodies, painted fresh roses
in faded checks, iecurlcd the naxcn
locks, and dressed their new creatio s
in all the finery of silks and laces.
The boys renovated such toys as
demanded the use of hammer and
nails, instead of the needle. There
was so much to be done. There
were SO many unexpected donations.
Everybody wanted to give. There
is so much more of generosity and
good will in the world than some
people suppose. The storekecpers
gave apples, nuts and oranges, and
there were baskets of provisions got
ten up for each Of the poor families.
Who would have believed there were
so many old clothes in Lithonia :!
And all of these had to be mendcd
and cleaned, and tied into attractive
looking bundles, for the girls were
; determined that the tree should look
pretty. Then there were two candy
pullings given, and the boys and
girls made and pulled *'thc poor chill
drcn's candy" which they heroical-
ly refrained from eating.
There were other sao' ifices, still
! ! more heroic, made by some of the
r boys and girls, but they we're not
generally known. None brN> Tom
: Symond and His father knew tnat
Tom had given up his promised q 4,
, so that George Collier might have IL
terms schoolinM Only Nellie BlmC'S
; mother knew, 1 Nellie asked her
! not to tell th'M lie had taken The
money foJ ~ :istmas present,
: the VOL 81 ~le Women, that
90 At > = ted, to buy Bes-
III of shoes. "I do
10 nSow go the story is," Mel
flown adveSaid, "I couldn't enjoy it for
.ro w;seSlg of Bessic's bare feet"
w wise ySt for their sacrifices and their
RENSk, the boys and girls were well
Ipaid on Christmas eve. The school
.$nouse was brilliantly lighted and
y decled with green's, and in the cen
tire Of the room was the tree, literal
ly loaded down with prcse> Is.
$ Around it were the poor children.
For many of them it was the hap
piest moment of their lives. Some
+ laughed and sang and shouted, and
G some stared with wide open eyes,
e dumb with wonder and delight.
: Mrs. Br9yn tried to speak the chill
dren's Hnks, but broke down and
: cried, ,fed$ Nellie answered that it
u ha'1poI y them just as much hap
pig ~ t. had given the children.
G &C" TocL 4, this the best Christmas
IT,. " 20 "offSsrr had in all your lives -
a sht> 81 and JUL Be- boys and girls, and
$ S sYsst. s3Ysyt 4 4 ny yShesit"ti"g'y answered
+ "Just look at that fool of a boy
:, George Collier" whispered Tom Sy-
l mond to his father; 'hc's so happy
he's ready to stand on his head, be-
, cause he can so to school"
4 1t Was the harpiest Christmas that
e LitLonia ever knew, for there were
: no empty cupboards or iirclcss
I hearths, but the ties Of generosity
+ and of gratitude united rich and
+ poor, and every heart was full cf tn,
t Christmas spirit of love and good
4 will.
---zsz> %. g
/ Care Of Farming Implements.