The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-24
The Poor chiidrenis Christmas

iCt % bHNc 0ibiSSuldS Htitc III
the poor children" proposed Nellie
Blunt to her FIVE most intimate
friends, as the girls ate lunch to-
: gether.
"For which ones, swe'uns or yu'-
ems mischieyiously questioned Ira
Glenn.
"For neither-for the Browns, the
Rodgers and the Golfers"
"But papa said we couldn't even
have a Christmas tree for ourselves
this year, times are so hard. How
are we going to have one for other
people 2" said pretty Susan Butler,
between mouthfuls of biscuit and
jam.
"That's just it; we can't each
have a Christmas tree, but it would
be too bad not to have a single one
in Lithonia, SO let's give one togeth-
or to those children who have lever
had a Christmas tree in all their
lives. / bet Tommy Brown never
even heard of Santa CLAUS. And it
won't cost much" Nellie went on
eagerly, "for things that we'd turn
up noses at, would make their
eyes shine. Why, girls, you don't
know how poor they are. In q lit
tie place like this, where everybody
seems to have about the same and be
pretty comfortably off, you haven't
an idea how two or three families
suffer. / went down to the Browns
last week to see why the washing
hadn't been sent in. Mrs. Brow
was in bed and the five children
were crying and hungry. Mamma
told your mamma about it, Bessie,
and of course our parents won't let
them really suffer, but can't we do
something to make those children
know what Christmas really is ?"
Nellie was an acknowledged lead
err among the girls, and at the end
of her earnest little address, they
were all ready to heartily second her
plan.
"Shall we tell the boys?" was the
next question. There were some oh.
jections; for girls dearly love tc
have the glory of carrying a thing
| through by themselves ; but the BOYS
, would be useful in getting the tree
: it was urged, and moreover, thei,
: cast-away things would be wanted
. for the poor children, so it was fin
q ally decided that they should have
; share in the great undertaking.
That no time be lost, the teache,
V was asked to request all the pupil
4 to remain after school, when Nelli
would speak to them on a very i'm
portant matter.
u There were not more than twent,
: : pupils in the school, all children O
5 the eight well-to-do families tina
constituted the little t, wn of Litho
. MIA; but to Nellie the audience seem
ed appallingly vast, as she took he
It stand on the teachers platform t
make her first public speech. In
!. few words, she made known he
plan, and then told of the distres
9 of the Brown family, and picture
the joyless lives of little childre,
who never have any Christmas, i
such a simple, earnest way, that TIL
hearts of her listeners were touched
t. and when she had finished, the bow
gave three cheers, long and heart,
for Nellie and the poor children
Christmas tree. The teacher prom
g ised to aid in every way she could
and the baby of the school offered t
give her prettiest doll, "'cause il
leg was broke"
The enthusiasm ran high, an
that very afternoon, attic trunk
~ were overhauled, toys were ~collecte,
N and mothers were besieged by chi
t. dren eager to know if they migl
ir give this or that.
The two weeks preceding Chris
e. mas were full of the busiest prepa,
Of alton. The girls not only dresse
I'd dolls, but almost succeeded in NAL
ID ing new ones. They put heads Q
a headless bodies, painted fresh ros,
Or in faded cheeks, recurled the flake
locks, and dressed their new creation
"a in all the inery of silks and lace
i. The boys renovated such TOYS f,
u demanded the use of hammer an
is nails, instead: of the needle. The,
n was SO much to be done. Thel
70 were SO many unexpected donation
d Everybody wanted to give. The
is SO much more of generosity an
q good will in the world than son
At people suppose. The storekeepel
IN gave apples, nuts and oranges, an
o. there were baskets of provisions 90
'e ten up for each of the poor familie
=. Who would have believed there wei
is so many old clothes in Lithonia
d And all of these had to be mende
N and cleaned, and tied into attract,
looking bundles, for the girls wei
n determined that the tree should loo
pretty. Then there we're two cand
pullings given, and the BOYS an
d girls made. and pulled "the poor chill
dren's candy" which they heroica]
g ly refrained from eating.
Q There were other sacrifices. still
more heroic, made by some of tn
boys and girls, but they were no
generally known. None but Ton
g Symond and his father knew tina
y Tom had given up his promised gun