The Yale expositor., 1897-01-08

killed by an accident. The mother
died month ago-died of a broken
heart. She was a good woman a
Christian woman-trusting her Father
in heaven to the last. They told me
there, over in the poverty-stricken
place, that just before she died she
prayed. % Lord, please find home and
a mother for my little one"
Emily knelt before Aunt Becky, and
threw her arms around the little
stranger, who responded by smiling
into her face.
well, then" she said, amidst tears
and smiles, 'the Lord willing and Dick
willing, the poor mothers prayer is
answered tonight"
"'Tis l, who led thy steps Alright;
'Tis l, who gave thy blind eyes sight;
IT'S |, thy Lord, thy Life, thy Light;
Tbs 1; be not afraid"
1t was Christmas morning. bright
but bitterly cold morning. The Ohm
stead boys, however, did not care how
cold it was. They were all out of bed
at early dawn to see what Christmas
had brought them. BERTHE, aged ten,
did not wait to dress, but ran down
stairs in his night clothes to see what
he could find. Fred, aged twelve, and
Edgar. not quite fourteen, managed to
get their clothes before following their
younger brother; Fred, meanwhile,
singing as he danced about in frantic
efforts to beat Ed"
The shouts of the three boys awoke
the rest of the household, and BERTHE
found it necessary to run back to his
room to dress.
The boys had been we'll remembered.
They found everything they had
wished for, from balls TO boxing
| gloves; but there was one present
swinging gracefully under the chan
delier that made them open their eyes
wide in establishment. 1t was a doll
a lovely flaxen-haired doll-with a
sweet baby face, and dressed in long
lace-trimmed baby clothes.
We'll, l declare" shouted Fred;
that must be for BERTHE. He's the
youngest, so he's our baby, and Aunt
Becky has bought him doll baby. Ha!
ha! har
They all laughed, even BERTHE, who
of course did not believe what Fred
had asserted. but thought that the doll
was one of papa's Jokes"
"One would think we had sister to
see that DOLL" he said. II wish we
had l don't see why we don't have, "
regretfully.
1--WE wished we had a sister a good
many times" observed Fred, with long
ing in his tone. 81 never see Carl
Thorn's little sister but want one.
Why can't we have one, I'd like to
know"
There was little girl here once
a long time ago, before l was born, y
Edgar said; you all know that.
wish she was here now. How pretty
she must have been with that sweet
dimpled face, all smiles"
Merry Christmas! my dear, dear
boysr
1t was their mothers voice, and they
all ran to her with their morning kisses
and Christmas wishes and thanks.
81 have one more gift for you," she
said. Come. my boysr'
They followed her wonderingly into
her sleeping room. and up to white
and gold crib, draped in white.
What did they see that kept them 81
still? What was it that stirred then
so strangely? What made the tears
start in their bright eyes? What made
their hearts beat with a new, swee
tenderness? Only a little baby CIR
sleeping sweetly and softly in thei
mothers room. The tiny hands wer'
clasped over the little head crowned
with ringlets of reddish-brown tina
seemed like a crown of gold.
"Who is she? Where did she com
FROM" whispered BERTHE softly.
she is your little sister," was tn
gentle reply. "She came from tn
, Lord-your Christmas gift; but Aun
Becky brought her."