New-York tribune., 1899-12-17
o,oor k,tchen" said one good woman, with tears In

cIeen Kitchen" said good woman, with tears III
And vet until that happy thought had struck
Farmer Pershall on that bright hrst day VI ~
cember not one Of these men ana women WIN 90
bovs and girls Mother Bacom had heped anu
esthod ord natted had ever thought to do any
tbing for her on a Christmas Day, or at any other
time bevond the small neghborly favors which ai
worthy country people usually do for each o'hef
AN EXHIBITION OF GRATITUDE
A,ter church on Christmas morning procession
wonded its way from the village up the prooA ','
| toward Mother Balcoms. Tne ois'ah1e "aS
| rio more than mile. The niece WAS eApee""s
| them but she had revealed nothlns " noi "'
ord the dear old woman was placdly knitting "heh
az odd laughing delegation came struggling into
v,ew She was as completely surprised as one
| could wish. -o.
Mr. pershan headed the troop in his long wagon,
which was loaded with gifts 1t had peen oeciueu
that the minister should go In hrst anu s"ou'"
make the presentation speech.
Dear Mother Balcom" he said "for many years
Won have been pouring out upon your neignoors
especially the school children, the tokens Oh yoi
love We have up TO this time peen siiaiheluiis
reglectful of our obligations to you. NOW we. the
former pupils OF the old brick schooihouse nave
come to bring you Christmas greeting ana 10
proffer you our long delayed thanks. We VIII set
your table for a Christmas dinner. Then we VIII
withdraw for we fear that you might be weareo II
our large party. should stay too long. po,oor,
and she was sincere. But her strength was not
what she thought, for by the time the merry com
sary in order 70 get their precious daz
zed eyes her dear old face was white ana m mos,, S
and her voice broke down again and again as she
Among the gifts that OF John Slater stood out
most prominently for il was a dinner and tea SCI
the most artistic way. Then there were big & SOFT
easychalr. comfortable couch SILK down gull, gull
l1an nj oh
Of slippers pretty % GaRs @ oad of RndSg
wood ready split for the oven; barrel of apples,
5arrel OF -four, and innumerabe packages tst sol OF
sweetmeats and dainties OF which Mother baiSo com
"Tm ne Sure never thought" murmured the be-
wdered old women, after the last invader had dis
appeared down the road, when was motherlng @ ring
% those ans % make Rdrsn ne ss ss hsy like & S
table is fairly groaning as Z says in stories sr,a
before eSr % in my life And these flowers ana plants!
See how they've Taed that Ivy oyer tG them the bs
ddn want to DO would rather a ,N have sna done na i
ag bought oi me ali lie these @ things While they al
here They're mostly grown up now ana r aie9gn es sn
used to look when he was little. I could see
sammIe Pershal running across the yard un5 ana
qnSss m es as as dry dry as s can be- and then cootig of
again to play Sometimes they III forget their thank hank
ners come kind o hard to children and ! never ir
Ang sS fh snS fF that 1.-THE lsey oRa Rs'sf
has grown rich and sent me those beautiful dishes!
They're so pretty | shant dare to use EN-, I'm
afraid He needn't have put forget me -nots all
over, EN-. shant forget him ! loved 'em all but
sort o. poor and miserable. 1t was always tho
most helpless Of 'em that liked best every time.
Seems as II IL with the most OF us"
And so Mother Balcom rambled on. her happy
heart overfowing in tender "reminiscences while
the knowledge OF a long neglected duty done and Of
a Christmas we'll spent filed sordid plodding
nelshborhood with Christmas JOY and inspired
and unselfish lives In the future.