The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-23
|OHRlSTMAS
ANGELS.
Carol the glad tldings,
All the world around.
How the Lord of glory
Was in a mauger found

How the Lord of glory
Was in manger found.
The beautiful Christmas tide had
( come again. All day long the boys
and girls OF Willow Dell had been
skating on the pond in the valley.
They had been to the woods and
gathered all the evergreens they
needed, and with preparations for
Christmas completed. had abandon
ed themselves to sport this last day.
I Yet ever and anon, as their shouts
Of laughter reverberated down the
valley, they would check their mirth
N and lock toward the great brown
4 house at the top Of the hill; for they
all kae wsthat at the windows in the
alcoye, pale young face might as
usual, be watching them.
They had heard the story of
( sweet Jessie Sheldon again and
again. How. as a merry ch,ld Of
four, she had fallen from her swing
and become an invalid. AS the
years passed by and she became
no better, her parents gave up their
home in the city, and for the sake
Of their darling eldest-born. sought
the quiet life of country residence.
Many years had thus passed and
still little Jessie reclined on her
couch, unable ever to run and play.
y The children of the countrysi side
Y had never been admitted into her
presence, SO frail was she, and so
{ it came to pass that sweet mys-
terry chung to the name OF the little
girl, who so patiently bore her suf.
terings.
8 For some of the merry-hearted
boys and girls, the Joys of to-Inow-
row would mean little more than the
Joys OF to-day: health and strength
aud humble homes, decorated with
q bits of evergreen, and stockings
dangling from old-time mantle
pieces, into which Santa Claus
would drop few inexpensive toys.
Yet so great is the charm OF child
hood, they would also sing:
Carol the glad tidings. II
How the wise men three ~
Came across the desert,
At Christ's Nativity.
Preparations for Christmas were
going on at the great house on the
hill. As was the custom in the
Sheldon home, all the beautiful
rooms had been decorated with ever
greens and holly; now servants fit
ted to and fro, giving finishing
touches here and there, yet well
they knew that tomorrow meant
Joy and sadness combined.
All that wealth could do was
done to make Christmas happy
day, yet many Christmases had
stolen By without bringing back the
roses to the cheeks of the gentle
sufferer in the south room.
Let lis enter this sanctum. 1t is
lovely place. Peace and quiet
prevail here at all times, for when
4 sister Ada and brother Harry come
hitler, it must be when III their gen.
tlest moods.
= In the alcove overlooking the val
ley. reclining on luxurious couch,
is 'little Jessie, for thus they al
ways spoke Of her, although to- NOR
row would be her fourteenth birth
day. Golden curl S cluster all about
the sweet. pale face, beautiful visit
full brown eyes, looking lovingly
upon her mother who, with one hand
clasped iondly in Jessie's own, is
singing softly:
Carol the glad tidings.
How the angels fair.
Sang the wondrous story,
In the morning air.
"Mothert'
ayes, dear
81 have been thinking a great
deal to-day. Tomorrow | will be
fourteen, tits ten long years since
i IAN and played like the boys and
girls have been dong in the valley
to-day. The echo of their laughter
has come TO ME again and again.
AS watched them | saw myself a
rosy checked. golden haired grille
of four. remember, mother. There
don cry. It's all right. And do
you know and she wound her
frail arms lovingly around her
mothers neck, II feel to-day, oh, SO
happy, for it seems that while the
boys and girls have been having
their fun. have had Jesus and the
angels with me. Mother, | think
OF all the angels God has made, the
faircst among them must be the
Christmas angels. How | like to
think so. How beautiful they must
have looked on that wonderful star
lit night, as they told the shepherds
that the Holy Babe was born.
81 have prayed to-day for all the
sick boys and girls the world over.
and have asked Jesus to send some
OF his Christmas angels into every
home where they are. They may
not all have Il beautiful home like
me, but the angels will not mind,
and hope they will whisper into
other ears, some OF the sweet things
they have been telling me think
it is better to have Jesus in your
heart and such sweet company,
than just the Christmas Joys that
Santa Claus may bring, am so
glad that every little boy and girl,
no matter how poor they may be,
can be just as happy as l. "
Mrs. Sheldon drew closer TO her
little daughter, and pushing back
the fair curls, pressed kiss after
kiss on the wan cheek. She knew
her darling was growing trailer
each day, and-but she would not
think.
For Jcssics sake she had given
up her busy social life, Of which she
was the centre, and here, in this
sequestered spot, lad become the
friend and companion Of her child.
"Mother. ! want father TO carry
me through The rooms this lovely
Christmas eve, for something tells
me ! will not be with you always.
Would you care very much, mother
dear, if the Christmas angels should