The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-22

W WI commit Inc virtue
v u of self-sacrifce.
Max was six years
old. His dog "Jack" was an amiable
creature, and had endeared himself
very much to his master. Jack had
to get in the way of truck, and Jack
died.
The hone of Max's heart was the
fact that when he, too, died, which
because of the death of Jack he then
hoped would be very soon, he would
meet Jack in heaven. Somebody
some unimaginative person-told
Max that dogs did not go to heaven,
that they had no souls. That was
Max's first great disappointment.
The second was like unto it.
The same somebody-one of those
bothersome bodies who put shoes
and stockings on little boys on rainy
days in the summer, and make them
wear uncomfortable clothes when they
go in swimming-toldM Max the whole
story of Santa Claus.
Max took his sorrowful heart to his
mothers knee, and, hoping against
hope, told her what he had heard,
and when it was all over he felt bet
ter, for in place of the beautiful story
he had lost she had told him another.
In the long, cool grass down near
the waters edge, he thought of the
new story, and the more he thought
of it the better he liked it.
'sIf Dot was to fall in that water
there" he said half aloud, as he sat
up and looked out over the dancing
wave,ets of the lake, "I'd dive in
after her. Maybe I'd be drowned, -
he hesitated for moment and shud-
dered-"but what of that? I'd be
self-sacrifcing. Supposin' I was
drowned; anyhow, they'd put me in
the parlor, and everybody would cry
and say was good boy, and had
given up my life for Dot. And I
would give it up for her, that would.
Whereupon Max began to think of
such terrible things that might hap
pen to his sister Dot, who was only
four years old, and of still more ter
rible things that might happen to him,
if he should try to sacrifice himself
for her, that pretty soon he began to
feel little weak in the knees, and 1t
began to get cold down in the grass, and
the little boy decided to whistle and
go to see the pigs.
While he was poking them in the
ribs, Max had an idea. It suddenly
occurred to him that there was no
sense in his making it matter of life
and death just to sacrifice himself
His mother had told him that men
and women gave gifts to their little
!; children at Christmas to make them
happy, and that self-denial and self
sacrifice were the true essence of the
Christmas spirit.
Max had little fortune stored away
in his bank. This fortune he decided
to spend to make Dot happy.
Full of this idea, he ran to his
mother. Her consent was a matter
of course, and Max arranged the pre-
liminaries.
dot" he said that night, as they
lay in their cribs, show do you like
Christmases?"
Dots eyes grew big. She remem-
bered the dolls of the past winter, and
the lights of the Christmas tree, and
Max thanked his stars that he had
thought of such grand scheme,
when the very Idea of it made Dot so
happy.
"Well," said he, when she had told
him in the strongest terms how very
much she liked Christmases, ''you
just watch out day after tomorrow,
and hang up your stocking tomorrow,
and you'll see another Christmas.
That's what"
Dot suggested that it was summer
time. But Max said tina. was alright,
that Kris Kringle was coming in a
hay-wagon, and that the reindeer had
been turned into mules with great
long ears. Dot fell asleep with Won
derful thoughts of reindeer turned in
to mules with long ears, and Max
sighed, remembering his own fond
fancies about Kris Kringle, and how
lie. too, had been happy once.
The next day was full of work for
the little boy. First, he had to keep
Dots thoughts keyed up to the most
intense pitch, for the little girl could
not get over her doubts about the
reindeer and the snow. Then he had
7. to consult the bank. He found there
was just sixty-six cents in it.
In the first excitement of his desire
to sacrifice himself he had decided to
spend every cent he had; but now, on
second thoughts, he concluded that
half of his fortune would buy enough
things to fill his sisters stocking, and
then he would still have a little
money left. Finally, he compromised
on twenty-five cents for Dot, and with
just little feeling that he was not as
generous as he should be, he went
down into the village to make his
purchases.
He bought large orange for the
toe of the stocking, and an apple to go