North Park union., 1901-01-04
Little Fi1'schristm
MARY G. Rosrssos. AGE Il YRS.


9 1t was Christmas eve. The streets
Of New York City were covered with
snow. On one Of the dingy streets q
little black dog could be seen running
up and down the streeta He would
stop at the corner Of the street
to LOOK up and down to see il any
one was coming. Then he would 60
to the other corner and look. When
he got about in the middle Of the
block he stopped before q house,
looked around, and seeing no one, he
crawled under the gate and around to
the kitchen door. An old negro wo-
man was out in the yard taking in
some clothes and the kitchen door
stood open. Little Nix (for that was
his name) stole in and found his way
to the pantry: There was a pan Of
biscuits on the shelf, and taking one
of them in his mouth he stole out of
the door, ran up the stree, and turned
down an alley. On and on he ran
without stopping, until he came to an
old barn. He ecrawled under the
door and got in the barn. Lying on
some hay in the corner Of the barn
was beautiful little girl about three
years old, fast asleep. The little dog
dropped the biscuit in her lap and
lay down beside her, but he did not
go to sleep. He lay there watching
her until she awoke. II want NAM
ma! l want mamma! Use hungry"
cried the little one. The dog seemed
to understand what she was saying.
and he took the biscuit in his mouth
and dropped it in her lap. The little
girl, seeing it, snatched it up and be-
gan eating it.
You will wonder how this beanti-
ful little girl came to be in this old dis
used barn. the % of December ore
Of New York's largest hotels was
burned TO the ground Occupying
one of the upper rooms was gentle.
men named Nj M s Desa, Lis wiie, and
their only child. little girl three
years old, whose name was El:i,, and
u little black dog, Nix, her only play
mate. When the hotel caught fire
and the nurse took tue little Cir.
down stairs, she put her down on the
steps opposite the hotel, telling her
to stay there until she came back.
Calling Nix, she told him to lie down
and watch Elsie, and not to let any
one harm her. She then went back
to help her mistress.
Elsie sat still for few minutes
and not seeing her nurse coming
back, she said:
Come, Nix, me and you'll do down
town"
She started down the street
Poor Nix! What could he do but
follow her?
On and on she went until she be-
came tired and cold ard began to cry
for mamma They had wandered
down the alley in font of the barn
and the door being open, Nix caught
Elsies dress IN his mouth and pulled
her in the barn. She lay down on
the floor and was soon fast asleep.
Nix lay by her side watching her. In
the morning before she awoke he had
gone to see if he could find her some
breakfast. We have already seen
how he stole old mammys biscuit.
The little child's mother and father
we're almost wild with grief, thinking
some one had stolen her. \ large re-
ward WAS offered for her return, but
they heard nothing of her.
When little I'll lie had finished eat
ing the biscuit sne began to cry fof
mamma.
II want mamma. Use hungry"
Little Nix seemed to understand
what she Was saying, for he crawled
under the door and got out and ran
back to the house where lie had stol-
en the biscuit. The Kitchen door
stood ajar, Nix pushed 1t open and
went in softly. Old nanny wss
putting pan of biscuits in the oxen.
He took one in his mouth and was
making fJr the door when the old
woman turned round and saw lin.
"Iia, vousc de little black imp dat
stole old Chloe's biscuit. Use gwine
ter pay yer back for it You little
black imp OBJ Satan; Why 70 you