The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-01-26

Christmas dinner, too. You may run
around and invite him tomorrow
morning. The widows mite" she
murmured softly, shat still is left to
me-"
little angels, little angels" pre-
sently whispered the boy, shave you
come down to see 'trismas, too?"
"What do you mean, Harry?" cried
the startled mother.
II is tallSin' to the snow, mamma,
what is fyin' down from heaven.
See, some of them wants to get in to
Harry, see!"
Eyes, yes! Mamma must hurry
with her sewing or we will have no
Christmas" replied the mother. "It
grows late and will soon be dark"
At seven o'clock they ate their fru-
gal supper, and after tidying up a
bit, the Widow White tucked the
little one in bed and prepared for her
visit to the store.
"Three dollars" she sighed as the
last garment was counted, "thrce
dollars for nearly a weeks labor. All,
mel"
Mamma"
"Yes, dear"
"Come kneel down long side of
your little boy, and pray for the poor
what amt going to have no 'trismas,"
said Harry timidly. "We is goin' to
have chicken and pie, and so is poor
Joe. We is rich, amt we, mammal"
With fast-falling tears the mother
knelt and silently asked the giver of
all good to bless her boy, and to
strengthen and aid all, who like them,
were struggling with loneliness and
poverty.
She arose and leaning over, kissed
him goodnight.
II didn't hear you pray, mamma"
said the wondering boy. "Can God
hear you so far Off"
"Yes, dear. He looked into my
heart, and heard. made silent
prayer" replied the mother. go to
sleep now, and be up early on Christi
mas morning"
"Tilent prayer" murmured the
boy, "tilent prayer" and long after
her footsteps had died away, the boy
lay with wide-open eyes, whispering
to God to send a good Christmas to
everybody, "but specially" he added,
Especially to poor, drunken joe"
An hour later the weary mother
returned, and sank into chair be-
side the dying fire with groan of
despair.
"They never break their rules" she
means. Saturday is pay day, and
must wait, wait"
AS she sat there desolate and de-
spairing the sound of icy particles of
snow beating against the window, at
| tracted her attention.
"The angels coming down." she
murmered, recalling Harry's words,
''to see Christmas. Pure, white an
| gels" and with strange, peaceful
| feeling at her heart she sat there lis
tening to that rustIing which she
imagined, was around and about her.
Suddenly she arose.
81 will ask for credit" she ex-
claimed, "for credit. IT'S the first
time, and surely / will not be denied.
Harry must not be disappointed. He
shall not bel"
And I am glad to relate Harry was
| not.
"Now," cried the happy little fell
| low, as the turkey-a very small tur-
key-was the next day placed in the
oven, II will run over for Poor Joe,
old drunken Joe, the bad boys say.
Mayn't I, Mammal"
EYES," said his smiling mother,
"but you must not speak of him in
that way, dear. He was once great
gentleman, and you must not hurt
his feelings. People say he is not near
so poor as he looks, but l am sure,
half the time, he has not sufficient
food or the comforts of life about
him. Tell him we desire his company
at dinner and don't stay long"
An hour passed, yet Harry came
not back.
The mother grew uneasy at last and
decided to ascertain the cause of his
delay.
In few minutes she stood at the
door of Joe's den. All was silent
within, and tremblingly she opened
| the door ana enUeTeu tne one cHecr-
less room which he called home.
Upon the bed lay man on whose
once fine face was craven the name
''inebriate."
Long and heavily had he slept, but,
alas! for many weeks and months
had he found no sleep long enough
to uncloud that once noble mind, to
sweep from it the cobwebs which
Swallowed his faculties and blurred
| all the good in his nature.
He had but just awakened, and his
wondering eyes were fixed upon the
| figure of a little child which knelt
| beside him.
The sun had risen bright an6
cheering this Christmas morning,
and peeping through the curtainless
window fell in gentle benediction up
on the golden head of the kneeling
boy, whose eyes and hands were
raised toward heaven in earnest
supplication.
The man scarcely breathed, and
great drops of perspiration stood up