Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-12-12

we began to stay up later. Our for.
mer fear of mice in the garnet engulfed
our desire to see the new toys. Their
charms were beginning to fade; no
longer we cared for the automobile
that carried the doll with pink cheeks
and chestnut hair. with eyes that
opened and closed, with magnificent
silken gown, nor for the drum ma jors
cap, nor the horn that Little Boy Blue
would blow. nor the dishes for the lit
tie mother, nor the sword and the gun
for the fierce pirate. nor the nodding
elephant the bleating sheep, bats and
balls, ships and sleds, books, skates.
the theater for our dolls.
The grownups began to get mystic
rious and to talk often of Christmas
and the joys it would bring, but we
grew sadder and sadder as it ap-
preached, for it could bring no sur
prises for us. We missed the joy of
anticipation. and for the first time in
our lives we learned what sorrow
meant. A realization of the wrong we
had done came home to us. We would
have given anything to undo It, but
could not, for nothing would make it
right. Mother hustled about working
to make it happy Christmas, vet she
worried over US, dosing us with medl-
clnes ana teas she thought would help
US But they ana US no good, Tor she
could not know it was the guilty con-
science rather van the body that
needed healing. Those bitter doses
hlled our cup of woe almost to overflow
ing, yet we took them rather than tell
the truth, for we had solemnly vowed
she must never know. we agreed 10
cheer up and be happy and when she
was there we played mt pirates, but
hau not TIE heart necessary TO victory
and generally lost to the little ones.
E"ch day we looked more miserable
ana became paler and thinner ana less
inclined to eat Tears came easily to
our eyes, ana in those times NE was
full of misery.
On Christmas eve we were silent
and liStleSS, We tried hard to be lively
and full of expectation for the coming
day. but did not deceive mother. VINO
sent us early to bed, giving rs an extra
strong dose of the bitter medicine. We
tried to beg off, but she made US take
1t, telling us we must be well when
morning came or We could not enjoy
the presents Santa Claus would bring,
and we had to pretend to want it. We
heard her tell father she believed we
would have measles or some other
fever and she helped Us undress, tuck
ing us in and kissing us tenderly the
way mother always does when we do
not feel well, and crept up once or
twice to see us.
In the intervals we talked sorrow
fully of the ordeal before us and .
nerved ourselves to be pleased when .
we saw the automobile to carry the .
doll with pink cheeks and chestnut
hair, with eyes that opened and shut.
with magnificent silken gown; the .
drum majors cap. the horn that Little .
Boy Blue would blow, the dishes for
the little mother. the sword and the
gun for the fierce pirate. the noddinG
elephant, the bleating sheep, bats and .
balls. ships and sleds, books. skates,
the theater for our dolls. no one must
know we had ever seen them, we
would be overjoyed at getting them, we
would forget ouF sorrows and our sins.
Morning dawnrd. In the delight of
expectation the little ones woke early,
and mother catd us, asking anXlousIy
how we felt. She made us dress, fear
full of cold and wondered that we did
not beg to 90 down in our gowns and
slippers. We tried to laugh, but could
not. Solemnly each one dressed and
filed down the stairs to the joys that
might have been ours but for Helen's
fatcful secret
We entered the parlor. There about
the tree lay the toys, ours at last.
but no longer desired by us. 1t was an
effort to touch them. With disappoint
ment on her face, mother tried to make
us see their beauties. Once more we
tried to be happy, once more we made
an effort to overcome the influence Of
our misdeeds. Then a kcener reaiZa-
ton Of our sins came over us. Some
,ne sobbed. and we one and all turned
away bursting into tears. Mother
al Ia