The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-20
THE NIGHT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Il was very cold and windy night.
Yet the next day was Christmas. and
there was a great stir In the little town
OF Milford. people were going to and
from the stores buying things for
Christmas a s.3S
Down on a side street, and In the room
OF a rickety old house lived Nellie and
her baby sister. Nellie had no parents.
Her father died when she was very Dung
and her mother had died only q few
months before the time We are speaking
in n hospital. \, Il /, ,..s
Although they had been poortial ! he'r
lives, the two little girls had never p eeh
forgotten on Christmas. { It were no
moro than a bag OF nuts or candy they
we're satisfied. .$ 5s It'll 81 q 5lg
Nellie and her little sister were situng
on little stool ut the window looking az
the people In the street. III :,
All at once little baby Marie said. ~
wonder will Sanity Claus come y 70 see us
this Christmas. You know ne sno nc
would come to see all good iittae3 sl sur,
and have certainly tried TO ne goo,u.
Don't YOU think he viii come Nellie
II hardly think So said Nellie. But
no might bring you something, she SAID
when she saw baby Mares iro own
II want some sugar punls, ~ she salu
beginning to cry. -, =, E
IT suppose Santa Claus will forget all 4
about ,is when he passes by said Nellie:
Nellie was only eleven years old = ana
tho only way she got something Tor napy
Ma RE and herself 10 eslt wns hy seil!hs
on or two boxes Of matches when ,her
mother had left. Sometimes kind neisn-6
bors would send them ltttle son'etil' us Z
but that did not happen very o. .e',.
1t was already half past five and meme
thinking about what they were gong 70
have for the next day. She had ~ d's.
covered that not crumb was III sahae
forlorn looking little room. so she wrapped
up baby Marie and put her II her5 niue
old wa gon Then she threwSan oid c,.ps
around herself, which belonged TO her
,,,c,tber and getting few boxes OF
matches she started out to sell them. she
heut on until she got to n toy store ana
then she stopped, thinking she coula }l'' llt
sale there. Lie
4 But no one noticed her although she
said to every one passing Please puy
some matches. I,.to
Ali XII at once bright. happy looking llttle 3
girl about the same age as Nellie cs aal,
M the street and was "a bout 70 go l''to
the store when she noticed Ne!l' e, "' l'
said: 80.
from this poor little girl !. H.,
"Certninly. my dear said hcr Hl o n'e''
@"all OF them If you wish. =.
"TIow much are your matches" siAo
the little strange girl TO Nellie
Only penny q box. answered N ''
tlieS -.
SS4''Why, that is cheap, you must no. no.
make very much or them, sara w! ''
n s.Yes, it is Very cheap said Nellie,
S"but am thankful to get that lhucn
for them. SO as to get something 70 eat
for Baby Marie"
why, Is that your sister In that wa. wa
gon?" said the strange girl Just noticing
the baby In, the wagon. who, Wrappeu
uprso nice and warm, had fallen TO sle s !
Yes answered Nellie. "and a#dear
ono at that. She Is all I care for ~ 7 ms '
world"
"\Yell, haven't you any one to caro- for
you?
mo" said Nellie, with tears in her
eyes, "my father died when was very
small and mother died a few months ago
a in the hospital"
Tho strange little girl looked first ct
Nellie and then at her mothers at9iast Y
{ she said
Mother, think will give this little
girl my money and do without my doA-
Baby
Very we'll" said her mother. You
know that five dollars will do these l,ttlo
children more good than 1t would do you
The little girl handed Nellie the I'VE
dollars, saying: keep that and your
matches too
ooh. thank you, thank you" suld Nell Z
lie smiling. this will last us y long
time" And with another thank YOU and
goodbye they parted and Nellie left for
the caMy store, where she not only
bought sugar plums and cake, but some
nice milk and bread.
That night when the little girl returned
home she said; Mother ! feel happier
now In giving that money to that poor
little girl and her sister than would
be II. ! had ten times I. as much.asaf
(: nc Il Err 'IItuDES STuMPF,
;. fi8s 4t ON Nnrth MIN a Anth 81 VI CIV .sI