The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-12-14

= Dear, dear child, murmsrcd Grayis moth
s, am % glad II happened, for Il bsough'
ycs 10 me, and perhaps can bslp. had
: Christmas iession myself Years ago, and
!, shall ! tell you what VI taught mel Never
TO give Christmas present TO any one sole.
!, ly becsase that person had given oDe ia
] me. or solely because the givisg had BE-
/. come habit.
But, Mrs. Halliday. bow can you help
thatf There we're lot Of the girls Who
are probably Jus, bored TO death by havios
! to send me presents, but II doesn't sesm ~
! 4 ! could risk hurting their feelings by bc-
Ing the nTst 10 break II on.
; Ard yet don't doubt that the majority
Of them would thank you for doing Il. II
10 almost certainly safe to assume Il, be-
cause everybody Ia overburdsned In the
came way nowadays. Next year ] want
you to have courage and the grace TO write
-ach Of those girls loving Christmas let
Ser without gift-And without even men.
tioning . gift. Ruth, dear, suppose We
make next Ohrlstmas . new kind -or,
eather, the old kindf Wen try thinking
.bout our friends, and nading ost their lit.
Tie wants long before the Christmas rush
begins, and II II turns out that they would
prize something We can make with our own
hands, 90 much the sweeter. Above all,
veil have courage to banish the CONNER
cisl exchange idea that keeps us from en-
'ying present unless We have repaid 1t;
and when the beautiful day comes we will
meet It without worry, and make It the
sweet, joyful festival Of peace we know l.
ought to he. Nay help, dear, and wiz
you trys
And the end Of 1t Was that, instead OF
waiting for another Christmas, Ruth had
begun TO try before she went home that
day.
What makes you 90 ape and gay, sis
cried Ted. that evening, when Roth was
Insisting on hanging up her fathers stock.
'ng with the rest. This moroing you look.
ed 90 solemn just hated Christmas, bat
tonight It's fine.
Ruth did not say much then, but after
the younger ones had gone to bed, she
confessed, like little girl, In her fathers |
arms.
Doctor Harmon listened gravely to all |
The story. It's nv lesson, too, daughter
ne said, at last needed 1t a. much As you |
did. Come, let's 70 and sit In that beauti-
| frt 1hatr Mru uslltda- has L. /
much far me. I'm going to take 1t now In
he spirit in.which 1t seems to be given, and
enjoy 1t, too!
The next morning the Harmon house
rang with shouts Of "Aerry Christmas I"
At breakfast the children sang the Christ
mas HYMN, just ~ their mother always had
done, and although the doctors eyes were
vet, they knew that he was glad. Then
came the "stocking time" a. Nan called
i, and that was one great frolic from be-
ginning TO end.
1t was hardly over when Gray Halliday
walked In, tall and rosy, With his skates
slung over his shoulder. |,
Merry Christmas, everybody he called,
before any one had chance to speak.
came to see II could borrow Ruth for al
while. The skating over In the paik is
great. II
Ruth hesitated, but her father was smil- G
Ing into Gray's open, unembarrassed face
With genuine liking. Why not, daughter,
he asked IL will do you good to 20 out.
That settled 1t, and from the time they
started Gray talked 30 fast that Ruth found .
il next to impossible to remember anything
10 disturbing - lace flchu. i
They had skated once the length Of the
pond when Gray stopped suddenly.
Tired 80 soon' asked Ruth, with eyes 7
Ind cheeks aglow. OGrav. see that bar.
berry bush! Aren't the red berries beauti-
'ul against the wh'te snowg
Red caps and sweaters look we'll against Z
white snow, too, Gray ventured, with .
glance At Ruths costume, What do you
hink my mother told me about you last p
light be added, abruptly.
Ruth felt . sudden, uncomfortable Il
Sa,mth In her tingling cheeks, but she y
'eld her head up bravslv. p
What did she tell you II she asked.
Well, for one thing, she said the way you Z
I'D taken care Of things for your father a
nd looked after the children and kept up
'our studies and all ever since you lost u
'our mother was perfect wonder. And O
he told me she didn't know girl any .
|, here who had more courage and honor d
md character, She said you we're going y
o be noble woman. g
To Gray's astonishment, the bright eyes
,e was looking into suddenly brimmed y
Nth tears. u
Grsy Halliday, do you mean to avyour Q
mother didn't tell you what horrId thing
did yesterday
Gray looked mysti6ed. / don't know
~hat you mean.
Oh, sbe's the darlingest woman cried =
Ruth, wiping her eyes. But shsll have
o toll you myself this Minute, Gray. And !
without giving herself time to weaken,
Ruth began the story.
Her voice trembled little when she told 9
bout sending the acbu, and ste was talk.
rg mostly to the barberry bush after that
hay kept quite still until she came TO the '
elegrsm. Their, TO her surprise, he burst
nto laugh
Good enough for the stage he exclaimed. q
aow all you had to do was to buy som,-
hing else for my mother, and take II up to y
ier sud tell hsr you had sent the wrong y
1T by mistake. b
whs'! cried Ruth. She stopped looking ?
I the bsrberry bush ard faced Gray 10 u. y
opshm'nt. Tell your mother what wasn't o
ruef q
Well, what did you dos be asked, tribe q
sken back. q