The Democratic advocate., 1906-12-21
Seleet Stnrp.
"MYSELF, OR THE CHILDREN. !"
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

Once upon a time, and that not so very
long ago, five children sat around small
fire, trying their best to feel comfortable
by the warmth it afforded and trying also
to feel a little Christmas excitement by in
dulging in impossible fancies.
The time was about half past 6 O clock
of the 23d of December, and the place was
one of a dozen wretched tumble down
houses in close court in the east end Of
London.
The children belonged to Stephen and
Harriet Gregson, both of whom were absent
from home just now; Stephen not having
yet returned from his daily work, Che was
employed as carpenter in ship building
yard, and Mrs. Gregson being still at
work at house halfa mile off. Necessity
compelled her to go out three days a week
as charwoman.
When l add that this poor home was
being constantly impoverished by the faith
er's wages going in unstinted measure to
the public house, instead of being devoted
to its comfort, also that its peace was often
sadly disturbed by drunken discord, you
will say that the five children gathered
around the fire might try their very best
to feel happy and merry without oeiug
very successful.
The spokeswoman of the party was a
pale, fragile little girl of five years, named
Maggie. Although Bessie was two years
older, she always deferred to Maggie as
to one who had experiences of which she
knew nothing. Maggie, too, had far more
control than her elder sister over the two
little lads, Tom and Jack, who were sad
| scapegraces when their mother was out at
work, and would manage to attract to
themselves every bit of mud and dust that
came to their way, and to get into every
possible bit of mischief that was going,
Below these wee men of two and half
| and four years, there was baby, Bob, aged
twelve months, whom Bessie and Maggie
minded between them.
They had now gathered together to await
their parents return home, and Maggie
was regaling them with some of her ex-
periences and Christmas fancies She was
childish in her talk, but very old fashioned
| in manner.
She had been some time entertaining
them with her chat, when, unheard by
the absorbed young listeners, their father
entered the house. When he heard Mag
gie's soft voice engaged in tale telling, he
paused to listen. Stephen was a man of
very affectionate disposition and deep feel
ing; and, when in his sober senses, he
cherished for Maggie tenderness greater
than he felt for any of the other children :.
Mingled with his love for the frail little
girl was constant sense of regret that she
| would be life long cripple and invalid
through him.
And SO it was; for many months ago in
one of his drunken upsets, he knocked the
child down and fell heavily upon her,
breaking her thigh, and causing internal
injuries, which she would never get over.
For some time the little girl had been an
inmate of the Hospital for Sick Children,
in Great Ormond Street, and all that med
ical skill and kind care could do for her
was done; but Maggie would never more
be the blithe child that she was before her
sad accident. The time spent in the hos
pital she looked back upon as the one hap
py memory of her life; and she never
wearied oftelling her brothers and sisters of
all she had seen and heard there
Stephen soon found that she was harp
ing on this familiar tune. He was sober;
and he stood listening until at last unwonted
tears gathered in his eyes, and he had to
'smop his face,'' as he afterwards said,
before he could appear before them.
"And you know" Maggie was saying,
pursuing her wonderful theme to her open
mouthed listeners, "while | was at Great
Ormond Street the Queen sent us-oh such
toysl and we all played with them in our
BEDS There was dolls-oh such dolls!-
with real curls, and blue eyes, and dressed
like ladies'; and there was big boxes of all