The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-01-15

@A@ge That's IT, he an
$1,000 swere d impatiently.
You'll keep ii up. one
way or another, and al the last min
ute I'll feel mean if I don't get into
the game and squander lot or money
on presents"
He closed the door and went away.
BY the time he had boarded the car
for town he knew that she was right
But the Christmas woman didn't
know that he was thinking this.
She was busy in her own room
where. on a work table, lay white
shirt waist pattern stamped with a
graceful design for embroidering. She
had bought it for so cents marked
down from one dollar because il was
the last Her plan was TO transfer its
design to other pieces OF cloth which
she had IN the house and so evolve
three shirt waists, stamped FOR EN-
broidering. 10 bestoW on the three
nieces, who liked to embroider. And
all for SO cents!
But the Christmas woman had just
begun work, trying brayely to forget
the hard-up husbands last words,
when she was called downstairs 10 see
the perfectly discouraged person.
whose plant was after this fashion.
"Oh, dear. It's nothing 10 me how
many shopping days there are 10
Christmas | cant buy thing"
But, my dear" said the Christmas
woman, think what you can make out
Of that luxurious box OF pieces you
showed me the other day
FsFpT p
suggestions about aprons and holders
and shoe bags and top collars
To inspire a church bazaar
oh, yes. but everything you make
costs a little for ribbon or something,
the perfectly discouraged person con
cIuded. at the end OF her depressing
call. I wish Christmas was past"
Then she went straight home,
pulled out her box OF pieces, pondered
over the Christmas woman's sugges-
lions, schemed out a plan for saving
a little money here and there, and
then fell to work on her Christmas
presents with new courage
But that Christmas woman didn't
know this.
She was getting at her own work
again. This time she worked for
fully i've minutes undisturbed, then
another visitor claimed her-this time
the tired-to-death woman. who couldn't
get away from her teething baby 10
20 shopping. or to take one stitch on
Christmas presents.
Give me your list. and I'll shop
for you" the Christmas woman vol
unteeTed.
Mercy I couldn't possibly tell
what | want without seeing things,
the tired-to-desth woman protested.
Not until she was well on her way
down the street did she realize that,
with q little planning. she might shop
By proxy after all. The idea, once il
had penetrated her mind. pleased her
50 much that she was smiling like
really rested woman when she reached
home and sat down to make out her
! list
But the Christmas woman didn't
know this
Have | called you downstairs when
/ you were doing something impor-
tAnt?' the dead broke girl was asking
| Of the Christmas woman by that time
| 'Tm sorry IL I have. but I had to tell
| my ears. l haven't any right to give
/ Christmas presents this year I'm
going to be cross until December Is"
ooh. no." the Christmas woman
| protested why, keeping CHEEKY is
| one kind OF giving! And at least you
/ can write Christmas letters"
why, who cares for those?" was
! the cynical answer
| Yet an hour later, at her desk, the
| dcad-broke girl was busily writing
! Christmas letters. filling them with
borrowed sweetness and hunming Il
happy tune as the words flowed from
| her pen.
But the Christmas woman didn't
know this
She had gone back to her room for
/ the third time-to find her work table
| empty In vain she searched for the
shirt-~aist cloth
Bridget" she called at last have
you taken anything out Of my room?"
Bridget was washing the windows
only the clean rags for polishin the
glass. mum" she answered. You said
they'd be on your table"
OH" she began. But at sight OF
Bridgets sorry face she caught her
self Never mind. Bridget, she add
ed Don't feel bad about ii"
Feel bad, Me-" echoed the aston
/ ished girl The look in her eyes was
| full OF admiration. Sure. now. this is
I the nrst place I ever worked where
the lady didn't get cross before Christ
mas"
This time the Christmas woman
knew
With great gladness, because she
/ had carried the message 10 one heart.
/ abe said. softly:
"Oh. but. Bridget. what do three
little presents matter! It's Joy that
we must giYei"