Year: 1874

/
of, not "A toy shop (for Dick had not dared
TO think Of toys for many a year, but a
well lighted restaurant where people were
passing In and out, and sitting down TO
tables steaming with good things, or buy
| ing great loaves of white iced cake for
Christmas tables, or bon-bons for expectant
children.


Ten years ago a baby had been carried
into church, in long white embroidered
robes and christened Richard Donnelly !;
but nobody called him any thing but
4" Dick" or poor Dick" now, for his faith
er had taken To drink and broken the
heart OF his mother. so that she had died
lIule less than year ago, and Dick had
been like one all alone ever since. When
lac came home at night, To one little cheer
less room, after selling his papers or car
rying coal all day, he was often alone un-
| Ill near morning, when his drunken father
would come staggering in. Poor Dick
had crept away and hid many time AT
the sound OF his fathers uneven footsteps,
| groping their way up the rickety stairs,
and as often had cried himself 10 sleep
with his little hands over his face TO still
the sobs, wondering all the while why
il was that so many other boys had warm
homes, and good kind mothers and fathers,
and nice clothes 10 wear, and enough to
eat, while he did not have any one Of
these things. He was trying TO solve that
same vexed question on Christmas night
as he stood shivering in the soft white
snow that was falling all around, settling
on his ragged cap and in his curling brown
hair.


Dick did not mind the snow-he was
used to that But he was hungry and said
TO himself:


"Oh, il some one of all those people only
knew how hungry | was and would bring
me out a slice OF that nice cold ham and "A
bit OF the fresh green celery, ii would
taste so good IL seems as ii every body
in the world was going to have Christ
mas but me, and I'll never have any more.
If father would only stopdrinking IL might
be; then we could have "A fire and all we
wanted TO eat, and new chairs and green
carpet, just as we did have before we got
so poor and canary-bir6. 10 hang in the
window and sing. Oh. do wish could
have such Christmas :" and Dick turned
away with a great sigh, and went on to-
ward his own miserable home. lie was
thinking as he went along how his poor
dead mother had said TO him last Christ
mas I'VE must have faith in God, Dicky,
and ii will all come out right"


Poor mother ~ said Dick. for he was
alone so much that he often talked To him
self, "she is in heaven now. God took her
there. | wish he would take me there
tool | guess | don't have faith like
mother did, or he would, but then how
can think that God is good, when he
don't give me any thing ! ask for. and
pray every night that father would stop
drinking. Now" went on Dick, ''if
should find a pocket-book right here on
the side walk, with lots OF money in ii so
/ sraf IN aaf |
think that God had sent it right out OF
heaven. suppose that would be faith in
God. But then God don't have money
and things in heaven TO drop down here
to us. and If found the money some body
else would have lost il. and il might be
some poor boy or man that didn't have
any more; and then, like enough, he
wouldn't have so much faith. Oh. dear,
don't understand il at all. Mother did.
though. so it's all right some way, know
said Dick. as he pushed open the rickety
door that led TO the little room he called
home, wondering il his father, who had
been gone two or three days, was there
before him.


Just as Dick had reached the head of the
stairs, door opened opposite and kind
ly. honest face looked out.


"Come in. Dick" said the girl who had
been kind TO the poor boy more than once
before :. Come in there's nice fire to
warm We by, and bit of hot soup for We
TO eat"


Dick devoured the soup. and hardly no
ticed that kind-hearted Norah had left him
alone. But the two comforts that he need
ed so much, fool and warmth. made him
drowsy, and when the last bit of soup was
gone from the bowl, the poor, tired head
sank back in the chair asleep When
Norah came in half an hour later, she had
To shake him quite soundly TO awaken
him. Dick rubbed his sleepy eyes and
said:


"Oh. | wish you had not woke me up.
for was dreaming of mother. thought
she was standing here by me, her hand on
nv head. like she used To do. AT first she
looked troubled and kept saying. over and
over again. For the sake of the Christ
that was born. this night so many
years ago. my boy must have his Christ
mas merry Then. by and by, she smiled
so swcetly. and it seemed as ii she was
going to speak again, when you woke me
up. and il was only dream after all. But
il seemed so true, that | wish could have
slept always"


"Sure. child. but I've walked We to some
thing good" said Norah, opening wide
the door and showing the poor room
Wncrc Dlch anu his idliitf hdu nNtu III
want so long, now lit with wax candles,
bright fire on the hearth and the little old
table loaded with such feast that IL fairly
seemed to creak under il, unaccustomed TO
such burden. But best of all, Dicks
father was sitting in the chair by the fire,
in his own patched clothes 1t is true. but
his face was not red and boated, and he
was clean shavcn, and he smiled pleas
antly at Dick and held out roll OF paper,
saying


There's the pledge. Dick, my boy |;
I've signed 1t, and I'll never break it
either"


Dick looked first at his father, then at
Norah. in a kind Of bewlldered way. Then