Year: 1872




wood lot to the little tumble-down
log house by the four corners. But
the children did not mind the cold, or
the work either; they were so glad to
have plenty of wood to fill up the
great yawning fire place, and keep
the frost from curdling the air in the
one room, and pinching the baby's
fingers and toes as she sat in her era
die.


''There," said Ted, taking off his
mittens to blow his cold, red fingers,
'tif we don't have anything else for
Christmas we've got lots of wood, and
I mean to fill the old fireplace choek
full tomorrow"


| 81 wish we did have something else,
though" said Matte, gravely, "some
thing nice for mother and the baby !;
but you must MT speak about it, Ted,
not before mother, it makes her feel
bad"


tive got something for baby, said
Ted, mysteriously. ''N1iss Spriggins
gave it to me when I took her work
home yesterday" and he drew from
his pocket little round block on
which ribbon had been rolled. 1t
was papered on the ends with pink
paper, and both Ted and Matte ad-
mired it very much.


'How pleased she'll be" said Mat
tie. care you going to hang up
your stocking, Ted?"


'Course I am" said Ted, ''some-
thing might happen, you know; and
any how I like to pretend I'm expect
ing lots of things"


The two children went into the
house, where their mother was sew
ing by the last light of the short win
ter day, while the baby sat in her era
die playing with string of spools.
The mother was pale and thin, and
looked, oh! SO sad and tired; but the
baby was as fat, and round, and rosy
as anice plump apple, and did mt look
asif she knew anything about the hard
times that had come to the little log
house when the father died, just about
the time she opened her wondering
eyes on the world.


''Thc wood is all in the shed, moth
Ell" said Matte, "a nice big pile of it;
when that is gone, Deacon Turner is
going to draw us a load himself; he
said so this afternoon,


'And tomorrow Il be Christmas, :"
said Ted, "and I s'pose I'd better
catch that turkey before dark.


The mother smiled at merry Ted,
and Matte drew out the small table
and spread their simple supper of
brown bread and milk. The children
ate with hearty appetites; and though
they sometimes felt a little dissatis-
fed with their plain fare, yet the milk
was sweet and rich, and the bread
wholesome, SO they werein no danger
of suffering.


After supper the lamp was lighted,
the small room made as neat as could
be, fresh wood heaped upon the fire,
and after a froic with the baby, Ted
and Matte crept up the ladder to
their bed in the loft, while their moth
er sat down again to her sewing.
She had sad thoughts for company
that Christmas eve, and she sighed q
good deal as she piled her needle,
glancing sometimes at the rosy baby
in her cradle, and sometimes at the
three little stockings hanging there
by the chimney. They were good
deal worn, those little stockings, and
Mattie's careful fingers had darned
them here and there. Dear, patient,
helpful little fngers-how ready they
had been to take up the burden of
lfe-how the mothers heart longed
to fill them with good gifts this bless
ed Christmas but, alas (! she had moth
ing to give. She was not even SO
rich as little Ted, who had squeezed
his precious block into the baby's
stocking, and gone to bed happy. It
was almost midnight before the work
was finished, and already the baby
was stirring uneasily in her cradle,
and once or twice the mothers heart
was startled into a quick throb of ter
ror at hearing her hoarse, threatening
cough.


'Dear heart, said the mother, anx-
iously, running to the cradle, 'if she
should have the Group again, and not
a thing in the house to give her!"


Half an hour more, and the little
creature was gasping and struggling,
with dark rings about her pretty blue
eyes, and an ashy whiteness around
her mouth.


'IRun for the doctor, Matte, " called
the mother, and Matte never stopped
to think of the night or cold, as she
tied on the old blue hood, and wrap
ped herself in her thin, worn shawl,
and battered away down the lone
some road, Just as the clock struck
twelve. I dare say the doctor was
tired and sleepy, and 1 do suppose
that doctors need rest as much as
other mortals; but Matte never would
have guessed, by any word or look of
DR.. Ashley's, that it'was not the most
delightful thing in the world to him
to get up at midnight and go half a
mile to see a sick baby, with no earth
ly prospect of any fee. I said no