Year: 1875

LITTLE JACK


And the Snow-Sprite.


II was Christmas Eve, and little Jacl
sat by the cottage fire, with his head on
hls mothers lap, for his father had beer
lost at sea since the last year came in
andheremembered how happy they had
been only one year ago that night, all
three seated about the same bright
hearth. They were very poor, though
his mother had managed to keep the
fire bright, and 10 feed and clothe her.
self and little boy quite comfortably
thus far, but it was by dint of hard la
bor. She bent over her sewing from
early morning until late at night, very
thankful to the kind people in the par
lsh who furnished her with work to do
But she looked weary and pale, and
Jack longed to be a man that he might
earn money to take care of them both,
and never let her work any more.


1t was bitter cold night; the frost so
thlckly curtained the cottage window
that the stars could not peep in, and
the wind whistled around the house and
shook the lattice, trying to get in.


Jack, said his mother, smoothing
his curls, "we have still much to be
thankful for; wish every little boy in
the world was as warm as my little boy
is tonight"


"1es," answered little Jack; "and if
there are any poor little girls or boys
without any home, | wish they would
come here tonight, and I'd give them
my supper and my bed to sleep in, too
And as he sat watching the bright
Goals, which fell into all sorts of fantas-
tic shapes, he fell to thinking deeply of
how many poor little wanderers there
mIdaP and o hs @se{Fsn as{Fana, 4, IL sea he e
little timid rap on the outer door.


"Run quickly and open the door,
Jack, said his mother. Don't let any
one wait long in the wind"


And Jack did as he was bid; and
there stood a poor little girl trembling
like leaf with the cold, who begged
that she might come in and warm her.
self by the fire. And Jack took her
little blue hand in his, and led her to
his own little chair, in the warmest cor
ner of the chimney nook. She ives Il
pretty little thing, in spite of the rags
she wore, with curly, golden hair and
her eyes with the tears in them were
like violets full of dew. Jacks moth
er took off her little hood, and gave
her nice bowl of bread and milk for
her supper.


"And you shall have mine, too, lit
tie girl, said Jack, latter you have
eaten that, for you must be very hun
cry aren't your


Yes" resumed she, with her de-
murc little voice. And she ate eager
", to the last drop, but she would not
take Jacks, though he pressed her to
do so again and again.


She had eaten all she wished, she
said, thought it was very nice; and she
thought Jack was very nice, and thank
ed him a thousand times. Jack won
dered that she grew warm so soon, for
she kept moving her little chair away
from the fire, until she had reached the
frostiest corner in the room.


"Why are you so warm 2" asked he.


And the little girl said that she had
been in the cold so long that the fire
made her face burn. Jack tried to be
very entertaining, and talked to the
shy little stranger as merrily as posi-
BILE; but she was inclined to be very 81
lent, though she looked amused.


Jack asked her where she lived
and when she answered very sadly
that she hadn't any home at all. he
spoke out eagerly -,


"Then you shall come and live witt
us. I'm going to be man prett,
soon, and take care of you. But yol
won't mind if you don't have very mucl
supper, or very pretty dress to wear
for little while, will your


The little girl did not speak, but sh
gave him a very bright, grateful look
which was beautiful to see, and Jacl
thought he'd never seen any one hall $
pretty. She was prettier even thai
Bess Brown, his little rosycheeke
sweetheart at school But while h
was looking at her, she suddenly vaI
ished, as shadow on the wall Nigh
have done: and, from an opposite COZ
ncr, the tiniest little lady imagnabl
danced out, waving a wand like iroste
silver, and dressed all in glitterin
white, like some elfn BRIDE.


The queer little hat she wore, PEREZ
ed on her pert little head, was trlmme
about the brim with fringe of tiny lc
cle, and her iaunty little jacket was ED
ed with longer ones, that tinkled whe
she moved like sprays of silver bells
and her tiny feet were encased IN u
cunningest little slippers that look'
like glass. but were nothing but Gle;
crystal ice, in reality; and they mac
queer little clack as she danced abo'