Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1882 — ON CHRISTMAS EVE. [ARTICLE]

ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

“Money for Christmas presents, indeed!” said Mr. Darrow. “That’s all nonqatiHP U “My said Mrp. Darrow, deprecatingly. j “But there’s ati> end t« a raw’s purse!’’ said the head of the family. “Bent, taxes, insurance, school bills, church' expenses, and now on top of the rest, like the last hair, that breaks the camel’s baok> comes a demand for Christmas presents) 1 can’t do it, my dear, and I won’t,” ' “But the children 1” said Mrs. DarroW, who sat with her hands folded in her with a frightened air, as if great cateatrophe was about to befell her. < I To her, Christmas had always been the great festival of the velar, the day when earth and Heaven caihe nearest together—the ■ time to rejoice and be glad with exceeding great jby. “O, the childrenl” said Mr. Darrow shrugging his shoulders, “They won’t suffer! Didn’t I give Addle a doll on, her last birthday? Ami hasn’t Joe got a pair of skates? And i wbat has become of little Bessie?a blocks?. Besides, children should be brought up to know that life isn’t all pjay. I was cash-boy in a store when L was only two years older than Joe!” i “Yes, I know,” said Mrs. Darrow, meekly; but they have icen looking forward all the year to Christmas, and I don’t know how they’ll endure the disappointment,” ] “It won’t hurt ’em,” said Mr. Da"* row, as he buttoned his eofct pockets. “Times are hard; and a min must begin tfr economize somewhere.” Mhj. Darrow sat down, when the heavy footsteps of her lord and master had had ceased to dimk down the frosty pavement, and began to calculate. ' J The noisy singing of/the canary in the gilded cage disturbed her and she hung it in another roopa; the unaccustomed task of trying to make two and two make five drew wrinkles on her forehead and brought a sharp pain be , hdnd her eyes. She had lust so. |uuch housekeeping money allotted to her jgach month, anji,' good economist UhOugTiiire was. lt impossible to save much. Mr. Darrow was a thrifty man, and for every dollar he prided himself upon getting a dollar’s value. “I was going to buy a new wicker hamper for the clothes,’’said Mrs* Darrow, “and a set of hew table napkins. But 1 must darn up the old linen to last a few weeks longer, and do without the hamper, so as to have a few

dollars to buy toys for the children. I C^n’t cheat them out of all their Christmas happiness, pooy little dears!” Mr. Darrow was sauntering comforably up the snowy street the day before Christmas, when he saw his wife, dressed in the little seal brown velvet ‘ hat "and neatly trimmed cloth cloak , which he khew 60 well, enter a tey ' store on the oposite corner. He looked hard a paoncent, 'then followed her. “It’can’t be after all that I said,” he thought, “that she actually means to set me at defiance!” There she was, however, in the crowd of buyere, edging her way patiently up to the counter, handling the cheap tags pending over their relative attractions. Yes! She was actually turning out .her purse. The.shopman was looking around for his wrapping-paper and tissue. Now was the time for him to Interfere. • Mr. Harrow stepped up to ribe.counter abd laid his hand authoritatively on her shoulder, w “What are you*buying, Abby?” said ! Mrs. Darrow started and turned scarlet, like a dethAted buf|l^*. “The lady his selected a Noah’s ark, sir,” said ths shopman, smiling obsequiously, “a work-box and a book df fairy tales.” “Put them back,” said Mr. Darrow J!Jhelady_kaa changed her mmd r She will nqt .take them come, And he led his wife out of the store. “My dear,” he said, grimly, when they were out in the freezing, gray twilight, withtho flakes of snow already beginning to flutter In the air, “I told you I wouldn’t have any of this non--sense.” • “It’s my own money, Caleb, that I saved out of the housekeeeping allowitU“ S 5 f “If the housekeeping allowance is so much too ample for your requirments my dear, I will see that it is cut down,” said When I said that the children were not to have any Christmas toys this year I meant it,” Mrs. DarrQw went home and had a .good cry. How was she ever to make .ruieJAtife ofce? believe that Christmas was not to come for .them this year? . TMayeff dancing about the eittingdroom .Jhien she came!, those.yuld little wB&mmll}” “Bessie wants to go to bed —absolutely now—so that Santa Claus will come quicker.” “He never comes till little baby girls are asleep.” said Bessie, pouting out h"f red ‘lipß| decidedly. “Old, nurse “Mamma!” shouted Joe, “I almost know Santa Claus will bring me a tool chest! Oh, mamma, don’t you wish'it from an opposite doorway, “this morn' ing or to-morrow morning will make ho sort of difference with you. Busii net* has been bad this year, and thert Is no nwafu BUc h tolly as toys. Andthe sooner you make up your mind to that the better!” The children stared incredulously at idm; then they turned their glances to rTYXvui him fit, •

preceived, that she' Mr. Dldvirwt by the Ana after supperfa cheerfbl little he»t<K#ho* red eyes of fire shone vividly thfOugh the darkened room, and whose pipe car* ried the surplus heat into a register in the nursery above. k “Those children not in bed yet?” said Mr. Darrow to himself, as he heard the patter of childish feet, the ring of childish L voices, above. ‘What it the World keeps them up at this time of night?”l ' r j Stepping softly, in his slippered feet, he went up stairs, and peeped In at the crack of the door. Bessie was standing en tiptoe to hang a little, red-striped stocking on a nail beside the cbimney-piece. Addie was helping her, while Joe stood sadly by, ;* , / I j j. “It’s no use, chicks/’ said Joe. “Papa said we weren’t to have any Christmas presents this yejar!” v “I don’t care,” cried little Bessie, excitedly “Don’t you kniow, Joe, it isn’t papa that sends the Santa Claus presents? It’s Santa Claus’ ownself. And he never forgets good ' little girls OEM ChWStmas Eve—does be, Addie? “Ko, Indeed 1” said Adoie, her innoceut sacs pied with undoubung faith. “You* see, Joe! To-‘morrow morning these stockings will be full.” “If you really think so,” said Joe, making: for his own particular bureau drawer, “I may as well hang up mine, too; for I’m sure I’ve tried to be a good boy.” So the little ones crept to bed. Caleb Darrow stood there with a pang of remorseful shame at his heart. Did he not stand in the place of Providence to these children? Had Heaven been as deaf to the prayers of his faith as he was to these little ones, where would he have been? He went down stairs to the room where his wife sat, sadly darning stockings. “Abby,” said he,/‘put on your hat and cloak. It is not 9 yet,” as he saw her astonished glance at the clock. “I wanfto buy'some Christmas toys for the children.” “Cftleb!” she cried, almost incredulously. ~ f ? “I jam ashamed of mysell!” said he. “I have behaved like a heathen turk.”

Then he told her what he had overheard, j “God 1 le Athe little ones!” said she, with trarj in ;her eyes. “They are their own best special pleaders.” And the lasi customers in the toy shops that Christmas eve were Mr. and Mrs. Darrow, buyipg too) chests, dolls, games, Noah’s Arks and music boxes, with fruit and nut§,And bonbons. “They shall have, a rherry Christmas,” said Mr. Darrow, “if I don’t smoke another cigar for a month.” And Mrs. Darrow could only look up in his face and say: “O, Caleb, I’m so happy!” And almost before the crimson glory! of tbe Christian morning irradiated the' east, they heard the children shrieking and shouting with joy, in the adjoining room. J “Didn’t me tell you, Joe?” said Addie, exultingly. /A > “Santa Claus never forgets little children!” cried Bessie, hugging a curly headed doll to her breast. “Dear Caleb,” whispered Mrs. Darrow to her husband, “now w*e can understand what our savior meant when He said, ‘Oh, woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto these even as thou wilt.’ ” v