Christmas morning came.
Daylight was just peeping into the room.
Poor little Annie, the cripple, awoke and turned her eyes towards the
corner where she had hung her stocking the night before.
Surely, she thought, as she watched it, there could not be very much in
it, because it didn’t seem to be any larger than it was when she had
hung it up. After awhile she crept slowly to where it was.
She did not take her crutches, for fear she would disturb her mother,
who slept in the same bed with her. It was hard for her to move around
without her crutches, but she persevered and finally she reached her
stocking.
[Illustration: “SHE PUT OUT HER THIN LITTLE HAND AND FELT IT.”]
She put out her thin little hand and felt it. Yes, there was something
in it! Then she put her hand inside and took out something which seemed
round and soft. She took it out and looked at it. It was a little cake.
Poor little Annie smiled, and put her hand back into the stocking. This
time she found something which was done up in paper. She opened the
paper and found a whole dozen of gumdrops. How brightly her little eyes
flashed! She was only six years old and she had never had so much candy
at one time in all her life.
By-and-by her mother awoke. She raised her head and saw Annie’s happy
face. “Poor girl,” she thought, “how happy I would have been to have
bought something else for her, but I wasn’t able. I hope she will be
happy with what she has.”
“See, mother,” cried Annie, “I have twelve gumdrops and a cake. We will
eat half of the gumdrops today and save the other half for to-morrow.
You’ll eat three and I will eat three.”
“No, Annie,” said her mother, “you must eat every one by yourself.”
Annie smiled, but did not say anything.
Little Annie’s mother was a widow, and she was very, very poor; there
were many times when they had only a little dry bread and water for the
day’s food. For this bright Christmas season there were many things
besides food which she would like to have bought for her poor little
crippled child; but she did not have any money to pay for playthings or
toys.
After breakfast on this Christmas day Johnny Ray came to see them. He
brought with him a good thick shawl for Annie’s mother and four pairs of
warm stockings which his mother had sent for Annie, and, also, a large
package of nice candy.
Little Annie’s mother cried for joy.
Little Annie was too happy to speak. She had never dreamed of having so
much candy at one time!