FAITH'S GIFTS
IT was only a few days after Faith's birthday that the Great War came
to an end, and an armistice was signed by Germany. There were great
rejoicings in the village. The church bells rang out all day, flags
were erected; the school had a holiday, and there was a bonfire and
fireworks at night.
The little girls were very excited, and walked about the village all
day talking to everybody. Nobody could keep indoors. They were all
shaking each other's hands, and talking about the "wicked Kayser!"
A great many wives were rejoicing that their husbands would soon be
returning to them.
Faith was only allowed out for a few hours in the middle of the day,
but it was wonderful how many came up and shook hands with her, and
said how glad they were to see her about again.
"I rather wish I had tumbled out of the tree instead of you," said Hope
that afternoon, when they were having tea: "it makes you so important
to be ill, and I like being important."
"But it makes you feel so tired," said Faith, plaintively. "I don't
feel as if I could run at all, not even from a mad bull."
Hope looked at her reflectively.
"I shouldn't like that," she said. Then with a sudden change of
subject, she went on—
"Do you know, Faith, what you could do with your money? It's a lovely
idea. And Charlie and I thought of it."
"What? I keep thinking of so many things. I have made a long list
already."
"Why, you could buy a beautiful gipsy van, and we could go about the
country in it. A caravan. Wouldn't it be lovely?"
"Then we should have to buy a horse, too—a big one—and Aunt Alice would
say she couldn't keep him or feed him."
"Oh, Topsy would pull it, or you could buy a horse and feed him. You
have enough money to do anything!"
Faith gave a little sigh. She began to feel the responsibility of money
weigh heavily on her shoulders. And the very fact of her still being
weak and frail made the least thing a burden to her.
That night when she went to bed, Granny came up with her. She and Faith
had a little prayer together of thanks for the peace which had come to
the world.
And then Faith lying back on her pillows said wistfully:
"Granny, I wish Mr. Cardwell had left me five shillings instead of a
hundred pounds. I don't really know how to spend it."
"Yes, I wish he had," said Granny, looking at Faith's white cheeks with
great pity; "but, my darling, he would not like to think that it would
be a burden to you."
"You see," Faith went on, "Charity and Hope expect me to do something
very big with it, and so does Charlie, and it is the big things that
are so difficult."
"Now look here," said Granny, cheerfully. "Christmas will soon be here.
I know you don't want to spend it all on yourself. Take some of it and
buy presents for your friends. Not big presents—just buy nice gifts for
them, then put the rest of the money in the bank; and by-and-bye you
may think of a nice way to spend it. There is no hurry—you can spend it
gradually. There is no need for getting rid of it at once."
"Oh, Granny, thank you so much. If I can do that, I shall be very glad.
And do you think I could buy Timothy a very warm thick overcoat? He
gets so cold when he goes out at night to see any sick sheep."
"I think that would be a lovely idea."
Granny kissed her, and left her quite happy.
The next morning, she told Charity and Hope of Granny's advice; and
though they were at first rather disappointed, they were soon most
interested in the list of presents that Faith began to write down.
These were some of them.
Timothy: A very thick overcoat. Granny: A big fur cloak. Aunt Alice: A
muff and boa. Miss Vale: A very nice writing case. Mrs. Horn: A warm
bed quilt. Mrs. Vale: A pair of gold spectacles. Charlie: A bicycle.
Mrs. Cox: A big shawl. Mrs. Budd, who kept the village shop: A china
tea-set. Sir George: A pocket-book. Lady Melville: A purse.
There were various children and old women in the village whom the
little girls knew. Faith said she would like to give Christmas cakes to
them all.
And then came the serious question of what Charity and Hope would like.
Charity said they would like to choose themselves.
"If you don't think it will cost too much money," she said, "I would
like a glass book-case, because I'm collecting a library, and by the
time I grow up, I shall have a splendid lot of books. And it would
stand at one end of our schoolroom. There would just be room for it."
"Oh, what fun it will be buying!" said Faith, clapping her hands. "Of
course you can have the book-case. And now Hope?"
Hope walked round the room considering.
"Of course I would really like a big dog," she said; "but Aunt Alice
wouldn't hear of that. Why, Faith, I know what we want. That is a
proper saddle for Topsy. If you could give me that, we could all ride
him."
"But that wouldn't be for you then," Faith objected. "I can give myself
that. It can be got for us all, besides the Christmas presents."
And then Hope thought she would like a complete set of garden tools. So
Faith put that down.
When once her list of Christmas presents was finished she felt happier.
And daily she became stronger, until very soon she was able to take
part in lessons again, and in the walks that her sisters took every day.
Time sped away. Aunt Alice wrote to the Pirate about the cheque, and
promptly received another back in place of it. December came, a bright,
cold December, and they had their first fall of snow. It was too cold
to play in the orchard, and they were content to run along briskly out
of doors.
At last, a fortnight before Christmas, Aunt Alice said they could
all come shopping with her. They were to go to the town early in the
morning, have their lunch in a shop, and stay till quite late in the
afternoon.
It was a day to be remembered. Never had they so much money to spend.
For Charity and Hope felt that they shared with Faith the excitement
of choosing and buying all the presents. Aunt Alice was very good in
helping them. It was only her own present that was kept secret. And she
was as pleased as Faith herself when they chose together a lovely grey
cloth cloak lined with white fur, for dear Granny.
Charity got her book-case, and Hope her garden tools. The saddle was
chosen and paid for, and then Faith was asked what she was going to
get for herself. She could not make up her mind for a long time. At
last she saw a picture in a shop which greatly took her fancy. It was
a little child being led up a steep hill by a shining angel. Her Aunt
smiled when she was told she would like to buy it.
"I might have known something of that sort would have attracted you,"
she said.
Perhaps the most interesting bit of shopping was ordering the cakes in
the pastry-cook's. Faith found that she wanted fifteen, and they had to
be made on purpose for her.
Aunt Alice laughed at the woman's astonished face when she took the
order.
"It's a good thing you have some currants and raisins at last," she
said, "for otherwise it would be no good ordering plumcakes from you."
The little girls asked their Aunt to let them go into one shop by
themselves, and Aunt Alice turned her head again, and pretended she did
not see where they went.
Faith was very anxious over the set of furs they asked to see. At first
the attendant who waited upon them looked rather suspiciously at them.
"These are very expensive," she said. "How much do you want to give?"
Charity looked up with red cheeks.
"We have a hundred pounds to spend, we don't care how much it is."
The attendant smiled. She consulted the head of the fur department. But
when she saw that Faith had a little bag stuffed with notes, she became
very civil. And the children at last chose a big black fox stole and
muff, which cost about sixteen pounds. Faith was rather frightened at
the amount, but she paid it, and she went out of the shop wondering if
Aunt Alice would be angry if she knew how fast her money was melting
away.
It was quite late when all the shopping was finished, and the children
were very tired when they reached home.
Granny asked how they had enjoyed themselves.
"It has been just like a fairy story," said Charity, "and I suppose
rich people can spend money like Faith has to-day whenever they like.
Oh, I do hope I shall be rich one day!"
Granny shook her head at her.
"I wish you better than that," she said; "money is a great care."
"It is indeed," said Faith in an old-fashioned way, "and I never knew
it would go so fast, Granny; will you add up for me and tell me how
much I have left?"
When bed-time came, Aunt Alice was able to tell her. And Faith was
horrified to find that she had only about forty pounds left.
She looked so troubled that Granny came to her. "What is it, darling?"
"Oh, Granny, I wanted to give something out of it to God. I thought you
would tell me how."
"But I think many of your presents to the poor old people in the
village are offerings to God, dear."
"But I thought in church—I thought Mr. Webster would like to have some."
"To give away to the poor, do you mean? Well, you can talk it over with
him, but don't spend it all this Christmas. I advise you to keep some
in the bank and take it out when you really need it."
"Yes," assented Faith, "and I won't think about spending it any more,
but just enjoy myself."
When Christmas Eve came, the little girls were up early. They took
the presents round to the villagers in the morning, and had great fun
packing all the cakes into Granny's carriage.
[Illustration: THE CAKES WERE RECEIVED WITH GREAT DELIGHT.]
Charlie's bicycle was going to be wheeled along to him after dark. Aunt
Alice said she would see to that. Charity's book-case had arrived the
day before, but it was not going to be unpacked till after tea, when
Faith said she would like to give her presents to the family. The cakes
were received with great delight. Mrs. Budd and Mrs. Horn were quite
overcome with their presents. Hope said that she and Charity felt the
money was theirs, as they helped to give away the gifts, and had the
pleasure of seeing the joy they gave.
In the afternoon, Charity and Hope were to leave Faith's presents at
the Hall, and she herself staggered up to Timothy's cottage with her
big brown paper parcel.
She would allow nobody to carry the coat but herself. It was a bright,
frosty afternoon; the woods looked black and silent. In the distance,
Faith heard the church bells pealing out. Aunt Alice had gone to help
in the decorations at the church. When Faith reached the cottage she
found Timothy had just come in. He was hanging up his old coat on a
nail behind the door, and turned round with a pleased smile when he saw
who it was.
"Come right in, Missie. Eh! 'Tis good to see ye lookin' up agin! Sit ye
down now. There be Sandy waitin' to shake hands wi' ye!"
Faith breathlessly held out her big parcel.
"For you, Timothy, with my love and a happy Christmas. I bought it for
you myself with some of the money I told you about. Do try it on and
see how it fits!"
Timothy slowly undid the parcel. When he unfolded the thick coat, he
looked at her with his slow, sweet smile:
"Well, I never did! This beats me altogether. 'Tis fit for the king
hisself. However am I to thank you big enough, Missie?"
"Put it on! Put it on!" cried Faith, dancing up and down in her
excitement. "I'll help you, Timothy."
So between them, they got Timothy into the coat, and he pronounced it a
"perfect fit."
"My last new coat was twelve years agone!" he said.
"Why, that was before I was born," said Faith in awed tones.
"Well, I'm wonderful grateful, Missie! To think that you should give me
such a big gift as this! My old bones will ache no more with cold this
winter! Dearie me, I shall not know myself!"
He turned himself round and round and Faith admired him amazingly. Then
after she had told him the whole history of the purchase they settled
down to talk of other things.
"Isn't Christmas a lovely time, Timothy?"
"Ay, Missie, surely it be; and never will there be such a Christmas as
this with 'Peace on earth' again. 'Tis like a horrible dream, these
four years of killin' and burnin' and drownin'! I always have been fond
of Christmas. To us shepherds, when we go round at night, the Message
seems to sound out in a partic'lar way, just as it did to them Eastern
shepherds. I pray God He will send the Message afresh to the aching
hearts in the world to-day to tell them of the joy to be found in the
Saviour."
"But it's the Comforter Who speaks to aching hearts," said Faith.
"So 'tis, Missie, and He'll be tellin' them of the One Who loved 'em,
and gave Himself for 'em! There'll be those this Christmas who'll be
wantin' all the love and comfort they can get. For there be no such sad
a time for those who have lost their dear ones, as a real merry-making
time all round 'em. It just stabs 'em cruel all the time!"
Faith sat very still on her little stool. She hardly understood
Timothy's words, for she was feeling supremely happy herself. Sandy had
his nose in her lap, and she was stroking his head.
"I hope there'll be nobody unhappy in our village this Christmas,
Timothy. Do you think there will be?"
"We'll hope not, though there is a few with mourning hearts who stiffen
their backs, an' will not listen to the Comforter."
"And I suppose if everybody listened, there wouldn't be an unhappy
person in the world?" said Faith.
"That there would not," said Timothy earnestly.
When Faith came away from him it was getting dark. He walked over the
fields with her and saw her safely into the lane; and she then ran home
as fast as she could.
The little cottage was quite gay that night. It was trimmed up with
holly and evergreen; there was a beautiful cake for tea made by Aunt
Alice. And after tea was cleared away, the presents were produced.
Granny was speechless when she saw her cloak, and Aunt Alice was almost
distressed when she was given her furs.
"My dear Faith, you ought not to have spent so much money on me!"
But she put them on, and said she felt a duchess in them. The little
girls all had Christmas presents from Granny and Aunt Alice. Warm
gloves, books, and boxes of chocolates.
When at last the children retired to bed, they were almost worn out
with excitement, but very happy. As Granny said when Aunt Alice
remarked on Faith's white cheeks:
"Well, Christmas only comes once a year, and this is a year that will
be remembered all our lives. We have been pretending for the last four
years to feel happy at Christmastime, now we really are."