“Hush, Ellen! you grieve poor mother.”
“No, dear, she does not grieve me,” replied Mrs. Drayton, making an
effort to speak calmly and cheerfully. “You may hang up your stockings,
my children; but you must remember that mother has no ‘pretty things’ to
put in them. The weather is now becoming very cold, and you are in need
of many articles of clothing, which I am working hard to try to procure
for you. I shall take these overalls home this evening; and, if I get
the money which I have earned by making them, I will try to put
something useful into each stocking: but you must not expect to find
toys or candies.”
Mary’s countenance brightened as she exclaimed, “O mother! I shall like
a new apron better than a toy; for I have worn mine so long, and it
looks so very shabby.”
But little Ellen looked sorrowful as she said, “I wish you could buy
just one stick of candy, mother,—only one; half for Mary, and half for
me.”
“Well, dear, I will try to do so, as it is for Christmas,” answered Mrs.
Drayton; and, at this reply, Ellen’s face was also bright with smiles.
Evening soon came: and, as their mother was obliged to leave them alone
while she carried home the work which she had finished, the little girls
concluded to hang up their stockings, and go to bed early, so that they
need not feel lonely while she was gone. They were soon fast asleep, and
dreaming of the new aprons and the stick of candy which they were to
receive the next morning.
When Mrs. Drayton promised her children these things, she did not feel
the least doubt that she should be able to keep her promise; for the man
for whom she had been working always paid her very punctually, and on
this night he would owe her nearly two dollars. Of this sum, a large
portion must be spent for food and fuel; but there would be enough left
to buy an apron for each of the little girls, and the stick of candy
which Ellen so much desired.
“Poor children! it is not often that I can spend even one penny for
them, except to purchase what is really necessary,” thought Mrs.
Drayton, as she entered the shop where she was to leave the work. To her
great disappointment, there was no one there but a young lad, who told
her that his employer had gone away for the evening.
“You can leave the work,” he added, “and call again any day after
Christmas. Mr. Williams will settle with you.”
Mrs. Drayton’s heart was very sad as she silently placed her bundle upon
the counter and left the shop. She had but six cents in the world; and
this must be spent for a loaf of bread, or her little ones would suffer
for food on Christmas Day, when they expected to be so happy.
Her eyes filled with tears as she passed the groups of merry children,
and heard them talking so eagerly of the expected pleasures of the next
day, and thought of the empty stockings which her own darlings would
find when they awoke in the morning. But she was a good woman; and she
tried hard to put away these sad feelings, and to believe that the Lord
would do what was best for her and for her children.
“I cannot buy the aprons,” she said: “but I will take a loaf of bread
which was baked yesterday,—that will cost but five cents; and, with the
penny which remains, I will buy the stick of candy. That will comfort
them a little.”
She went into the baker’s shop for the loaf; and the woman in
attendance, who had often seen her before with her two little girls,
handed her two cakes, saying kindly,—
“Your children will like a cake for Christmas.”
Mrs. Drayton thanked her, and walked homeward with a lighter step; for
this would be such a treat to the little ones, that they would almost
forget the promised aprons.
The last penny was spent for the candy; and she gently opened her own
door, and entered noiselessly, lest she should disturb the sleeping
children.
“It will be but a poor Christmas,” she said, as she opened a small
cupboard, and, placing the bread in its accustomed place, looked around
upon the scanty portion of food which it contained; “but we shall not
really suffer from cold or hunger, and this should make us very
thankful.”
As she said this, she heard a low knock at the door; and, hastening to
open it, she was surprised to find Caroline and Emma Meredith,
accompanied by John bearing two large baskets.
“Have Mary and Ellen gone to bed?” inquired Carrie, eagerly.
“Yes, they are both asleep, miss; but I can awaken them, if you wish.”
“Oh, no!” was the reply; “we wanted them to be asleep, and so we waited
as long as we could. We are playing Santa Claus; and we have brought
some things for you and the girls.”
“And we want you to put some in their stockings,” continued Emma. “Did
they hang them up?”
“They did, indeed, my dear young lady; but I little thought that they
would be filled. I spent my last penny for one stick of candy to divide
between them.”
“Oh! there is plenty of candy, and toys also, in the baskets,” replied
Emma. “Fill the stockings full; and tell Mary and Ellen that Santa Claus
sent them.”
Mrs. Drayton’s heart was almost too full to speak as they wished her
good-night; and she could not help weeping with joy as she unpacked the
baskets, and saw all the good and useful things which they contained.
The stockings were soon loaded with toys and books, and papers of cakes
and candies; the cupboard was well filled with articles of food; while
the new clothes were spread upon a chair, where the children could see
them when they awoke.
You may be sure it was a merry Christmas morning both at Mrs. Meredith’s
and Mrs. Drayton’s.
Carrie and Emma were full of joy, not only from receiving a variety of
beautiful presents, but from the thought of the pleasure which Mary and
Ellen would feel when they found their stockings so well filled. And
breakfast had not long been over, when the two little girls came hand in
hand, with sparkling eyes and hearts full of gratitude, to thank the
young ladies for their kindness.
“Oh, we never saw so many pretty things!” exclaimed Ellen. “Mary and I
are so glad, and we thank you so much! Mamma cried when she saw us jump
and laugh so much when we awoke this morning; but she said she cried
because she was glad too, and not because she was sorry.”
“Yes, she was _very, very_ glad,” said Mary. “We needed all the things
very much; and poor mamma had no money.”
Mrs. Meredith and Carrie and Emma felt very happy as they listened to
these expressions of the children’s gratitude and joy; and, when Mr.
Meredith heard the story, he said he would send a load of wood and coal
to Mrs. Drayton, that he might have his share in “playing Santa Claus.”