Sarah P. Doughty
The Christmas Tree and Other Christmas Tales
Published by
Books
- Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting -
2021 OK Publishing
EAN 4064066381059
Table of Contents
The Silver Morning and the Golden Day.
Preface.
A merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you, dear children! This little volume comes to you as a holiday gift, and in its pages we have endeavored to show you that true and lasting happiness can be found only in doing good to others. Let the lesson sink deep into your hearts. Even the least among you can do much good. Look around you. Do not wait for some great opportunity to offer, but with willing hearts and busy hands perform the most trifling acts of usefulness to others. Continue to do this throughout the year, and we will promise you that when another New Year dawns upon the earth, you will look back with rejoicing, giving thanks to your Heavenly Father that you have found that true happiness which can never be taken from you.
Playing Santa Claus.
“Wake up, wake up, Emma!” said little Caroline Meredith, as she gently shook her sister very early one winter’s morning; “I have something very pleasant to tell you.”
“What is it, Carrie?” answered the sleepy little girl, as she rubbed her eyes, and tried to comply with her sister’s request to “wake up.”
“Do you remember what day it is, Emma? To-morrow will be Christmas; and this evening will be Christmas Eve.”
“O Carrie, so it will!” exclaimed Emma, now fully awake; “and we shall hang up our stockings; and, oh, what beautiful things Santa Claus will bring us!”
“And what fine times we shall have to-morrow!” continued Caroline. “Aunt Margaret and all our cousins are coming to dine with us.”
“Oh, it will be delightful!” replied Emma. “We can show them our presents, and perhaps they will bring theirs to show to us; and we shall play so happily together!”
“And, you know, I have made a needle-book to give Aunt Margaret; and you have a work-bag for her,” added Caroline. “I am sure she will be pleased.”
“I know she will,” said Emma; “and father and mother will be pleased with the little presents we have got for them. I like to give things away; don’t you, Carrie?”
“Yes, very much,” replied Carrie. “I should like to be Santa Claus.”
“O Carrie! what a funny Santa Claus you would make!” exclaimed Emma; and both of the little girls laughed heartily at the idea.
“How I would come tumbling down the chimney, with my bag full of toys!” continued Caroline. “I would fill your stocking just as full as it could be, Emma.”
Emma laughed again; and then she was silent for a few moments, and looked very thoughtful.
“Do you think Santa Claus fills the poor children’s stockings, Carrie?” she asked.
Carrie looked grave also, as she replied,—
“I don’t know, Emma. I would fill their stockings if I were Santa Claus. But, Emma,” she continued, after a short pause, “you know there is not really any such person as Santa Claus. It is our father and mother, and other kind friends, who fill our stockings.”
“I know that, Carrie; and this makes me afraid that the poor children do not have their stockings filled; because, you know, their friends have no money to spend for toys and pretty presents. Don’t you think it would be a good plan for every rich child to be a Santa Claus to some poor child?”
“O, yes, Emma!” exclaimed Carrie; “I think it would be a beautiful plan. How came you to think of it?”
“I do not know, Carrie; but I suppose the good angels whispered it to me. You know mother says that all our good thoughts are from the angels.”
“Well, that is a good thought, I am sure,” replied Carrie; “and I am very glad that our father is rich, so that we can play Santa Claus. And then it is very pleasant to live in such a handsome house, and have such nice clothes and playthings; don’t you think so, Emma?”
“Yes, I do,” answered Emma; “and I always feel sorry for poor little children, who have none of these good things. You know little Mary and Ellen Drayton? Their mother is very poor.”
“I know she is, Emma; but she always seems cheerful, and the little girls look very happy. How neat and clean they always look!”
“Yes, Carrie: but their clothes are very old and patched; and they have very few books, and no playthings but one rag baby. When mother sent me there, the other day, to ask Mrs. Drayton about doing some work for her, I stopped a few moments to talk to the little girls.”
“Let us be their Santa Claus, if mamma is willing,” said Carrie. “I have got two little gold dollars that I will spend for them.”
“And I have two more,” added Emma. “I meant to have bought a large doll; but I would rather give the money to Mary and Ellen.”
The little girls now hastened to dress themselves, that they might go to their mother, and tell her of their plan, and ask her consent to spend their money in the way that they proposed.
Mrs. Meredith was quite willing, and, indeed, she was much pleased that her little daughters had thought of a way in which they might do good and give pleasure