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Page Seventeen
^ ^ ^ CHILDREN’S PAGE ^ ^
An English Christmas
When Eva and Wilfred looked out of
the nursery window one morning, they
clapped their hands with joy, for all the
ground was white with snow.
They had never seen snow before in
sll their lives, for they had been born
in Africa. Lately they had' come to live
with their grandfather, in England, and
when the weather began to grow cold
they had asked every day if Jack Frost
and Tommy Snow would come soon.
“Tommy Snow has come at last,”
said their aunt. “After breakfast we
will wrap ourselves up and go out and
make his acquaintance. And then we
will decorate the rooms with holly, for
you know tomorrow is Christmas Day.
“Oh, that will be fun!” cried Wilfred.
“Do you remember last Christmas?”
said Eva.
“Papa and mamma made a Christmas
tree, to make it like an English Christ-
nias. And we had turkey and plum-
pudding, too.”
Yes; and how surprised all the black
people were; they had never seen a
Christmas tree before, and they wondered
what sort of a tree it could be that had
flames growing on it instead of flowers.”
“And everyone got a present off it,”
said Eva; “the little black children and
all. I wonder what they would think
if they could see this jolly white snow,’’
cried Wilfred. “Please, Auntie; do let
us go out at once.”
So auntie took the two children out
to see what the snow was like. Their
grandfather’s was a great house, with
high walls all around it. Outside the
walls there was a large park, full of
beautiful trees, and a river ran through
it, and wild deer lived beneath the
trees.
The trees were all covered with fresh
white snow, which sparkled in the sun
shine, and the ground was spread with
the soft wihlte catpet. The children
I'an about and enjoyed their walk very
much.
“Oh, look. Auntie; there is a deer,”
cried Wilfred. The pretty creature
turned its head at the sound of Wilfred’s
voice.
“Hush,” said auntie in a whisper,
“they are very timid; let us stand still,
and see what it will do.” So they stood
still and watched the deer. It ran down
to the river’s brink, but the water was
frozen hard. The deer put out a foot
and stamped upon the ice, made a hole,
and drank some water, and then started
to run away.
Then auntie called gently, and held
out a piece of bread she had brought
for that purpose. The deer knew her
voice, and came timidly up and took
the bread from her hand. Then It,
scampered off in a great hurry, because
it was half afraid of Eva and Wilfred,
as they were strangers.
“The deer will soon learn to know you,
too, if you bring thera' something to
eat, and don’t run after them and fright
en them,” said auntie.
As they were returning from their
walk, they saw some of the game
keepers. One was carrying some dead
hares strung on a pole, and one was
leading a horse with a large dead stag
on its back.
“Your uncle and his friends have been
out shooting,” said auntie. “We shall
be having some venison for dinner
soon. We shall not starve even though
we are snowed up.
“When I grow big, will Uncle let me
have a gun and go out and shoot, too?'
asked Wilfred.
“I should not like to shoot the poor
animals,” said Eva. “I would rather
run about and play with them.”
When they reached the house, Wil
fred got some crumbs to feed the poor
little birds, who were so hungry they
came flying to the window when they
saw the food.
Then Wilfred went outside again, and
got some of the men to tie a sheaf of
corn to the top of a long pole stuck in
the ground, and that made a fine feast
for the poor hungry birds.
“I am afraid we shall not be able to
walk to church today,” said auntie, on
Christmas morning, “the snow is so
very deep. ^Ve must have the sledge
out.”
“Oh, that will be fun,” cried the chil
dren; “we have never been in a sledge.”
So the sledge was brought around to
the door, and they were all well wrapped
up in furs, and set off, the little bells on
the horses making pleasant music as
they glided along. The snow had drifted
into heaps benekh the great bare trees
in the park, and the roofs of the houses
in the village were covered with it.
Everything was still and white. If Wil
fred and Eva had never seen snow De-
fore, they were to see plenty of it now.
On the way home from church they
left their auntie’s Christmas presents
at the houses of all the poor people in
the village; and very glad the poor old
women were of the warm blankets and
petticoats, and the little children of the
toys and plum-puddings.
Just outside the park gates they
passed by some large sheds, where the
poor sheep were huddling together to
keep each other warm.
The sky was growing very dark, and
large white flakes of snow were begin
ning to fall. The sheep seemed to know
that more snow was coming, for they
were making a great baa-baa-ing.
A little farther on they met the shep
herd carrying a sheep in his arms.
Auntie stopped the sledge, and asked
the shepherd if the sheep was ill.
“It’s nearly frozen to death, Miss,”
said the shepherd; “the silly creature
ran away from the others, and I found it
an hour ago all by itself on the roadside;
it had lost its way, the silly thing, and
if I had not happened to come by it
would have been dead by now.
“And do you think you will save it?”
“Yes, I hope so. I am going to take
it to the house, and my wife will make
a cup of hot strong tea, and pour it over
its throat. I think that will bring it
around.”
The children laughed at the Idea or
giving sheep tea to drink, but their auntie
told them that they often gave animals
hot tea for medicine when they were ill.
The snow was coming down very thick
and fast before they reached home, and
they were glad enough to warm them
selves by the great Christmas fire, and
to enjoy the turkey and plum-pudding
for dinner.
The Evils of Gossip
This talent runs mostly in the feminine
sex. It is caused by jealousy or nothing
to do to occupy their restless minds.
It has caused many a woman’s hair to
be sore at the roots, also the loss of
thousands of hairpins. Take my advice
WOMEN, and cut out this useless luxury.
—Clarence Hadley