Show columbian THE TWO CHRISTMAS GIFTS A STORY FOR CHILDREN CHILD ren nEN we therefore commit her body to the deep looking for the general resurrection in the last day when the earth and the sea shall give up their dead and the manly voice ot of captain bell quivered with emotion as the dark waters va t ers closed over the form of christine malcolma Malcol mp young widow who with her only dui d a little girl of six was returning from a lengthened leneth ned residence in calcutta to her brothers home boe in in new york distress of mind occasioned by the loss of her husband acting upon an enfeebled constitution brou brought r lit on one cf of the severe fevers of the country and in i her anxiety to reach her home mrs malcolm milcolm embarked upon her voyage in a state requiring the most tender nur nursing sing sinz the consequences have been shown and a day or two preceding the commencement of our story mrs M had called he the captain to her side and placing in his big hands her papers and other valuables directed him film to find the uncle of her little girland besought him as only a t dying anz mother could to guard ger eer her child and in his is heart the captain vowed to keep the trust but god had not so ordained it was as late in the afternoon of the same dav when all on board were startled by the cry to I 1 the pump pemp all hands to the pump we have sprung a leak long and gallantly did they toil but without success the water still gained upon pon u them we ivye must go down was heard from the captain and then from many a heart went up the cry lord save us we perish in the midst of the confusion little alice malcome ran upon deck finding her native nurse completely stupefied fied with wilh fear she had left her to find her friend tom a sailor between w whom hom and the child a warm friendship lad had iad sprung 11 up to him the heaven directed little one had bad fled just jut as the order to man mail the lifeboat life boat had been given save the child tom cried the captain aye aye sir air wab was the hearty response but you voul 1 I shall stay 0 to o trie last and A alid nd iid stay lie he dui dul until the vessel wilh wil wll its rich freight of souls stink in in the he bottom of lle ile lie ho atlantic N ht wag was drw drawing n on and out upon the sia sea with no covering save chesky sat the ler ier alice but a st it ai ro was thrown around her ber and a kind heat beat heat t was planning ine inZ bow how to make her comfort comfortable able abie tily i bf b I 1 lle lie night which was inesita by bv to be passed upon the heoc pan ean the kind souls in the boat had lev devoed oed their i ibets v bets to he the little 0 phana bed and covering ald aid tom forcing a sma ira ie le sald oid ina N w little one cne you must st lie ile down and sleep I 1 ailer alit ever used to prompt obedience comoli ej fi st s wt mg may I 1 not siv sav my prayers dear marnma mamma tila shil I 1 inuit ner per r fo get them 2 A nod was the doiy oly olit lv reply toms fati full heart hearte could ouid mak and arid kne I 1 j by his side with little clasped nind she said now I 1 lay me down to sleep I 1 pray the lord my soul to keep if I 1 should die before I 1 wake inake I 1 pray the lord my soul to take ta 1 ke 1 As her sweet vo ro ce rose above the foaming billows instinctively each sailor hat was in his hig hi hand and many an eye moistened as that childish prayer recalled homes wives and little ones they feared never to meet again but we ae must roust leave them firm thus kind reader to make some les leg about mrs malcolms malcomes Mal mai coms brother shadows from the be fitful dle die light danced on mr air ballans Hal lans parlor wall wali but they were not phantoms rhan rhad toms grim and tall tail 7 but like the graceful gib fig fiddes of three well weli form i hos bos who were cipri eung fung in about in that plem plew uj amp ame s ate of excitement excite mett incident to young folks on en eve lamma mamma dont dout you wish it was mornings morn morning inge I 1 said Ch charlie charilet ariley arliet the youngest and consequently the pet of the faim fairall liy lly yi climbing the back of bis big mothers chair and putting patting his arms around hr her neck neek dom dont you wih it was wag mn i and nd tha thin thea a we s e should know all about our pie pies esp eso ej ew r no darling 1 replied mr II 11 allan illan farlly caressing her sout necklace 11 1 I am quite quile willing to wait for the morrow and verv very much enjoy sitting here and dreaming of all the love lose tokens I 1 am to receive from my boys well wil here i is is our grive papa jut jut like vo v 0 i mamonas mamonal mamma looking steadily into the e with as i sober a countenance as if christmas came twice a week and as if he care much about it I 1 even then I 1 dont believe I 1 shall take these things so quietly even when I 1 am the father of a family SOS so saying 1 i n master elward edward the his big col coi collar ay iy r and stroked his clin with a vain attempt at manly airs my sons 1 and said aid mr hallan if you will be quite still for a few minutes I 1 will tell you a story and then perhaps 3 you you ou will sympathise a little with papa if his countenance be graver than yours on a christmas eve it will be thirty years tomorrow to morrow since since good old nurse benson stood by my bedside and awakened me with her tier cheerful voice saving saying 46 why master edward not up jett and such a nice christmas gift in store for vou yoo where where what is if it said 1 I rubbing my eves eyes 1 and rising up in bed no now iv folly tally awake to the fact fa ct tha that t it was christmas chrisom Rs morning and that I 1 had overslept over slept myself what is it nurse please tell mey me why the thing of all others you most wish for in the world dress quickly and find out she replied as she closed the door you may be sure I 1 needed no second admonition to dress quickly my thoughts flew as rapidly aa as my fingers finders what could it be what I 1 most wished for I 1 ran over the catalogue of my wants and desires they were so numerous I 1 could not tell which had the he ascendancy at last a happy thought darted into my mind cit lit it was a K pony my father had promised one but not until my ray birthday which would be in in the spring however I 1 fel felt sure it was a pony and rn rushing sin down stairs into the hall encountered my father 1 0 papa I 1 amso am so glad where is he where is i I 1 he h e he replied papa spinning me round and evidently as much elated as myself shelf shelt she it you please 1 4 oh ho ty ohp this is ou is is a abood joke who told you yo 11 it t war was a pony 2 why nurse said it was what I 1 wanted most in the world and I 1 thought of course it was a pony I 1 A most logical conclusion my ray son bu but bui t come inep mothers room and see if another want of your life cannot be gratified so saying we ive softly entered the bedroom there lay my dear mother looking ill but with her own dear smile upon ler ber her lips I 1 rushed up and kissing her rather ruther too loo impressively for foran an inva invalid lil ili exclaimed exclaimed dear mother dont let them tease me any aig more do tell me what is my christma christmas g gift A sweet sister my son look in nurses arms 41 1 I turned and as the soft goft bl blanket anicet was laid aside and a little pink face disclosed I 1 knelt beside it ani ana burst into tears A sister idd the in tensest longing on 11 ing of my boyish soul was gratified in all my airy castles inina in my dreams by lay day or ni night a soft blue eyed sister was ever my companion I 1 had had two little brothers who died at their birth and as an only child had the he fondest love of both parents lavished upon ae me still my heart yearned for a playmate and true to our dwir manly instincts it was for one that I 1 might love anil and cherish true I 1 was now too young to 0 o have this little darling for a playfellow play fellow but she could be my pet pelf my own sweet sister and so big boy that I 1 was I 1 cried for joy at twilight I 1 wag waa again admitted into that dear room and my cup of joy filled to ove flowing by bei bel being 1 permitted to sit by the fire and hold bold the tb e baby in my arms I 1 now george 3 said my mother tell me roe something about church how did he the garlands look beautifully ilear mother and the tile whole service was so pleasant when the minister and the people for all sick persons and young chichen chi chil dien khen how bow it thrilled mv my heart I 1 felt that they had bad all asked goj god to take care of you and our baby and then when mr mortimer spoke of the angels heralding the birth of the infant savior I 1 wondered if god had not given my little sister a guardian cardian ian lan angel at her birth I 1 know you will say it was not right to let my thoughts wander orf off just today to day I 1 conid could not help it and now dear mother I 1 I 1 said 11 1 I want you to let me name this baby christine I 1 have been thinking about it all day cc Why W by myson my son idon idor I 1 dont dort t think it a very pretty name 1 11 1 I do and I 1 want it so because she wag was bom on christmas if it she had bad beer been a boy I 1 should havo have asked it christian so please call her christine 6 if your father has no objection ob i artion answered mother ama if may y be so and with a good night nihl kiss we parted 11 11 1 I pass over the period of our childhood but will perhaps tell you some other time many little incidents of my sweet christides Chri stines early history which show the beauty beatify and holiness ol 01 her young m life tha the dew of gods goas grce gr ce seemed ever to fall upon her head from the hour in which she girst first received it in the holy baptismal waters in my christides Chri stines nineteen nineteenth ll surn mer mpr I 1 stood beade hr her at the th alar r of our church an f t elt eit the same good a inister who received her as an I 1 unconscious babe now joined her tier hand with that lof jot william Malc male malcalm tIm in that holiest hollest of oil all earthly t PS es which tinie noi nol abit blit god should sever seier yuu yun w 11 ask bow how I 1 boum bear to pant part arh bly fly treasured sister sitar you will find the answer in that easy chair bog bos boy and mr nalan halan glanced arloss the hearth at bis his is smiling wife A gentle dark e ed girl had promised to be even more jhan ihan sister and our parents on that thai summer morning p g ilij 1111 lin A d an air t cr alli ani ddll ciji ii litter cr which however to wever alev did not net long iona i ve to PI ei iv iov after tafter your aunt llad lind been be en mi jirred about foin four years y cans cars air malcolms briness required hi his ence in in calcut calcutta ta the parting pai pal ting was a tri tn albut we were cheered by the tle hope that in a few years til ill they e y would return and end their davs days with us and now you know all the rest the birth fil fhi of v ai aunts ittle itile girl the tiie recent death M ic lini in that forein corpin for ein eln pin land and that dreadful ship shil sili sill wiek cicil when my christine and her babe sunk to rest in the bosom of the atlantic do you wonder my sons that I 1 do not nail hail the morrow aunts birthday with joy however I 1 dono f wish to cloud cload your anicita tion lion of a merry so let us thank god for his unnumbered urlau mercies merces ai ald aid d then good night Chris chrls christmas ferlas fIring morning dawned in unusual splendor the frost king had breathed brea hed over evely tree and shrub and the earth had a robe of wl white ite quite suitable for festive occasions mr italians family were very early astir the younger ones to examine their gifts gift ard the elder ones to prepare for church whither hey tiey ley soon wended wandw their way on ou their return edward begged an and received permission to go go home by the ian lan lane iane e as he had a new book and some trifling presents which be he had purchased for a poor lame boy who lived there and in whom he took a strong in merest lerest dinder dinner Iii lil iner ider had been announced some time before edward ret retained arned lie he came at last his big face flushed with excitement and bursting burstin g aiato iato the room exclaimed an adventure an adventure behold in me a knight khight errant and now I 1 want some turkey for I 1 am half starved 5 so saying he seated himself at the table and plied his knife and fork vigorously as if be he were in reality battling with a fallen foe and now said mrs hallan lau iau laughingly bingly that your unsentimental appetite is somewhat abated let us know in what fair ladys behalf you have have been doing service well then seriously awill I 1 will eil eli ell fell you all about it I 1 was just coming from james me coys house choly who by the tile way was delighted with his presents when aloud a loud la laugh langh tigh ligh attracted my attention and looking toward theand of the lane I 1 saw two or three rud boys with a pile of snowballs before them evidently watching for some one to pass at the he same moment they exclaimed there she i Is now for and in an instant a shower of balls fell upon the cloak and bonnet of a little girl about six years old who was tripping by bv with a basket on her arm the snow was soft and I 1 dont think hurt her but she was terribly frightened and dropping her basket began to cry pit of course I 1 was by her side direct directly iv and soothed her as well weil as I 1 could A few shai shap sharp words soon sent the boys about their bu biKin inese pSt who 0 jo o do them justice looked quite ashamed and protested they want to huit her bio bat only to have some som fun 1 I 1 learnt from the little iri lri irl that she lived with nurse brown who had trusted her out alone to take a jelly to a neighbors sick baby she also told me that her tier father and mother were both dead and that her name was acce 1 she is so lovely mother that hat I 1 took her home and asked mrs brown to bring her to you this afternoon dinner had been over some time and edward was becoming impatient at the nonappearance non appearance of his when wilen the door opened and a servant led in the little girl she was wag wit houta bonnet and her long bown brown b own ringlets fell over a dark stuff dress dross which only enhanced the beauty of her fair TZ young inz ing face edward sprang to meet her mid and fed her to his mother another who kissed and took her upon her knee sayi you are a sweet little girl wont you tell me your jamr nam alice malcolm madam dadam was the he reply A strange coincidence surely said sald mr malcolm and land she is so like my own christine at her age 1 christine cli ristine repeated the child musingly that hat was my poor mammas mammals name my child my child exclaimed mr hallan italian now really agitated where is your mother way down in the deep sea said alice but nurse says her spirit has gone home to heaven with dear pap mrs hallan partaking of her husbands agitation said edward bedward call in mrs brown directly we must know more of this the good woman soon entered the ilia room and 9 put 1 thern them in possession pios pins session of all the facts within her wl edgein regard regald to her little charge as related to her by y her son tom with whom we have had a prep previous ious lous acquaintance she told them of the death ef mrs airs malcolm of the disastrous shipwreck and of the escape of a part of the crew who were vere providentially picked up hy by a passing vessel and how tom being unable to learn leani the name of the childs uncle from herself she rhe always calling him uncle george had brought lle ile the lie little darling home to his mother while habad he had haa returned 0 to o new york to azain again an aln ain enter upon his calling as a sailor every doubt was dissipated ted if indeed any remained when mrs mr brown uncia unclasped ped a locket suspended around |