Show MB IM BROWNS BRONS CHRISTUS CHRI I 1 r t 2 ARTHO I 1 how many days to christmas papa enquired an earnest little voice as a pair of soft loft hands hand pressed fondly against the cheeks cheek of mr brown just ten days 9 answered mr brown but not in tones of equal iti interest terest I 1 ten aten dayel oh that is such auch along a long time I 1 wish w ish it was tomorrow to morrow 1 you do yes cesi indeed papa ten days dayd mote more than a week iw it at ayes three days more then than a week well I 1 with wih it was to morrow why so soon noon pettar petty lont you khow and the child smiled archly in her faer fathers face how should I 1 know vaid said mr brown dont know why I 1 with wish to morrow was I 1 christmas tinaa I 1 guess guas mother knows known dont you mother 1 1 mrs mra brown smiled lovingly loving lv upon her ber little one the yo youn unrest geat and degre of her flock just then this two older into the room fontan Oon tan wish tomorrow to morrow was wag christmas fanny and dont you too to johnp enquired the child 1 dont 1 I maggy answered anwer ed john a merry smile mile playing over his countenance tee indeed but it int tomorrow to morrow and wishing won t do any I 1 goad I 1 I 1 d alls it only ten days off said laid fanny quealy qu etly A little more than a w beit christmas will be here I 1 and tan then said aid john glancing towards hn his father I 1 and and then chimed in fanny a but from some cau 44 the subject was not agreeable to mr brown s g was evident in the I 1 gravity of his manner this the children nh ildren were quick to see and it cooled their enthus iasin silence follo followed gred in a little while maggy slipped down from her ber fathers knee and ana drew drew quietly ui to box he mot mothers herd side from whence she loo luid at her hei father with fitful glances half timidly and this reference to 40 christmas was pot agreeable to or brown and the children perceived it I 1 the evening passed without further remark on the corn com ing festive season reason yet not thoughts of it in evtif every mind in fact little eliae was thought ot either by mr and mrs brown bravn or the c children hildi lep after the latt r had retired tor for the amr ir brown brawn said im ilin really troubled I 1 about this thip matter ot Christ masi presents mary it does seem su such eh a waste of money last year it cost me jopp ess than ilion fifty doll dollars irs anil and what km good 1 c came avico of it or all I 1 I 1 1 iao looked i eam earnestly estly at her husband huc band sighed efti I 1 made no answer her heart was with wither heu little listle ones and the thought of their being disappointed disappoint edin in their childish hopes threw a cloud over her spirits 1 lambot lam am not rich rioh continued mr brown but I 1 even ial if J wetie were I 1 feet feel right about the matter if I 1 spent fifty d dollars jo uselessly uselessly said paid mrs brown biown in p a tone of f inquiry I 1 that implied i a doubt its 8 to the fat cairnes fair PIP nes s of f her husbands conclusion what good ome of 4 our waste 4 of I 1 money in christinas presents last year we made the children happy for on one thing ething I 1 replied mrs brown and howll own there was good in that pi money ney spent in procuring happiness for arty any one ne can hard hardly ly be i called money I 1 wasted I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 present pleasure is sometimes bought atthe at the price of 4 future m happiness priness said mr brown at true o his bis wife but how the remark M aa applies ere re I 1 do not so plainly perceive 2 1 VU V oa ceo ai gioi UK chilgren have hansot set sot their hearts on a repetition of the flame me extravagance this year now W it does doe i not seem to me righetto right to spend money in this the way jf 1 do not of course they willbe will be disappointed and r unhappy y flothe bo the I 1 I 1 pleasure conferred c 0 last 1 ye arwill be the cause ot of pain now I 1 mrs brown was silent not net that she felt the force farce of er husband said her heart as we have bea 4 remarked was with her little ones ani and the thought I 1 ot of their disappointment troubled her spirits and all the I 1 more because she he saw hat mr brown was realty in earnest 11 1 I made up my last lart year said laid mr brown ahat I 1 would oever never waste asmuth as much money foolishly again fifty dollars dollar in china dolls jumping jacks augar toys aud and such like tom fooleries was a wicked waste and so much real raal want and suffering buffering all around us it kept me awake a good many a py hours houra thinking about it and I 1 dont believe the children were any hap pier in theand the end i they had too many incongruous things I 1 will admit answered stirs mrs brown too much to divide the attention and dissipate the interest that ought to have been I 1 pleasantly concentrated but you must remember I 1 husband that yon went vent to an auction w and rid bought twenty five dollars dolla worth of assorted Christ christmas nas goods at a single purchase 1 enough to have set sel u up a small toy shop I 1 mr brown shrugged his shoulders saying ying yes that tha was a foolish blunder I 1 saw it clearly enough but then a perception of the folly came I 1 too late the and ruin that followed ma demsick made me abick ji K has had one good effect however hower I 1 that of opening my eyes to the foolishness offis system ent of christmas waste and exi extravagance we must t make the children comprehend it i I 1 want you mary to talk to thew seriously on the subject not find the task a difficult one hear to reason I 1 am sure but mrs alto brown understood the children I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 much better than that talk to them about the folly of making makin christmas presents she might almost as wel well have talked to a hungry man about the waste and extravagance of eating so she shook her head and replied it wont do edward it must do mary was the decisive answer and mr Brow brown tn got upend up and w walked a aked the floor buttoning as he did so his bia coat up to the very chin an involuntary act that expressed i the firmness of his purpose my mind is fully made up iu in fact has been made up on this subject ever since kince a clear perception came of last beir s folly rh therell erell be no fifty dollars wast wasted d at chr christmas of this you may rest assured I 1 cant afford it and if 1 I could a sense R e of right would not permit the extravagance mr brown continued to talk majk on in the hope of convincing his wife inducing her to act freely with him in the matter but mrs brown said little in reply that little satisfied her husband that her operation cooperation co was not to be counted upon next morning at breakfast the children in whose minds vague questionings and suspicions had been aroused examined curiously the rather grave faces of their parents but there was no light there I 1 how many days to christmas now papa said little pet maggy breaking in upon the brooding silence that hung heavily over the family circle I 1 A 4 mr brown looked at the child but made no answer just nine days answered fanny in a half whisper bending towards maggy yet keeping tier her eyes fixed upon the countenance of her fc vf anine awne days repeated the child nine days in id such a long time I 1 wish christmas was tomorrow 3 I 1 mr brown said nothing and mrs brown kept silence how busy was thought in the minds of both sweats the mutter matter edward are well this morning said paid mrs brown as her husband arose from the table after taking but a single cup ot coffea im very well replied mr brown w with 0 affected cheerfulness but I 1 much appetite and I 1 am in a hurry harry to jet get to the store this morning and left the room abruptly mrs brown sighed as the door closed upon her derius hus band an animated talk among the children about the coming christmas followed in which the mother saw how largely their expectations were excited in ft fat 4 the evil of an unwise expenditure donihe on the previous christmas was now manifesting tini festing itself in vague and extravagant an mr brown s wholesale purchase of a large lot biot of assorted toys most of them unsuited nn suited to the estex taste and wants of chis children was now bearing fruit according to the seed we lots iota of things said john with grent great animation yes yep indeed answered fanny there was a whole wheelbarrow load 1 I guess father will have a wagon t bring the toys home this year said john I 1 id heme a gold watch and chain than all the toys father cr uld buy 1 remarked fanny and band so ti would I 1 skid said john A gold watch and a gun gen just tell father about this wont mother I 1 you I 1 4 how wildly you talk se marked mrs brown who felt the necessity of cor correcting reeling these liberal ideas and gathering the oe wishes of her children ino 0 som something ehing like irk reasonable limies your father is nt nat rich he cannot cannot ahfoo to buy yott yoa gold watches even if he thou thought g lit such things suitable su table for children I 1 of your age which I 1 know he bi toes does not I 1 I 1 I 1 91 1 I wish he be would bay ati v me a pony said john hit hi mind ne not t really penetrated bahe by ahe main argument of his mother how much would a pony cost not inore more than a wheelbarrow wheel load of I 1 I 1 toy oy would it mother mohor barror 1 zu you expect even a wheelbarrow load of toys this year replied mrs brown aw what are va to have then enquired the children in tones of disappointment p ment the loveon love of your parents who will seek to bless you with nil all blessings in their power howerto tu to bestow answered mrs mr brown as bap placed art an arm around anch of her children and drew them gently to her side there yvan wa a penetrating tenderness berness in her low tones that went instantly to the hearts of john a and nd fanny fanity Christ christmas mat presents continued mrs mra brown aw are meant to express to you the goob goo wisher ar or affection of those thomake who make them thern they are vot bot tobe to he so BO much regarded for their dalpes or at even useful usefulness neso to as forshe evidences they brine of love in the I 1 gi giver ter think of this my chit chi I 1 dren and then whatever er jou you receive ive will be e highly prized even though in itself it be the merest trifle your father loves you all dearly barly and late he is engaged in business and aru aw his children I 1 receive from his toil and care cam 1 a thousand blis blessings sins for you ou he provides thia this V pleasant bant home homeland and crowns our jar table with plenty he e huys you carai clothing hie he sends you to q OUT IU ir bt schools I 1 ot of all the good he be is daily efly doing doieg to ls hips children words would fail me to flot odail chit children dreo havo hava so 0 o kind enli so co excellent 1 I 1 a lether lather oh I 1 love him very said tanny fanny 0 aab she clung tightly to her mothers arm a rm and I 1 loye lobe him m said john I 1 band and dont ilove love him best of all broke in dear little pet maggy 1 I love mother wo and as the sweet child thus spoke she turned her hei lips ap pp upward ward for a kiss kies yes you all love father very much and you yoli ought to 0 o love him for he be is oue one of tho the beat of fathers 0 saix said ma mra brown Brow fi 4 11 wonder what he will buy us remarked john a little litile while philp afterwards as his mind came back from corn thoughts thought of his f father ather s love for him to something ng of the old 04 interest in their anticipated Chris christmas christan s but ere P mrs brown frame an answer a lady friend who had juat called entered the room where they abey were kere still aitta silting nit at the break fa baat able she waft an 1 ultimate ariena and neighbor ind and came in thus early without ceremony and with only a brief apology gy for the intrusion ive run in ih a moment said d she he speaking earnestly to tell you about poor mr elkhart over the way iye ive felVa felt eck ick ever junce ce aheard 1 heard of it what of him aim brown you yiu heard of it well he had a dreadful fall yesterday through the hatchway hatch way in the store where he works he came down three stories and is saly sadly hurt one I 1 leg and one arm ire are broken and they say he has bad internal injuries poor man I 1 what will his family do oh that is vad gad Ans answered vered mrs brcan he has bag so many little ones dependent dependant on him what will they do ive just come coine from there a id the neigh neighbor boi ah it is a sight eight to make the heart ache mrs mra elkhart s baby is only two old and she is still too feeble to in be aboud k has bag thrown her back very much five little children chil deh the father disabled for months e and the moth mothr r yet sick with a yung young baby oh mrs brown there is in hart h art trouble we who have so me many ny comforts around 7 can but dimly realise the suffering of that poor wife and mother 3 1 let us not be to her as the priest and the levite but as the good samaritan said mrs B own I 1 I 1 spoken like a L woman and a christian responded r the neighbor yes let us act the part of the good god samaritan while the lady ladon verned with their mother the children listened with deep interest soon after she went away john and fanny started for school it at mr and mrs brown talked much abolia poor mr elkhart and his bis family and suggested various means of relief they were will willing dig they said to do all tor for them in t their heir power bu feared that a n adequate sup port for several months could not be relied up in three thre e or four days went by without anything more being said by the children in reference to christmas their rather extravagant expects tion shad been lowered by the manner of their I 1 father when subject was previously mentioned as well as by the conversation held with their mother even little maggy perceived that christmas presents was not an agreeable agre eabe theme and she too kept silence before her father i 0 only n ay it a few intervened ned between the I 1 present 1 1 and the long looked for and pleasantly anticipated festive holiday it was evening I 1 the tea ea things had bad been removed and braad mrs brown with their three children set act before I 1 the red glowing grate feeling very comfortable and talking tog together etier very pleasantly all at once little maggy who was on her fathers knee and had one arm around his neck said half hail timidly and with warm blushes mantling her cheeks as if she he r knew the subject would not be altogether agreeable I 1 wont you give roe me il a dollar papal papa for my christmas gift aa A dollar childe mr brown looked grave and spoke poke quite seriously yes ayes papa a little ronld gold bollar I 1 wont ask for any tiling thing else and you buy roe me any thing I 1 I 1 maggas sweet little face was wa now almost crimson for ibe felt that her request was not pleasant to her father 6 what do you jou want with a dollar maggy dear mr brown was recovering himself himsel f and his voice was now tender and encouraging ai 1 I want to give it to poor mrs elkhart to buy clothes for dorher her little baby dear child ni brown in a low unsteady voice as he hugged maggy to his heart thy the request so unexpected touched him deeply give me one wont you still urged the child in her earnest little tonea yes dear you shall have two gold collars for so rood good a purpose answered mr brown cods toy loving ing angels have inspired the generous wish im anglad bivy sn glad your suii sucha hit good father said the child as 9 she e flun her lier tiny arms about her fathers neck and clasped ched him eagerly just lipat the christmas gifts that fanny famy and 1 I want said raid john now pressing up to his fath fathers side we talked about it all the way from school this afternoon I 1 you did I 1 io 0 yes answered fanny as she stood beside her brother I 1 we dont want any thing for our pelves I 1 it is more blessed |