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Show PSrl by Aunt Bi I DIRECTIONS FOR LETTER WRITING. WRIT-ING. Write, on one side of paper only. Do not have letters too long. Address all letters to "Aunt Euv " Intcrmountain Catholic. AN ANGEL HERE. A ragged urchin played along the street And supped and fell upon the icv way A tair-l.rowed girl tripped by wkn nimble Buyudden stopped beside the boy who Half crying with his pain. In sweetest lono -ne said: And aid you hourt you much?" A groan lS'c"t iPs- An. angel from above Could not have grander seemed than she to him. He opened wide his great brown wistful eyes. Thus to be sure one of the seraphim Had not come down to earth in sweet disguise. Sha Went her aar f-icrviti i,u4. smiled. Glad to have said a word of hope and cheer. Not so the vision to thei humble child inat voice and face would live thro' many a year, And then to boys who gathered round the lad. lie said, with face aglow with svmpathv And heart that 'neath his ragged garb was glad. "I'd fall again to have her speak to me." f-Oh, f-Oh, precious human voice, with power un-j un-j told! Oh. precious human love to mortals given! A word or smile are richer gifts than ?o!d. Better be angels herq than wait for i heaven. i RALPH'S: I wiph that girl had been a bov! I hoped a boy would move next door, i or girls are always prim and neat; 1 know sive'll be a bt.re! She will rot wart to wade or run. She'll never, never, catch a ball, Nor climb a tree, nor 11 v a kite - Girls are r.o fun at ail! WINIFRED'S: Oh. I'm so sorry he's a boy! Uwo girls would havo such splendid times At sewing doll-clothes, playing tea. Or reading tales and ilivrncs; Of course, he'll hit mo with his ball And make a dreadful lot of noise, ' And play at soldiers all day loag Tnere is no fun in boys. A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER. I dare not ask that pain be spared. Nor yet too much of joy.be mine. Nor high estate, upon me wait, Ncr that my lot with splendors shine. I dare not ask some mighty girt-There girt-There are s-o many men to pray-So pray-So many loads for men. to bear. I dare not send my load away-Best away-Best ha my brother find my cross And be compelled to lift its pain, (For ev'ry cross that God sends out Is carried back to Him again.) But. with the New Year at my door, Dstr God, 1 ask in mercy's name, No greater gift than that I bore Shall come to star my heart with flame, No greater woe. no deeper rain. Than that which yesterday did greet No greater length to test my strength. On Calvary's road with bleeding feet. Or if some, newer, redder wound Waiif gaping like the scar of sin Oh. with the New Year at my door, Dear Dord, I beg Theo enter in. Oh. lot mo feel some stroke of love Within the Hand that wields the rod, Some gloam of light acrossi the night To show me it has come from God. And when within that mountain's shade I blindly grope, yet find Thee not, Oh. send some whisper thro' the dark To tell me 1 am not forgot! TRUTHS FOR GIRLS. Never mind about tha dimples, if there's sunshine in your smile. At ldact r.nc littla net of kindness a. day and nn easy pillow at night. Vacation planning ia all right; but don't let the summer dreams interfere with spring school duties. Neatness of dress, first, and style may come as an afterthought. Onw frown a day when she's in her 'teens, will wrinkle a girl's forhead like a crone by the time she is 0. Ogden, Dec. SL 1833. Dear Aunt Busy: The boys in Ogden have been too busy to write to you for a long time. I am going to write you a little note tonight. Aunt Busy, why don't you ever writa a story for boys. All the stories in the paper are for girla We all like you very much and hope to see you seme day. Goodbye, and don't forget to write a boy story soon. Your fond nephew, WILLIAM KIRBY. Butte City,, Dec. 30, 1S99. Dear Aunt Busy: I have never seen a letter from Butte, so I will write you one. I am twelve years old. I go to school. My studies are catechism, Bible history, translation, spelling, geography, and United States history. I like to study my catechism. I am going to make my first Holy Communion in the spring. Next time I will write more to you. Your loving niece, MARY ROCHE. Denver, Dec. 29, 1S9. Dear Aunt Busy: This is my first letter to you. I am eight years old. I go to school every day. I.am in the third room. B class. I like to read the letters In the paper but I like your letters best of all. Dear Aunt Busy, goodbye. Your loving friends, AGNES DONAYON. Salt Lake City, Jan. 1, 1900. Dear Aunt Busy: j We have just, got over the scarlet fever. 1 never had it but my little brother and sister had it. I had it when I was a baby. I got a doll in a pink satin dress with a blue yoke and blue nleeves, and a buggie and two more dolls. Just think, and a book. Did you have a very nice Christmas? I did, but mama said that since I don't believe in a Santa Claus I can't have a very nice Christmas. I hope you will have a very Happy New Year. ORA M'DERMOTT. THE GIFT CF THE KIND HEART. (BY EVERETT M NEIL.) In the long ago there lived in a village vil-lage a little girl by -lie name of Hul-dah. Hul-dah. Her father weo a poor Oiy laborer, la-borer, who had o depend on yesterday's yester-day's work for today's, food. One day the father came home ill. then want come in and sat down by the sick man's bedside. The mother did all she could do to drive Want away; but, if sne forced 'him out at the door, he came in at the window. At last the mother, too, fell ill. and then Despair took his seat by the side cf Want. Want ar.d Deirpair, these were strong foes for a weak girl to fight, but Huil- ! dan had courage and love, powerful weapons, even in a obi Id's hands; and, for a time, site managed to secure food and ether actual necessities for her parents, though she herself often went hungry. But, at length, there came a morning when there was not a mouthful mouth-ful of food in tihe house; and, for the ! fint time. Desnair crp-nt n.e .- r to b'i tle Hul'iih. She thought not of herself, though she had not tasted food for nearly twenty-fo.ur hours; she only thougfat of her s'ick father and mother. She knew that they musit have food sjon or peris'h. It was a cold wintry day, the last of the old year, bv.it Huldah wrapped her mother's tattered tAhawl around her head and shoulders: and, after kissing her father and mother goodby, telling tthem she would bring a bowl of warm broth. with, her, she wenit out to try to e?.rn a few pennies wit'h which to purchase food. The wind blew through the hole in her shawl and thin clothing, cloth-ing, and drove the snow witih hiinding force against her face. All day lonar, throug'Ji the cold and the 'storm, 3he wandered from house to house, grow-inc grow-inc colder aril nwkpp nc the. rtav trrew older; yet finding no work. Night came and compelled her to turn her steps homeward, stiJl empty-handed. empty-handed. She waa so weary from the toils of the day, so weak from, the lack cf food, and numb with the cold, t'hat s'he could hardly place one foot in front of tihe other, ami staggered along through the snow like a drunken j man. j Suddenly, from out the darkness and j snow to the front of her, rushed a giant form, clothed in a great fur coat. J Huldah gave a little frightened cry, jumped to one side, slipped on a Ftone, and fell almost under tihe feet of the j hurrving man. "Heigh-ho! What have we here"? and ! a strong nand quickly caught t'he fallen j girl and set her on her feet. "A mite of a lasiLe; And atonr; in the cold ana the tonn"! The blue eyes looked searching'ly Into Huldah's face, while the great bear-skin gloves on Che hands gently brushed t'he snow off the tattered tat-tered shawl and thin clothes. Evidently the 'an Avas in a great hurry, but he stopped long enoug'h to pull, off one cf the gloves, thrus his hand into his pocket, and1 place a silver sil-ver coin in the girl's hand. Then, with a loud "Goodby, little one," he rus'hed on, and vanished m t'he darkness and falling enow. Huldah etared at the coin in her hand, her pale face flushed she had never accepted charity, and she started start-ed after the vanishing man. But before be-fore she had taken five steps he had gone from her sight. She could not return the money. It was hers. Again her face fiusihed and her eyes sparkled, and eJhe ran as fasit as her weary feet could carry her to a small bak-erv, which was but three rods from her own home. After all, the father and mother would have the warm broth! The baker took the money, looked: at Huldah, and then poured into a large bowl a double portion of broth. He had a Tittle girl of his own. Huldaih gripped the bowl in both hands and hurried away. How delicious delic-ious the brotih smelled! How comfortable comfort-able the warm slides of the bowl felt to her cold hands! She was quite sure the hot broth would make her father and mother' well again. "Oh"! The bowl o? precious broth nearly fell from Huldan's hands in her frig'ht. llight down in front of her a poor man had fallen, headlong, and lay on the ground moaning. He was very old. A few thin locks of white hair hung from under his worn fur cap, and his white, wrinkled face was drawn and cmiver-ing cmiver-ing with. pain. His clothes were old and ragged. He tfiad no sfnoes, but around his feet were tied bags-of sheepskin. sheep-skin. "For t'he love cf heaven, give me food and fire"! called the old man. The cry went straig'ht to HuJdah's heart. She etopped and approached him timidly, until she s-ay the pitiful condition he was in, then her compassion compas-sion drove out all iter fear. He was so weak he could only lift Wis thin wTinkled. hands toward Huldiih and repea't: "Ftor the love cf heaven, give me food and fire"! His pinc'hed face and sunken eyes told her that he was starving. She was wise plough to know-that know-that the ihunxrer and cold would soon kill, unless food and fire drove them awav. She Qradi tha food in her hands, and there was fire in her home. But her fattier and mother! Alas, they, too, were -hungry! Yet the need of the old man was even greater than their need. She hold (hia life in the bowl in her hand, and he s. old and helpless! mere t:e iwio iuiuaM ocd as she knelt by the side of t'he old man and E'ave him the broth. He ate it greedily; ate until every drop was gone. "Now for the fire"! she said, cheerily, and helped him to his feet. The warm broth- had given, him new vigor, yet he leaned so heavily on Huldah Hul-dah that the little etrenjth remaining to her was taxed to its uttermost; but, at last, her hand was on the latch to t'he d'O'or of her hum'ble home, and sSie led him in. - "He was starving, father, and I gave hrm the bowl of broth. He was freezing, freez-ing, mother, and I brought nim to our fire." The sick father and mother smiled. "Thank God for giving our daughter the gift of the kind heart," they said. "Brigliten up the fire, and make comfortable com-fortable the old man. God ' wWl take care of us." Huldah headed wood on the glowing coals, and eoon the fire was blazing merrily. She made the old man as comfortable com-fortable as possible,, and then, going to her mother, she lay down wearily by her side, and, throwing "her arms around her neck, murnoired: "Mother, mother, I am eo tired and hungry"! The md'her kissed her. "Let us pray, my daughter, for the old man, who t'.atn so much more need of the' kind God's succor than -a c." When the prayer was finished, the old man arose slowly to his fee't. Huldah Hul-dah watched him with wondering eyes. His form. eweJled into t'he fuilnem of health. He shook the rags from off him, and stood in tho bright fire-light a towering giant in a great fur coat. Hul-Oah Hul-Oah at once reeorrnizel t'ne man sie had met in the storm, and who had given .ht'r the silver coin. The blue eyes looked into her face; and, as they looked, look-ed, the countenance became radiant, the great fur ctat changed into a robe cf the purest whitened, and a light filled the room of to d.izzllng a brignt-n3 brignt-n3 iihat all were ocnjjevlcd to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes again the glorious form had vanished. Then the parents knew t'hat an angel had visited their humble heme. On the spot where the old man had repceed stood the two bagsi cf sheepskin, sheep-skin, which he had wrapned around his feet. Huldah approached reverently, reverent-ly, and attempted to lift them. The baga broke open, and a stream of gold cdr-s -"ell on the floor. "God is good. Thank God for giving our little daughter the gift of the kind heart," iUftly prayed the awed father and mother. Then Want and Despair went out of the door with the Old 1'tur, and never came back anv more, for Jcy and Peace came in with the New Year. a - |
