  little girl THE LONELY LITTLE GIRL. I IT was Christmas morning. Gracie Bennett had wakened early and scrambled out of bed to take a look about her room to see if Santa Claus had paid her a visit while she slept. Santa Claus had queer ways of doing things in the Bennett household. He left packages scattered about in the most unexpected places. He was always sure to leave one for each member of the family in the dining-room, to be opened at the breakfast table, but the children did not have to wait so long for the beginning of the day's surprises. And Gracie found several of these before she had taken half a dozen steps from her bed. Indeed there was a large box on the foot of the bed. In it she found the hat she had been longing for—just exactly like Maud Spencer's! And there in a smaller box was the necklace—and O, how lovely! The bangle bracelet—mamma did not fancy bangles and Gracie did not expect to get that. But mamma knew that little girls' tastes have to be cultivated considerably before they get beyond bangles, and after talking it "O, how nice! your grate burns lovely." After the new hat, necklace and bangle bracelet had been duly admired, Tom and Gracie, his little cousin, sat down in the great arm chair to enjoy the bright fire and have one of their chats. "Who are you going to make happy to-day?" "Me? How can I make anybody happy?" Tom smiled as he replied, "Do you not know that you make us all happy, just by being here?" "O, I thought you meant something different." "So I did, little one. There are a great many people in this city who have very little to make them happy, and you and I who have so much may make at least one heart joyful on this glad Christmas day, do you not think so?" "If I knew how," said Gracie. "We will try to find a way. I see you are quite dressed up this morning," referring to the dressing-gown. "Do you see my new one?" "Yes; you are the one that is dressed up." "I know a poor invalid to whom I mean to give the old one, and there is a little girl who has not a comfortable dress nor a pair of shoes." "Nor any nice hat and bracelet?" "No, I doubt if she has any hat or even a hood. I saw her out with an old shawl over her head." Just then the second bell rang and Gracie was obliged to go and get ready for breakfast. Other surprises awaited her, but she was unusually thoughtful, and at last Louise said, "Gracie, what makes you so sober? Are you not satisfied?" "O, yes; but I am thinking what I can give to a little girl who has nothing to make her happy to-day." "I don't believe there are any such people," said Louise; "everybody manages to get about so much out of something, I guess. They may not have just what we have, but there's something." "Do you believe that?" asked cousin Tom. "Maybe not exactly, but there's no use in making a child like Gracie miserable over what she can't help," replied Louise, in a low tone. "But she can help a little." "I am going to help," said Gracie earnestly, having caught the drift of Tom's question. "I have made up my mind what I shall send the little girl cousin Tom told me about." "Suppose I should take you to see her?" "I should like that! If mamma will let me go." "I think she will. Auntie, will you let me have Gracie for an hour this morning? I will take good care of her." "O, mamma!" expostulated Louise, "he is going to take her among his poor people! She will be sure to get a fever or something!" "I am going to take you, too," said Tom; "and I am not going to take either of you into any dangerous places." Louise arched her eyebrows as she replied, "Going to take me! We'll see." But she went. She generally did whatever Tom suggested. I am not certain whether it was the package of warm clothing, the basket containing the Christmas dinner, the toys which Gracie had packed, not forgetting a bead necklace, or the presence of the beautiful child and lovely young lady in that home, that brought the most of happiness upon that Christmas day to the sad heart of Karl Ritter and his lonely little girl. But this I do know, that the visitors carried away as much happiness as they brought, for Gracie declared it was the nicest Christmas she had ever spent, and even Louise confessed that there was a new joy in her heart that day, for she had tested the truth, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Faye Huntington. double line decoration |
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