Happy Days for Boys and Girls Part 15

WE SHOULD HEAR THE ANGELS SINGING.

If we only sought to brighten Every pathway dark with care, If we only tried to lighten All the burdens others bear, We should hear the angels singing All around us, night and day; We should feel that they were winging At our side their upward way!

If we only strove to cherish Every pure and holy thought, Till within our hearts should perish All that is with evil fraught, We should hear the angels singing All around us, night and day; We should feel that they were winging At our side their upward way!

If it were our aim to ponder On the good that we might win, Soon our feet would cease to wander In forbidden paths of sin; We should hear the angels singing All around us, night and day; We should feel that they were winging At our side their upward way!

If we only did our duty, Thinking not what it might cost, Then the earth would wear new beauty Fair as that in Eden lost; We should hear the angels singing All around us, night and day; We should feel that they were winging At our side their upward way!

KATE CAMERON.

MY LITTLE HERO.

"How we wish that we knew a hero!"

Say the children, pressing round; "Will you tell us if such a wonder In London streets can be found?"

I point from my study-window At a lad who is pa.s.sing by: "My darlings, there goes a hero; You will know his oft-heard cry."

"'Tis the chimney-sweep, dear father, In his jacket so worn and old; What can _he_ do that is brave and true, Wandering out in the cold?"

Says Maudie, "I thought that a hero Was a man with a handsome face."

"And I pictured him all in velvet dressed, With a sword," whispered little Grace.

"Mine is only a 'sweeper,' children, His deeds all unnoticed, unknown; Yet I think he is one of the heroes G.o.d sees and will mark for his own.

"Out there he looks eager and cheerful, No matter how poorly he fares; No sign that his young heart is heavy With the weight of unchildish cares.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MY LITTLE HERO.]

"Home means to him but a dingy room, A father he shudders to see; Alas for the worse than neglected sons Who have such a father as he!

"And a mother who lies on a ragged bed, So sick and worn and sad; No friend has she but this one pale boy-- This poor little sweeper-lad,

"So rough to others, and all unskilled, Yet to her most tender and true, Oft waking with patient cheerfulness To soothe her the whole night through.

"He wastes no time on his own scant meals, But goes forth with the morning sun; Never a moment is wasted Till his long day's work is done.

"Then home to the dreary attic Where his mother lies lonely all day, Unheeding the boys who would tempt him To linger with them and play.

"Because she is helpless and lonely, He is doing a hero's part; For loving and self-denying Are the tests of a n.o.ble heart."

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A robin sits on a snowy branch}]

ROBIN REDBREAST.

Robin, Robin Redbreast, O, Robin, dear!

And what will this poor Robin do?

For pinching days are near.

The fireside for the cricket, The wheat-stack for the mouse, When trembling night winds whistle, And moan all round the house.

The frosty way like iron, The branches plumed with snow-- Alas! in winter, dead and dark, Where can poor Robin go?

Robin, Robin Redbreast, O, Robin dear!

And a crumb of bread for Robin, His little heart to cheer.

HOW SWEETIE'S "s.h.i.+P CAME IN."

A CHRISTMAS STORY.

It will be a real honest story--of how Christmas came to a poor cold home, and made it bright, and warm, and glad. A _very_ poor home it was, up three flights of worm-eaten, dirt-stained stairs, in the old gray house that stood far up a narrow, crooked alley, where the sun never shone except just a while in the middle of the day. He tried hard to brighten up the place a little, but the tall houses all about prevented him. Still he slanted a few golden beams even into that wretched home away up under the eaves; for though the few small panes of gla.s.s in the narrow windows had been mostly broken out, and their places filled with boards nailed tight to keep out the wintry winds, and rain, and snow, still there were some left through which a feeble ray did sometimes creep and make glad the hearts of the children. Five fatherless children lived with their mother in that old garret. Night and day the mother sewed, taking scarcely any rest, and yet found it hard to keep all the little toes and knees covered, and could get only the poorest food for the five hungry mouths. The thought that, work never so hard, she could not earn enough to give them one hearty, satisfying meal, made her heart ache.

Three boys and two girls, in one old naked room, with only their mother to care for them, and she so poor, that for years she had not had a new gown, or a new bonnet! Yet she liked pretty new clothes, as well as any one ever did, I know.

Of these five little folks, the oldest was Harry, the newsboy; then came Katie, and Willie, and Fred, and, last of all, wee Jennie.

Though Harry was the oldest, yet _he_ was not very old. Just twelve--a thin, white little fellow, with eyes that always looked as if they wanted more. More what? Well, more suns.h.i.+ne; more warm clothes, and bright, hot fires, and, O, very much more to eat!

Sometimes he would make fifty cents in a day, selling newspapers, and then he would hurry joyfully home, thinking of the hungry little mouths it would help to fill. But some days he would hardly earn ten cents the whole long day. Then he would go slowly and sadly along, wis.h.i.+ng all sorts of things--that he could take home as much meat as he could carry to the little ones who had not eaten meat for so long they had almost forgotten how it tasted; or that the gentlemen, who owned the clothing stores which he was pa.s.sing, would say to him, "Come in, my little fellow, and help yourself to as many warm clothes as you want for yourself and your little brothers at home;" or that he could find a heap of money--and his mouth would water, thinking of the good things which he could buy and take home with some of it.

The other children always knew whether it had been a good or bad day with Harry, by the way he came up the stairs. If he came with a hop, skip, and a jump, they knew it meant a good day; and a good day for Harry was a good evening for them all.

Though Katie was really the name of the second child, she hardly ever was called so; for her mother, and the children, and all the neighbors, called her Sweetie, she was so good and so thoughtful for others, so sweet-tempered and kind. She did everything so gently that none of them could ever love her half as much as she deserved. Though only ten years old, and very small and pale, she did every bit of the housework, and kept the ugly old room and its faded furniture so neat, that it seemed almost home-like and pretty to them all. It was happiness enough for the little ones to get her first kiss when she came back from an errand, to sit by her at table, and, above all, to lie closest to her at night. Willie, and Fred, and Jennie, all slept with her on a straw bed in the corner; and they used to try to stretch her little arms over them all, so that even the one farthest off might feel the tips of her fingers, so dearly did they love her.

They had once owned more than one bedstead, and many other comfortable things besides; but when their father was killed at the great factory where he worked, their mother was obliged to sell almost everything to get enough money to pay for his funeral, and to help support her little family; so that now she had only a narrow wooden settee for her bed, while Harry stretched himself on a couple of chairs, and the rest slept all together in the bed on the floor. Poor as they were, they were not very unhappy. Almost every night, when their mother took the one dim candle all to herself, so that she could see to sew neatly, Sweetie would amuse the other children by telling them beautiful stories about the little flower people, and the good fairies, and about Kriss Kringle--though how she knew about him I can't tell, for he never came down their chimney at Christmas.

"And, when my s.h.i.+p comes in," Sweetie used to say, "I'll have the tallest and handsomest Christmas tree, filled to the top with candies and toys, and lighted all over with different-colored candles, and we'll sing and dance round it. Let's begin now, and get our voices in tune." Then they would all pipe up as loud as they could, and were as happy as if they half believed Sweetie's s.h.i.+p was ready to land.

But there came a hard year for poor needle-women: it was the year I am writing about, and Sweetie's mother found it almost impossible to get even the necessaries of life. Her children's lips were bluer, their faces more pinched, and thin, threadbare clothes more patched than ever. Sweetie used to take the two boys, and hunt in the streets for bits of coal and wood; but often, the very coldest days, they would have no fire. It was very hard to bear, and especially for the poor mother, who still had to toil on, though she was so chilled, and her hands so numbed, she could hardly draw her needle through her work; and for Harry, who trudged through the streets from daylight until the street lamps were lighted.

The day before Christmas came. People were so busy cooking Christmas dainties that they did not stop to sift their cinders very carefully, and Sweetie and the boys had picked up quite a large bag full of half-burnt coal in the alleys, and were carrying it home as carefully as if it were a great treasure--as, indeed, it was to them. Being very tired, they sat down to rest on the curbstone in front of an elegant mansion. One of the long windows was open.

"Let's get close up under the window," said Sweetie. "I guess it's too warm inside, and may be we shall get some of the heat. O! O! don't it smell good?" she cried, as the savory odors of the Christmas cooking stole out upon the air.

"What is it, Sweetie?" whispered Willie.