Christmas Windows
The Christmas windows are lovely and bright,
All filled with wonderful toys,
Meant for the pleasure and sole delight
Of nice little girls and boys.
"If you were rich, now what would you do?"
Says Joan to her sister small.
"I'd buy every toy and I'd give them to you
And then I could play with them all."
A Christmas Memory
I think that Dick must have had a wise fairy god-
mother, who gave him one of her very best gifts.
This gift was a good memory for nice things.
Dick was nearly always happy, because he could always
remember something nice that had happened to him.
When some children would be quarrelsome and naughty,
because they had nothing to do, Dick would be quite
happy thinking over some jolly day he had had.
For some time after Dick had measles, he was not allowed
to go out to play with his friends, and now and then
he got tired of playing with his toys. Then he would just
sit down and rest, and think about every jolly Christmas
that he could remember.
Friendship
Santa Claus came here last night,
Came softly without knocking;
He brought a Doll for little May,
And pinned it to her Stocking.
Little May bounced out of Bed;
Clasped gaily her new Dolly;
And as she kissed and called it Sweet,
Forgot her old Dolls wholly.
Sally Rag, her old plain friend,
No more gifts or graces;
All day she praised Aminta's charms,
And hugged Aminta's laces.
Little May now lies in Bed;
But e'er she sought Dream Valley,
She flung Aminta on the Floor_
And went to sleep with Sally!
A Christmas Story
Hush! Hurrah!" said the Green Goblin, and he stole Marjorie's doll.
"Ha, ha!" gurgled the Silver Fairy and he stole the holly.
"Woof!" whispered Greylegs, and he pulled Pussy's tail.
For Marjorie was too busy reading, just as you are, and
Billy and Tots were listening very hard.
But, if you think you may keep the doll, Green Goblin,
you're mistaken.
And you mayn't keep the holly, Master Silver Fairy.
And you'd better stop pulling Pussy's tail, Greylegs.
For everybody simply must be good at Christmas-time.
How the Cat kept Christmas
(FROM The New Year's Bargain BY SUSAN COOLIDGE)
Off they went, the magic stillness of the night broken only by
the tinkling bells. First one chimney, then another; bag after
bag full of toys and sweets; here a doll, there a diamond ring,
here only a pair of warm stockings. Everybody had something,
except in a few houses over whose roofs St Nicholas paused
a moment with a look half sad, half angry, and left nothing.
People lived there who knew him little, and loved him less.
Through the air_more towns_more villages. Now the sea
was below them, the cold, moon-lit sea. Then again land came
in sight_towers and steeples, halls and hamlets; and the work
began again. A wild longing, seized the Cat. She begged the
Saint to take her down one specially wide chimney on his
shoulder. He did so. The nursery within looked strange and
foreign; but the little sleeping face in bed was like Gretchen's and
pussy felt at home. A whole bag full of presents was left here ...
And then, hey! presto! they were off again to countless homes,
to roofs so poor and low that only a Saint would have thought
of visiting them, to stately palaces, to cellars and toll-gates and
lonely attics; at last to a church,dim, and fragrant with ivy-leaves
and twisted evergreen, where their errand was to feed a robin
who had found shelter, and was sleeping on the topmost bough.
How his beads of eyes sparkled as the Saint awoke him! and how
eagerly he pecked the store of good red berries which were his
Christmas present, though he had hung up no stocking and
evidently expected nothing.
Off they went, the magic stillness of the night broken only by
the tinkling bells. First one chimney, then another; bag after
bag full of toys and sweets; here a doll, there a diamond ring,
here only a pair of warm stockings. Everybody had something,
except in a few houses over whose roofs St Nicholas paused
a moment with a look half sad, half angry, and left nothing.
People lived there who knew him little, and loved him less.
Through the air_more towns_more villages. Now the sea
was below them, the cold, moon-lit sea. Then again land came
in sight_towers and steeples, halls and hamlets; and the work
began again. A wild longing, seized the Cat. She begged the
Saint to take her down one specially wide chimney on his
shoulder. He did so. The nursery within looked strange and
foreign; but the little sleeping face in bed was like Gretchen's and
pussy felt at home. A whole bag full of presents was left here ...
And then, hey! presto! they were off again to countless homes,
to roofs so poor and low that only a Saint would have thought
of visiting them, to stately palaces, to cellars and toll-gates and
lonely attics; at last to a church,dim, and fragrant with ivy-leaves
and twisted evergreen, where their errand was to feed a robin
who had found shelter, and was sleeping on the topmost bough.
How his beads of eyes sparkled as the Saint awoke him! and how
eagerly he pecked the store of good red berries which were his
Christmas present, though he had hung up no stocking and
evidently expected nothing.