The Story Of The Tree

Oíd and browr, stripped of its fo' a;e, liere and there a bit of t-triug or scrap 'of tarnished tinsel, ts liuibs grotesquely ornamented with ill-shaped masses oí colored wax and thrown upon waste beape together wlth coal nshes and discardcd tin cans, what could have been mare unsightly than tliis old Christmus Tree. But, for the good I know it must have done, I stald my steps, meditatlog on what its story niight be, irhen there came a rustling imot its dry branclies, and a voiee seemed to come in answer to my thoughts. And these were the words: My home was away out youder where the white fields meet the inountain s. I can't teil how many years my brothers and I spent playing with tlie Storm King and whistling In glee at his tiercest hlasts. But there carne a time In our lives wiieu all was changed. An iiiiknown eneiny captured us and we were transportad to the pavement of a busy stirring city. From the groups of cbatterlug cbildren about us we learned our mission. The spirit of the crowd seemed imparted to us and we were happy. But witli the gladness came pride, and with pride dissension. Our merits were discussed so of ten In our hearing th:it wc took up tlie subject, and at times the debate becanie so auiinated that our limbs nislied with au ger. "lam finer than yon!" "My lltnbs are f ulier!" "My farm is more perfect !' were heard so often that I wonder any of us were chosen to bear the glfta i hal should eonvey peaee and good will. Finally one of our members, wiser than the otliers, proposed that the matter should come to an end. None of ua could judge correctly of our own merits. The only way was foreach to perfurm the duties that the strong power should lay upon us, and then after the work was completed, the fe8tivities ended, we should meet 10gether, and each telling bis own story, the good accomplished should be the crlterton of merit. So our contcntions ceased. I had no pride. My frolics wlth the wind when I was to; young to know uiy strength, an ugly chip from a boy's knife, and the persistent crowding of au imperious tree, combined to stunt my growth, and so marred my beauty that I wondered myself at being bröught witli my companions. Turned over and puthed from side to iide as my brothers were selecteJ and carried away, Jeered at and laughed over for my deformity, I of all seemed the only one who wonld have no story to teil. At last I was left all ulone. While tvishing miic.h that t might be otherwise, a little carrier boy with newspapers beneath his arm came barrying along hls delivery route. I caught his eye, and slackening his pace he looked at me so longingly that liad I Uut possessed the power I should have stretchcd forth my limbs. Then I heard him fay : "Oh! If only 1 could! But we're so poor !" Then, with a suddenly chanped volee, be added: "I will," and turned his steps and entered the store before which I was statloned. He was gone but a moment. He returned In company with a brisk little man who was rubbing his hands good naturedly and saying: "Well, if I were to sell it, lt would be a great deal more than you can pay, but you see I don't intend to. I mean to gve it to you. And see liere, my boy," and his face just glowed when ho said this, "is it a little sister that is to be made bappy wlth that unsightly thing? Well, come in some time when you are at leisure. I see yon are a man of business and we will talk the thing over, and maybe lind something abont the store to make your tree less ugly." The boy said "thank you," but his voice was so queer that I looked up and fouud teaT'í in lus frank eyes. "Tut! tut! my man,"' said the jollygrocer, "that will never do. Bhoulderjour tree and march off." "I mHSt carry my papers firsl." "All right. No danger o) any one stealing it, and I'H be sure and nut sell it!" And so it eame about that I feil into the hands of Titn Morrison, was carried home and stored in an unoccupied room of the teiK'tnent house that sheltered the boy, his widowed mother and littlu invalid sister. After Nellie was asleep, Tim and hls mother brought in the light and looked at me. ' JHLow uenutiiul' saicl tlie motlier, "and how good of you to thiiik of itl It makes me as happy as t will Nellie when Cliristmas eve comes and sho linda what a brother's kindness has brought her. "Tliat is ari ugly twist in ilic tree there. Mr. Delano said that was the reason no one woiild buy it. Bilt do you know I thought, in a minute, that wn would bare it down in Auntie Burkc's room, and that we would put tliis bare side close to the wall.and that crook would just litaround the bend in her cliimucy I" And so my mission bad roally commenced, and I began to tliink thatmy illy shapen form was worth endurin;, even though it had been given me only to flt around a chimney. Such talks as mother and son liad over me in that deserted room! Such planning to make much out of little, and little from nothing! It really made my heart ache, and I longed to be sometliing more than a tree, something liuuian, that I might aid these loving workers. Somctimes my branches would stir with emotion. Hut they never mistrusted it. 'J'lic mother's eyes grew brljrhter as wrapped in a shawl, she satbeside me scwing alter little NeHie had tallen asleep. lier face would sometimes weara younger look, as though she were living over again her girlhood's days. And once when she had Ünished a cloth doll nnd dreesed it in gome ;ai lacnts she had made, she smiled and I heard her singing softly nomo oíd fauhioned air. "Won't Nellie be happy, mother?" Tlm kept saying as he worked away at a eradle he was ibaplog tor the wonderful doll. "Indeed she will and so will you and I!" It would be mpossible for me to teil you tbe gladness that came to these people from the verlest trido. Auntie Burke tered into the schcme as heartily as did Tim and li b motber; and, tliough poor herself, she brightened her room toinake ready tor the coming festival, and gave of her 8inall store most wlllingly. "Bless the chlld, little sufferer tlint she is! It would be a pity if a great strong woinau like me couldn'tdo a bit to make her CbrlttrüM glad!" Slie it was who hunted up the pretty print for the doll'a Uress. An unuaed curtain of hers made thn neat clothing for the bed Tiin whittled out, and her self-denial furnished cof u enough to decórate rny branches. Mr. Dülano was not forgetful of his promise to the boy, and the result was a puper of candy, mits and fancy crackers, atewwax candles and a toy or two that in Tim's eyes were beautiful beyond expression. Then, as though to add to their enjoy inent, Tim carne boundlng home one night witli the wonderful news that his weekly wages had been raised twentyflve cents, and, it being Christmas time, he had been paid for the week justended. "Oli, miimuia, may I spend justthis? You know we have got along and we can ju-t a thtle loiifrer." Tlie words "Yes, my boy," were hardly spoken, when the lad seized bis cap and rushcd off to a "five cent store," wliere he was soon btisily eugaged looking over the hollday goodsdisplayed upon its couut' rs. St much money must be used judlciouily, atld a f uil hour passed before he returned and placed in his mother's lap a top dishpan, abox of cooking utensils, a slale, a bright apron and a child'sgobk't. There were tears in the mother's yw that niglit as she stowed away these tieasures in the room where I was watchIngand listening, and as she bent over her lioy and klMed hini, I heard her say : '"Yon are fretting so like pupa, Tim!" And he threw both arras about her and replied : " 1 am going to be jnst like hini one of these days, little mother, and then youshan't woik or kuow anything about care and trouble ! " The afternoon of the day before Christiikis loiuul ill the preparatious complete. The principal work was accomphshed the evenlUK before o as not to arouse Xellie's cnrtogity, but Tlm had so many alterationa to make that he kept busy long alter the otheis declared the work complete. Time slipped on until Tira's step at the door Informod me that the surprise was soon to be. Lamps were lighted, niy covrring was removed, and fnll In the light 1 stood, reudy to fulfill my mission of gladness. Tlm, witli glowing f:icp, carne íirst, hearing a little rocking chair, and justbeiñiid, I1Í8 mntber witli ¦ mite f a girl In lier niiií. UnloKling tlio ihtwl that was wrapped ubout her they placed the child in lier cliair before me, and then, turning ¦p Ihe lights that all my gifts might be seen at once, mother, brolher and friend stepped back and listened for the first words the child sliould utter. I, alona, conld sec lier face as she raised her eyes and looked at me. Surprise, gladness, love, all mingled, transformcd the child's couutenance into tlmt of an angel. Not a word did she utter for a moment. Closing her eyes, tears rolled dowu her cheeka. Tüe first emotion liavins ppent itself, the eliild was lieiself again, and exclaimed: "Whata dear, good Santa Claus, and how I love him !" Tim washer reaily assistant, and, kneeling beside her chair, he displayed the merit8 of each gilt as bis mother took il trom the tree. "Seel Real candy, Nelhe! Isn't it nice? Kat il I" "Not a bit, Tim, till you take sorae. Even candy wouldu't be sweet if you and mamma didn't share lt with me. Oh, what a lovely Christmas ! I never was so happy !" I never found a trace of our oíd companions, and so could not compare experiences; but Uon't yon think my story must have been the best? And would you mind being ualy and ill-shapen and despised, if thereby you were the humble insirument in the hands of a Higher Power for brighteninir clouded lives? And as I turned froin the old tree a new ligia broke in upon myown beart, and I saw that the joy of Cliristmas was in f iving rather thau iu receiving.