Christian life -- Fiction; England -- Fiction; Interpersonal relations -- Fiction; Uncles -- Fiction
"But, uncle, I've been thinking so much about this one. Ford says she
had run away from the stable. I expect she was going to be a prodigal
kitten, perhaps, and now she'll never run away any more. It's so sad
about her, and I think why it is sad is because nobody cares, not even
nurse. She said she would rather it had been the kitten than me. Poor
little kitty, her mother will be missing her so to-night! Do you think,
uncle, the wind or Goliath killed her? I think it was Goliath. I just
looked out of my window on the stairs before I came down. The wind has
stopped now, and the trees seemed to be crying and sobbing together. I'm
sure they were sorry for kitty. I think they were tired out themselves,
too, they have been so knocked about to-day. I wish so much I had been
just in time to save the dear little kitten."
"We will not talk about her any more," said Sir Edward cheerfully. "Have
you seen Tom Maxwell lately?"
Milly's little tongue was only too ready to talk of him.
"He helped nurse and me to get some holly in the wood yesterday. I have
nice talks with him often. He says he is very happy, and this will be
the best Christmas he has spent in his life. Uncle, I want to ask you
something. I've been thinking of it a great deal to-day, only since I
was knocked down this afternoon I've had such a pain in my head I left
off thinking. But I've just remembered it now. You see it is really
Jesus Christ's birthday to-morrow, and I was thinking I've been getting
presents for every one in the house but Him. Nurse has been helping me
with some of them. I've made nurse a kettleholder, and cook a
needlebook, and I've bought a penknife for Ford, and a thimble for
Sarah, and some handkerchiefs for Maxwell and Mrs. Maxwell, and some
woolen gloves for Tommy. And I've nothing--no nothing for Him. If I only
knew something He would like."
She paused, and a soft wistfulness came into her eyes.
"I was thinking," she went on, "that perhaps I could put my present for
Him outside the nursery window on the ledge. And then when we are all in
bed, and it is very quiet, I expect He might send an angel down to
bring it up to Him. I think He might do that, because He knows how much
I want to give Him something. But then I don't know what to give Him.
Could you tell me, uncle?"
"I think," said Sir Edward, gravely, "the only way you can give Him
a Christmas present is to give something to the poor. He would rather
have that. I will give you this to put in the plate to-morrow in
church."
And Sir Edward put his hand in his pocket, and rolled a coin across the
table to his little niece.
But Milly was not satisfied.
"This is your present," she said, doubtfully. "What will you give Him
this Christmas besides? Is money the only thing you can give Him,
uncle?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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