20 



CHRISTMAS NUMBER AND ALMANAC 



the exceeding odtlness of this little child ; how he perplexed 

 them, and yet bound all their hearts to his in the strongest 

 chords of love by his winning endearing -n-ays. 



When I heai-d my old friend's voice, and saw Charlie's 

 glad look, a mingled feeling of pity and joy came over me, 

 for I knew that the parents and grandparents, though loving 

 each other tenderly, were separated far apart, in that John 

 Ingram and his wife were not Christians. They were not 

 what is called great sinners ; they were honest,'sober, and 

 industrious, but for all that there was a something that made 

 you, when in their company, feel that there was no hidden 

 joy about their daily life ; no laying up of the beautiful trea- 

 sure, over which muth, and rust, and thieves have no power. 

 They toiled from week's end to week's end ; the children 

 were kept clean and tidy ; they were caressed when good and 

 beaten when naughty, and that was all their life ; and it was 

 in this home that little Charlie had lived and thouglit. 



I had heard some little word of a Sunday school, where the 

 young teacher, to interest her class, had talked to them about 

 flowers, and old Mrs. Ingram had told me how strangely her 

 grandchild was " taken up" with them ; and amongst many 

 other singular notions, how he used to fancy he was a flower 

 himself, so that oftentimes slie was led to' believe that the 

 little ladilie was not right in his head. 



All these things made me feel a deep interest in the child: 

 so, closing the iron gate, I told him I would go with him to 

 his grandmother. 



Before he left he turned once more to the grave, and 

 pointing to the lily -in-cath he asked, " Was she a lily ? " 

 My eyes filled with tears as I replied, " Yes, can you read 

 the writing, Chaidie ; it says, ' Blessed are the pure in heart, 

 for they shall see God.' " 



" I am glad," said the child ; " when my crown is big 

 enough I am to see God too." 



There was never any lack of talk between Mrs. Ingram 

 and myself, and Charlie walked quietly by our side, holding 

 his grandmother's hand, and every now and then looking 

 dee]) into the lily bell, with which he appeared to be on terms 

 of whispering intimacy. 



I did not like to talk of himself before the child ; besides, 

 there were graver matters to be discussed, not only the falling 

 off of the ribbon trade, but also the consequent depression of 

 all other trades, old Mr. Ingram finding no sale for his coal, 

 he being what in Warwickshire phrase is called a coal higgler. 



There was little work for the loom, and still less pay, and 

 my heart felt faint when listening to the forebodings of the 

 faithful gentle spirit that was opening out to me its inner 

 workings. 



" Of course you know. Miss Mary, we have savings — some- 

 thing put by in the old stocking you te.ase me about — bless 

 your dear heart ; but we have helped John a good deal with 

 his house, and the children must be fed and clothed decently; 

 and Charlie he's a getting a big boy, and his clothes can't be 

 made out of nothing now, and he has a good appetite ; for he 

 grows well, and I would not grudge the child his v-ictuals." 



" Granny," said the s.ame dreamlike voice that had at first 

 so stnick mc, " when I am ready, I am to go and live with 

 God." 



Mrs. Ingram put her hand softly on the lad's head, and, 

 looking at me, said, " There, I told yon, miss, he ain't like 

 other children ;" and added, in a whisper, " Poor boy; he 

 isn't right, I'm feared." 



So we passed into the dear whitewashed cottage, and I 

 began to laugh and play with Charlie, finding out very soon 

 that in his love of fun he'nas like other children ; while every 

 now and then there was a word showing me what strange 

 thoughts were at work within the little brain. 



Then the mother came out to welcome me, and I bad to 

 go all over the new house, upstairs and down, to admire all 

 "John's capital contrivances," for he w.as a tidy man, and 

 " uncommonly useful about a house ;" and then I had to 

 admu-e the garden, which was pai'ted off from that of the old 

 people by some wooden rails. After duly looking at every- 

 thing, Sarah gathered a few pinks, and offered them to me, 

 when Charlie, who had kept close to my side, gave a little 

 shudder, and said, "No, no; don't touch them; they swear." 

 "Swear?" I asked, forgetting for a moment the child's 

 peculiar notions. " What do you mean ? " " Hush," he 

 replied, in a whisger ; " they.hear father." 



I saw the mother colour, and John turn away shyly, but 

 they did not look angry, only ashamed. " Poor little fellow," 

 said the mother, colouring yet more deeply, "he is not right." 



Chap. II. 



" Oh, poverty is a weary tiling, 



'Tis full of prief and jiaiTi ; 

 It boweth down the heart of man. 



As wilh an iron chain : 

 And niaketh e'en the little child 



With heavy sighs complain."— Anon. 



And the summer days went speeding onwards, and with 

 them passed aw.ay all hope of a revival taking place in the 

 trade. Scheme after scheme was tried to force back the tide 

 that had flowed down other channels. Ladies turned them- 

 selves into ribbon dealers, and the masters grumbled ; then 

 they bought of the masters, and the shopkeepers grumbled ; 

 then they took to wearing ribbons in all sorts of fantastic and 

 impossible ways, using up hundreds of yards in making a 

 dress, and the milliners grinned and the masters grinned, for 

 they knew full well that the light graceful fabric was per- 

 fectly innocent of an English loom. And then the ladies all 

 at once turned political economists, and foimd out that there 

 were more things in bu\-ing and selling than their philosophy 

 dreamed of; so they took to collecting funds, and gathered 

 together food, and clothes, and coals from every quarter, 

 giving them away from a large empty house, called by t"he 

 poor people " Joseph's barn." 



At first only the idle or least modest came, but day by day 

 the number increased, and many a well-remembered friend 

 appeared, with shame-faced looks and voice broken by sobs, 

 telling the same sad, pitiful tale of misery and want. And 

 then came nearly the sorest trial of all : " Joseph's bam " 

 was, as it were, helping to ruin the small traders ; all the 

 shops were empty save, indeed, the pawnbrokers' ; one by one 

 the old cherished bits of furniture were missed from their 

 familiar places ; the family Bibles followed, the wedding- 

 rings, and then— staiwation. 



Oh, reader ! have you ever seen a once-well-to-do, happy 

 home reduced to the very verge of starvation ? have you ever 

 seen a strong man, too proud to beg, so weak for want of 

 food, that the unbidden tears will come, in spite of every 

 effort to restrain them ? have you heard the low wail of 

 children crying for bread when there is none to give ? — these 

 sights and sounds were now of hourly recurrence in the once 

 prosperous town of Milton, and we had to deal with them as 

 best we could. 



The little district school went on, and amongst its most 

 regular attendants was little Charlie Ingram. 



Three times a week the chikken had a poor dinner given 

 them — all who realh' needed it : not veiy nice — alas ! even 

 that pleasure was debarred those who strove to minister to 

 this pressing need. The food, even for little children, could 

 not be made enticing, lest those who were not really hungry 

 should take it. 



And little Charlie ? Poor child, he was not right, you 

 know; and often in a quiet comer, I found him sharing his 

 poor dinner — sometimes only a bit of bread and treacle — 

 with a child more hungry than himself One day I found 

 him sitting empty-handed, watching the child of parents, I ^ 

 knew to be nearly starving, devour his little store. 



" My child," I said, " you have kept none for yourself?" 



The large grey eyes fixed themselves on mine, he crept 

 close to me, as was hus wont, and taking my hand, whispered : 



" Hush ! I want to be like a rose. I am so tired of waiting 

 for my crown, and I like roses best. Do you think the angels 

 are weaving it now. Miss Maiy ?" 



I answered him as I knew he best liked to be answered : 

 and taking him on my knee, I told him, " surely yes, that 

 the dear Lord of the angels had laid up a beautiful crown 

 for every one — even the smallest child — who loved Him and 

 tried to follow in His blessed footsteps." 



"I do love Him," said the boy, earnestly; "He is like a 

 lily ami a rose, and all the beautiful flowers put together ; 

 and when I whisper to them, they tell me about Him, and 

 all his love ; and granny loves Him, and you love Him, and 

 — what will your crown be made of. Miss ?" And then he 

 drew closer, and whispered even more softly : " And do you 

 know, mother says that she will try and have a crown, too, 



^ 



