Happy Hearts Read online

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  Maple Grove Stories

  For

  Little Readers.

  HAPPY HEARTS

  BY JUNE ISLE.

  CINCINNATI: PUBLISHED BY POE & HITCHCOCK.

  R. P. THOMPSON, PRINTER.

  Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864.

  BY POE & HITCHCOCK,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Ohio.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER. PAGE.

  I. WHOM HAVE WE ALWAYS 9

  II. FRITZ DEAD, YET LIVES 29

  III. HOW? ANSWERED 41

  IV. WHAT THE STARS SAW 47

  HAPPY HEARTS.

  CHAPTER I.

  WHOM HAVE WE ALWAYS.

  Mr. and Mrs. Payson had three little children, who were very dear tothem, and whom they amused and instructed in many pleasant ways.

  One Spring, just as the leaves were bursting open and the birds werefilling the air with gay songs, Mr. Payson told the children he hadbought a home for them in the country.

  This pleased the little ones, and they talked from morning till nightabout what they would do in their new home.

  In the pretty country they watched the birds building their nests, andsaw them feeding their young and teaching them to fly; and then they sawthem in great cawing, twittering, fluttering swarms moving off to warmerlands when the yellow Autumn leaves began to fall.

  But when the Winter winds sung through the old pine trees, the childrenbegan to talk about Christmas.

  "I wonder if Santa Claus will come away out here, with his great pack oftoys," said Rebecca one day. "I am afraid he will forget us, he has somany children to remember."

  "He may perhaps forget us," said Joshua; "for cousin Nelly says that he,one time, forgot to put any thing in her stocking, although she hung itwhere he could find it."

  "But," said Rebecca, "Nelly said it was a very stormy night, and theylived on a hill, and the wind blew so hard they were afraid it wouldblow the house down. And I think Santa Claus was afraid the wind wouldupset his pack of toys if he went up on aunt Judd's roof."

  "I think," said Joshua, "we had better send Santa Claus a letter,telling him that we have moved from town out into this pretty pinegrove, then he will know where to find us."

  "That will be a good way," said Rebecca; "for I remember when Mrs.White, who lives in our house in town, was here last week, she toldmamma that many persons had called there since we left, and asked forMr. Payson. Now, if the people do not know that we have moved away,Santa Claus may not; so he may go there and slide down the chimney, and,without asking any thing about it, put all the nice things, which he hasin his pack for us, in Tommy and Jenny White's stockings."

  "I will write to Santa Claus," said Joshua, "as soon as I can findtime."

  Joshua said this in rather of a large way, for he wished to talk like aman of business.

  "I will run and get your slate now," said Rebecca; and she soon camewith the slate and pencil.

  They all sat down and Joshua took the pencil to write; but he found hecould not do much, as his mamma was not there to spell the words forhim.

  "Let us ask papa to send word to Santa Claus," said Rebecca.

  "And let us ask Mrs. White," said Newton, "to watch, and, when SantaClaus comes to her house, tell him where we live."

  "But Mrs. White might watch all night, and then not see him," saidRebecca; "for I think Santa Claus never makes any noise till he is justgoing out of sight; then his eight tiny reindeers jingle their bells asthey scamper away with the sleigh full of toys."

  Mrs. Payson came into the nursery, and the children told her what theyhad been saying.

  "Santa Claus shall be told where to find you," said Mrs. Payson, "andyou will have a happy Christmas if you are happy in your own hearts. Youshall have a Christmas tree, and we will invite some friends to come andenjoy its fruits with us. But I wish you to remember, my darlings, ifyou have naughty thoughts you can not have a happy Christmas."

  "But if some naughty thoughts come, what can we do?" asked Rebecca.

  "Try to think about something good and pleasant," said Mrs. Payson, "andask God to help you. Yesterday, when I heard Joshua telling Newton, inan angry way, that he hoped Santa Claus would not bring him any thing, Ithought my dear boy's thinker was wrong."

  "I know, mamma," said Joshua, "that I wish to be good. But, if God letsme be naughty, what good does it do to ask him to help me?"

  "God will help you if you ask him in the right way, and if you watchyourselves," said Mrs. Payson. "If we wished to be happy ourselves wemust do something to make others so; and even little children can domuch good if they try."

  "When we are trying to make others happy," said Joshua, "we shall havegood thoughts."

  "A little verse which you repeat," said Mrs. Payson, "says truly that

  'Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.'

  Now I wish to hear what you, my children, have to do before Christmas."

  "We must get our gifts ready for the tree," said Rebecca.

  "And we must learn our lessons, every day," said Joshua.

  "And I must learn all my letters, so papa will give me a rocking-horse,"said little Newton.

  "That is all right," said Mrs. Payson; "but have you not something moreto do?"

  "O, yes!" said Joshua, "we are to ride to town and invite our visitorsto come and have a nice time with us in the holidays."

  "But, are there not others whom you can help to be happy and good?"asked Mrs. Payson; "those whom we always have with us?"

  "I don't know," said Joshua, "as there are any persons that are alwayswith us. Bridget has been here only a few months, and she says she mustgo away after New-Year; so you do not mean her. And John will leave nextSpring; so you can not mean him."

  "When you were learning your Sunday school lesson a few weeks since,"said Mrs. Payson, "I heard you repeating these words of Christ, 'Yehave the poor with you always; and whensoever ye will ye may do themgood.'"

  "O, yes, mamma, I did not think of that," said Joshua. "But, there areso many poor people, how can we do them good?"

  "We can do our little," said Mrs. Payson, "and if we only make one sadheart glad we have done a good deed, and we shall be better and happierourselves while we are helping others."

  "When Mrs. Blake comes here to see you, mamma," said Rebecca, "she talksabout poor people, and how much she does for them. But Mrs. Blake doesnot seem to be happy; and she says there is no use in helping the poor,for if one begins there is no end."

  "Mrs. Blake," said Mrs. Payson, "has not a pleasant way of talking; butI think she enjoys doing good to others in her own cross way. Yet, if wewould be happy ourselves in making others happy, we must love to do it.If you should give little Harry Grant a pair of mittens because I toldyou to do so, while you were fretting because you wished to keep themyourself, you would be neither better nor happier for doing it; and youwould not speak gently and kindly to the poor little fellow, and so makehis face and your own bright by pleasant words. Mrs. Blake spends muchtime and money in helping poor people; but she forgets that she should

  'Speak gently, kindly to the poor.'"

  "I have some toys, mamma," said Rebecca, "that I can give to
Mrs.Grant's lame Harry; I am sure they will make his little pale facesmile."

  "And I should like to give Willie a pair of shoes," said Joshua; "forhis are very ragged."

  "Shall I give him my sled, mamma?" asked Newton.

  Now Newton thought more of his sled than he did of any other plaything.It was painted green and yellow, and had a bright colored strap which hecalled the reins. The runners were very smooth, and he expected to havea gay time with it all Winter. So, when Newton asked about giving hissled, he knew he was giving what he liked best.

  "No, my darling," said Mrs. Payson; "keep your sled. But, we will seewhat we all can do for Mrs. Grant and her children, by the timeChristmas comes. She is a good woman, and we can do much to make herhappy while her husband is gone to the war.

  "Then there is Mrs. Fisher, who lives near town; can we do something forher?" asked Mrs. Payson.

  "Mr. Fisher gets drunk," said Joshua; "and Mrs. Blake says it does nogood to try to help them, for he sells things that are given to his wifeto buy whisky."

  "But shall we leave poor Mrs. Fisher to suffer?" said Mrs. Payson."Shall we try to do nothing for her and her dear children? They areoften cold for want of clothes and a fire. They are often hungry,because Mr. Fisher gets drunk, and is unkind to them.

  "With so many good things around us, shall we not try to help the littlehungry children who have an unkind father?"

  "O, yes, mamma!" said all the children at once.

  "May I give something to Martha Kelly," asked Rebecca, "who says shenever has any presents?"

  "Poor little Martha is not much older than you are, my daughter," saidMrs. Payson; "yet she is obliged to work quite hard; for her mother issick and her father is poor. But she has a sweet, smiling face, and shelives in a happier home than many children of rich parents."

  "I know, mamma," said Joshua, "Martha always looks pleasant, even in ashabby dress."

  "Mr. Kelly is a very kind and good man," said Mrs. Payson; "and I hope,before another Christmas, he will be able to give his family a betterhome.

  "They look happy because they have good thoughts and try to do theirduty. None can be happy, even in beautiful homes, unless their thoughtsare right.

  "I hope you will select a pleasant book for little Martha, my daughter,and I will send some articles to her mamma."

  "It is now your bedtime, my darlings. To-morrow we will begin to prepareour Christmas gifts for the poor."

  The children kneeled down and thanked God for being so good to them, andasked him to help them to be kind and obedient, and to speak the truth.

  After they had said their prayers, Newton ran to his mamma and kneeleddown again by her side, and said, "Will God please to help the hungrylittle children to smile, for Christ's sake?"