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Grandma's Christmas Gifts
Grandma Burns sat knitting busily in the sun one bright morning
the week before Christmas. The snow lay deep, and the hard crust
glistened like silver. All at once she heard little sighs of
grief outside her door. When she opened it there sat Peter and
Jimmy Rice, two very poor little boys, with their faces in their
hands; and they were crying.
"My patience!" cried grandma. "What
can be the matter with two bright little boys this sunny morning?"
"We don't have no good times," sighed
little Peter.
"We can't slide. We haven't any sleds," whimpered
Jimmy.
"Why, of course boys can't have a good time without sleds," said
grandma, cheerily. "Let us look about and see if we can't
find something." And grandma's cap-border bobbed behind
barrels and boxes in the shed and all among the cobwebs in the
garret; but nothing could be found suitable.
 "Hum! I do believe this would do for little Pete;" and
the dear old lady drew a large, pressed-tin pan off the top shelf
in the pantry. A long, smooth butter-tray was found for Jimmy.
Grandma shook her cap-border with laughter to see them skim over
the hard crust in their queer sleds. And the boys shouted
and swung their hands as they flew past the window.
"I do expect they'll wear 'em about through," murmured
grandma; "but boys must slide,—that's certain."
And the pan was scoured as bright as a new silver dollar and
the red paint was all gone off the wooden tray when Peter and
Jimmy brought their sleds back.
Grandma knitted faster than ever all that day, and her face
was bright with smiles. She was planning something. She went
to see Job Easter that night. He promised to make two small sleds
for the pair of socks she was knitting.
 When the sleds were finished she dyed them red and drew a yellow
horse upon each one. Grandma called them horses, but no one would
have suspected it. Then the night before Christmas she drew on
her great socks over her shoes to keep her from slipping, put
on her hood and cloak, and dragged the little sleds over to Peter
and Timmy's house.
She hitched them to the door-latch, and went home laughing all
the way. |
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