The First Church’s Christmas Barrel
“‘HE THAT HATH PITY UPON THE POOR LENDETH UNTO THE LORD.’”
The First Church’s Christmas Barrel
BY
CAROLINE ABBOT STANLEY
Author of “A Modern Madonna,”
“Order No. 11,” etc.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
GAYLE PORTER HOSKINS
NEW YORK
THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1910,
By CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
Copyright, 1912,
By THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY.
Published September, 1912.
[Page 5]
Illustrations
| “‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord’” | Frontispiece |
| Opp. Page | |
| “‘Dead, John?—or only half?’” | 10 |
| “An old white Leghorn covered with faded flowers” | 28 |
The First Church’s Christmas Barrel
[Page 9]
The First Church’s Christmas Barrel
I
Those who like a “whiteChristmas” should see one outon the Western plains, whereold Mother Earth lies down for herwinter sleep under a coverlet so whitethat from horizon to horizon there ishardly enough gray to outline her form.The winds play tricks with her in scandalousstyle out there, making roundnesswhere no roundness is and doingtheir best to lay bare her very bones.“These winds don’t care a cuss ferclothes,” said Job Tolaver, the stage[Page 10]driver, once; and John Haloran on hishard missionary rides had thought ofit a thousand times since. He wassaying it to himself numbly now aswith stiffening fingers and head loweredagainst the gale he drove alongthe faint track of a road.
His wife threw open the door as hedrove up, and a stream of light fellathwart the wagon. There was a barrelin the back.
“Dead, John?—or only half?” Hereager eyes