to those who otherwise would have no Christmas
and were without the necessities of life even. The idea seemed to meet
with general approval among teachers and pupils. Friday, the last day
before the Christmas vacation, was appointed to bring in the gifts,
and the amount contributed wholly exceeded our most extravagant hopes.
Shortly after 8 o'clock the school children began to arrive laden with
gifts, consisting of almost every imaginable article that could be
used. Some brought a sweet potato--always the largest they could
find--others a pound of sugar, rice, flour, bacon, pork, beans, peas,
corn meal, cabbages, turnips, tea, coffee, matches, apples, oranges,
grits, and if there are any other things to be found among eatables I
think I can produce them from the packages now deposited in the sewing
room.

Besides this quite a quantity of wood was brought, and a good
supply--several bundles, at least--of fat pine for lighters, and
considerable clothing. One special gift I must mention. It was from a
little girl in the primary class. The girl is about eleven or twelve
years old, and very poor. She worked all last summer and saved her
money to pay her tuition in our school this year, and, as I have
learned, had secured nearly enough to pay her tuition during the year.
But, alas, poor little Mary. For some reason, probably to get the food
necessary to live, her mother was obliged to take her hard earned and
slowly accumulated money, and before school began she found that what
she had so long hoped and planned for she could not realize. However,
she did not give up her cherished plan of coming to school, but worked
away, got her some clothes, and about the first of November presented
herself as wishing to come to school. She brought all the money she
had left, _ten cents_, and said if I would only let her come she was
sure she could pay the rest before long. I kept track of her and found
from her teacher that the poor girl could not obtain anything further
for her tuition, but that she was a very promising girl, so I have let
her come, and I have prayed that some one may be led to contribute $8
for her tuition. But what surprised me most was the Christmas offering
this child made. Just before school called, she came tugging two large
sticks of wood, the combined weight being twenty pounds. This she had
got cut into two pieces and had carried it more than a mile in order
that some one poorer than she might be blessed at Chris