Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

“ The tailoress trade was one of them, She made up her mind that she would have things like other people. Then she married, and her husband spent her money. One failure came after another. She slipped back again and again on the step to that higher notch. And here she was to-night, old and poor, with these three helpless children dependent upon her.
But she felt something besides disappointed ambition as she stood gazing out to-night.
“Thar's the children,” she went on; “can't have nothin' for Christmas. I 'ain't got a cent I kin spare. If I git 'em enough to eat, I'm lucky.” ”

“ There was a flicker of golden fire in one of the parlor windows. Then those lace curtains blazed. “There!” said the man again: “I told you it wasn't any use.”
Marg'ret turned on him. There were many other men within hearing. “Well, I wouldn't tell of it,” said she, in a loud voice. “If I was a pack of stout, able-bodied men, and couldn't ha' got out them curtains an' that carpet afore they burnt up, I wouldn't tell of it.”
Flora and the children had been taken into one of the neighboring houses. Mrs. Ely still stood out in the freezing air clutching her box and wailing. ”

“ There was a light in the parlor of the opposite house; the Nottingham lace curtains showed finely their pattern of leaves and flowers. Marg'ret eyed them. “'Tain't no use my tryin' to git up a notch,” she muttered. “'Tain't no use for some folks. They 'ain't worked no harder than I have; Louisa Ely 'ain't never begun to work so hard'; but they kin have lace curtains an' Christmas trees.” ”

“ What can't be airned, when anybody's willin' to work, ought to be took. I'm goin' to wait till arter Christmas; then I'm jest goin' up to Mis' White's some arternoon, an' I'm goin' to say, 'Mis' White,' says I, 'the day before Christmas I went into your husband's store, an' I see a bundle a-layin' on the counter, an' I took it, an' said nothin' to nobody. ”

“ Her face turned a purplish-red.
This method of restriction was the result of long thought and study on her part. She had tried many others, which had proved ineffectual. Willy, the eldest, could master knots like a sailor. ”

“ Don't you go in again, Mis' Ely!”
Marg'ret ran up to her. “Them curtains,” gasped she, “an' the parlor carpet, hev they got them out?”
“Oh, I dun know—I dun know! I'm afraid they 'ain't. Oh, they 'ain't got nothin' out! Everything all burnin' up! Oh, dear me! oh dear! Where be you goin'?”
Marg'ret had rushed past her into the house. She was going into the parlor, when a man caught hold of her. “Where are you going?” he shouted. “Clear out of this.”
“Tm a-goin' to git out them lace curtains an' the carpet.” ”

“ White's store, and slyly laid some money on the counter. She knew it to be enough to cover the cost of the articles she had stolen. Then she went away and left it there.
That night she went after her Bible. “I declare I will read it to-night,” muttered she. “I've paid fur 'em.” She stood eying it. Suddenly she began to cry. “Oh dear!” she groaned; “I can't. There don't anything do any good—the lace curtains, nor payin' fur 'em, nor nothin', I dun know what I shell do.” ”

“ We staid in there just as long as we could, trying to get the carpet up; but we couldn't stand it any longer; it's chock full of smoke.” The man shouted it out, and pulled her along with him at the same time. ”