Silas K. Hocking

“ The trains began to be crowded again with home-comers for their holidays; shopkeepers began to vie with each other as to which could present in their windows the grandest display; the streets were crowded with well-dressed people who were getting in a stock of Christmas cheer; and everywhere people seemed bent on enjoying themselves to the utmost of their ability.
All this, however, only seemed to make Benny sadder than ever. He remembered how the Christmas before Nelly was with him, and he was as happy and light-hearted as he well could be. ”

“ Nelly was all I had in the world, an' now she's dead."
"Poor boy!" said the kindly little voice. "And how do you get your living?"
"Oh, I sells matches or carries gents' portmantles when they'll let me, or anything honest as turns up."
"Well don't think papa is unkind because he spoke cross to you, but he had been annoyed. And here is a shilling he gave me to-day; you need it more than I do, so I will give it to you. Are you here every day?"
"Ay, I's mostly here every day,*' said Benny, closing his fingers around the bright shilling as one in a dream. The next moment he was alone. ”

“ Nelly said as 'ow the Lord 'ud provide. An' mebbe He sent her with that bob. I wish I had looked more particler to see if she had wings, 'cause Nelly said as how hangels had wings."
More than twenty times that afternoon Benny looked at the bright new shilling that had been given him; the very sight of it seemed to do him good. It seemed to turn the tide, too, in his favour, for before dark he had earned another shilling; and that evening he trudged to his home with a lighter heart than he had known for many a week.
The weather on Christmas Eve was anything but orthodox. ”