Page 23 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

IV.

D U R I N G the whole year the children had been looking-

for ward to the coming of Christmas.
Charlie's out­
bursts of petulance and not rare fits of anger were
invariably checked if any mention was made of his father's
injunction, and at length he became accustomed to curb him­
self by the recollection of the charge he had received. If he

fell and hurt himself in his constant attempt to climb up im­
possible places, he would simply rub himself and say, proudly,
“ I don't cry now, I am a knight, and next Christmas I am
going to be a man, ’cause my papa's goin' to tell Santa Clans
to bring me a pair of breeches and a sword,” Evelyn could
not help crying when she was hurt, for she was only a little

g ir l; but she added to her prayer of " God bless and keep my
papa, and bring him safe home/’ the petition, " Please, God,
bless and keep Santa Tlaus, and let him come here Trismas."
Old Bob and Ran too, as well as the younger ones,

looked forward eagerly to Christmas.
Rut some time before Christmas the steady advance of
the Union armies brought Holly Hill and the H olly Hill
children far within the Federal lines, and shut out all chance
of their being reached by any message or thing from their