Page 64 - HSLChristmasAnthology

HSL Christmas Anthology Page 64
AND THE POOR CHILDREN. 41

He became more gentle and obliging; he
seldom spoke an improper word, and seem
ed perfectly honest. But his^vil propensi
ties were not quite conquered. He thought
that blessed night that he should never want
to do wrong again. But poor Wolfgang
will sin and suffer more, before his soul be
comes quite clean.
Two days before Christmas, he was cho
sen by the children to go to Hamburgh, to
sell their baskets. Gertrude gave him par
ticular instructions about a basket, which
she had woven with great care. " Is it not
pretty," said she, turning it round with de
light : " 1 want it to sell well ; for I mean to
give every penny to the Christ-child, for
poor children, who have no Christmas-tree."
Wolfgang promised, and went away full of
happiness and good resolutions. But in
Hamburgh he met some of his old wicked
associates. They teased him to give them
a treat of cak^ind gin. When he refused,
they called him stingy. When he told them
the money was not his, they laughed at him,
and asked him whether he hadn't done work
enough out there, to have a little money to
spend. Wolfgang was weak enough to feel
ashamed when they made fun of him. After
a while, he let them tease away the basket-
d