I found this little book, A Christmas Story of Old Boston, in the rack where hymnals and missalettes are kept, in church. Who put it there and why I don’t know. It’s a cute Christmas story. The copyright says 1973 by Gauntlet Books. However, the cover says 1852 replica.
The author, Mrs. M. H. Maxwell has written a morality story emphasizing the spirit of Christmas. It begins with a poor, little girl, shivering in the wintry air. Enter two rich girls, Mary Morse and Milla More. Milla wore a string of pearls as a necklace. Her father let her choose her own Christmas gift, and that's what she chose.
As Mary and Milla walked and chatted, the poor little girl joined them, as they all entered a candy store. The store was busy, but there was a bench to sit on. There the girls sat. The candy store was owned by a blind lady, and she did very well, business wise. While the girls watched the people, the poor little girl told Mary and Milla her sad story. Her father had died and her mother moved the family to live with her brother.
The poor family never found that brother and the mother took ill and died. The mother used to call her children, "her pearls," and Mary and Milla talking about Milla's Christmas pearls, reminded the poor girl of her mother.
The children walked the poor girl home. She lived in squalid. Three children were asleep in one bed. Mary and Milla went home and told their parents about this poor family. Their parents were proud of them for their compassionate and generous hearts.
Milla's family took in the little brother and Mary's family took in the three girls. Now Mary and Milla could see what genuine pearls looked like.
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