p. 12 | THE CHRISTMAS OVERCOAT by Fannie Bolton

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 21, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 49.

THE CHRISTMAS OVERCOAT

By Fannie Bolton

"WELL, what shall we do for the children this year?" asked Mr. Adams, after his wife had returned from tucking her nestlings away to bed. "You know that money is scarce. We shall barely be able to make both ends meet during the winter; but I can't think of letting Christmas go by without giving the children their usual presents."

"I've been thinking about it myself," said Mrs. Adams, "but I am very strongly of the opinion that it is time we were teaching our children lessons of denying self for the good of others. Even if they are young, they are not too young to share your burdens and the burdens of others. Suppose that we tell them all about your restricted circumstances, and how it will hamper you to buy their Christmas gifts. Let us test them a little, and see if they really do honor father and mother."

"What! and not try to give them anything? I would rather go without my winter overcoat than think of doing such a thing."

"Yes, but that would not be just either to yourself or to the children. The cruelest thing we could possibly do for them would be to deny them the privilege of learning the lesson that this opportunity affords."

"Very well, mother. You are almost always right, but you may have the privilege of unfolding this opportunity and its blessings to them, for I am afraid they will be grievously disappointed."

"I hope that you will be happily mistaken. I shall insist on your being present also, to hear their unselfish response."

"Well, I will take my station behind the door, and hear your persuasions; but I have not much faith in the unselfish response of the young ones."

The next evening as Mrs. Adams prepared the children for bed, she told them of how many things were needed for the winter, how money was scarce, and provisions high, and unless papa went without an overcoat, they must go without Christmas presents. "Now, my children," said Mrs. Adams, "which shall it be, no overcoat for your papa, or no presents for you?"

Little Johnnie was the first to answer. "Let papa have his overcoat. Me don't want any Christmas presents."

"Bless your brave heart," said mamma, as she hugged him up in her arms. The other children were more reluctant to reply.

"Oh, dear! I do want a wax doll so much, mamma," said Ethel dolefully.

"And I want a set of tools. I've just lotted on them for months," said Harry.

"And can't I have my skates?" asked Tom.

There was a tone of disappointment in their voices that cut right through Mr. Adams's heart, and made him whisper, "The children shall have their things, and I'll make the old coat do," but Mrs. Adams felt more determined than ever that her little ones should learn the lesson. She did not chide them, however, but simply asked, "What do we celebrate Christmas for? what is Christmas?"

"Well, it's the day upon which Christ was supposed to have been born. At least that is what it is celebrated for," said Harry.

"Did Christ give up anything that we might have this day of joy? or did he simply come here that he might receive gifts and gratify himself?"

"Why, of course not. He left his throne in Heaven and his power to come down here to be born in a manger so that we might be saved and be brought to Heaven at last," said Ethel.

"Then, Tom, won't you please turn to First Peter, the second chapter, and read the twenty-first verse, and let us see what we are to do?"

Tom read: "For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps."

"You see that we are to follow in his steps. Wherever we can suffer by denying ourselves for the good of others, we can find an opportunity to follow in his steps. Now, my children, if you want your own way, and do not wish to follow your Saviour, who did so much for you, and if you would rather have your toys than get papa a warm overcoat, all right. I shall leave it altogether with you. But I am sure that if you conclude to deny yourselves, you will find it the merriest, blessedest Christmas you ever spent, and you will follow in His steps who left you an example."

"Let me ask you another question. What kind of men came to Bethlehem, when they saw the star in the east?"

"Wise men," said the children.

"Wise men, were they? Wouldn't you like to be wise?"

"Of course we would."

"Well, what did they do?"

"They brought gold and frankincense and myrrh to Jesus," said Ethel.

"That is right. Now, Harry, please turn to the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, and read from the thirty-fourth to the fortieth verses."

Harry read: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

"Now you can see from this scripture that if we do good to those around us, it will be just the same as though we did it for Jesus. Wouldn't you all like to give our dear, precious Saviour an overcoat this winter? Papa is one of his brethren. That is all I shall say, and now you can do just as you please, but remember that 'the Lord loveth a cheerful giver.'"

"Well, mamma, I am perfectly willing," said Ethel. "So am I." "So am I," said the boys. "We don't want any Christmas presents at all. We'll just make papa and Jesus a present."

There was great whispering going on for several days, and then a consultation with mamma, and then the boys were off every night after school until dark, working for the grocer, and Ethel found herself employment in taking care of Mrs. Larkin's cross baby. Mamma smiled every night as she tucked them to bed, and noticed the marks of toil on their tender hands, and many a time when they were sound asleep, she knelt beside their beds and prayed that God would give them truly unselfish hearts.

"Now, papa," said Mrs. Adams, "why not give the children the money, and let them take you down to the tailor's and get your coat? It would be a great pleasure to them, and will help to present this lesson of self-denial to them in a new light."

"Just the thing," said Mr. Adams. "Have them all ready this afternoon."

What a happy time they did have as they trudged along to the tailor's through the crisp air! And what fun it was to look over coats, and fit them on their father, and find out which one he wanted, and then count out the bills to the funny tailor just like real men and women. They scarcely noticed the gay shop windows, full of wax dolls and tools, and everything beautiful. Without a pang of disappointment Tom called Harry's attention to a pair of shining club skates that he

had picked out, but he said, "I don't care about them now, when papa can have such a good warm coat to wear when he goes to earn money for us."

When Christmas morning came, four little white-gowned children stood beside their parents' bed, holding up four stockings, and shouting, "Merry Christmas."

"Heigh-ho! Merry Christmas, you young rogues! What have you got here?" asked papa, as they thrust before his face his stockings, from which two slipper heels projected. "A pair of slippers for me? What does this mean? Mamma, have you been playing tricks?"

"No, indeed," said Mamma. "But what is this in my stocking? A breakfast shawl, I do believe. Well! well! where did it come from?"

"We earned the money ourselves, working for Mr. Waters, and Ethel earned five cents a night, taking care of Mrs. Larkin's baby, and we thought we'd be papa and mamma this year, and buy our big children some presents."

"This is splendid!" said papa, slipping his bare feet into his new slippers, and bundling mamma in her shawl. "Why, mamma, we shall soon have nothing to do but sit in the chimney-corner and sing. Thank you, my dear children. But where are your stockings?"

"Oh, we weren't going to have any this Christmas! We gave up having any presents for ourselves so that you could have a new overcoat."

"Well, you just run and see if Santa hasn't been here with something."

Sure enough, there was something—a square-looking parcel under each stocking, and some pop-corn and apples, and a couple of turkey's legs in the two oldest boys' stockings, while in Ethel's and Johnnie's were the wings. When they opened the parcels they found a pretty book for each one, with their names printed on the covers in gilt letters.

Johnnie's was all about a wily fox. Tom's was a description of birds, beasts, and fishes. Harry's was a sort of scientific story, and Ethel's a beautifully illustrated copy of "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress."

Mamma was as much surprised as the children when papa handed her a new hymn-book from the stand. "You see, my dear, my connection with the book concern has given me some advantage, and I was able after all to afford you each a little present. The dear Lord has been good to us all."

After breakfast Mr. Adams opened the new hymn-book, and they all gathered around the sweet-toned melodeon and sang the following hymn with the spirit and the understanding, making melody in their hearts unto the Lord:— "My Maker and my King, To thee my all I owe; Thy sovereign bounty is the spring Whence all my blessings flow. "The creature of thy hand, On thee alone I live; My God, thy benefits demand More praise than I can give. "Lord, what can I impart When all is thine before? Thy love demands a thankful heart; The gift, alas, how poor! "Oh, let thy grace inspire My soul with strength divine; Let every word and each desire And all my days be thine."

A little while before dinner Mrs. Adams called the children to carry four small baskets, which she had prepared with a nice dinner in each for some of her needy friends. Johnnie was to carry his basket to poor Grandma Horton, who lived alone in a little house near by. Ethel was to take hers to a little invalid child who was dying with consumption. Tom was to take his to a young Swedish girl who worked down town and boarded herself, and Harry was to carry his and deliver it into the hands of an orphan boy who had to live with a very unkind aunt since his own mother died. The children came back with glowing faces and happy hearts. Each one had some interesting thing to tell about his visit of mercy, and there was a little of the joy of the angels in that pleasant home. How good the dinner did seem, for their walk had given them an appreciative appetite!

Mr. Adams read aloud from Ethel's new book all the afternoon. How interested they did get in Bunyan's pilgrim! There was no stopping until the book was finished, so all through the winter evenings when Mr. Adams was at leisure he read the beautiful allegory to his children, and the story of Christian and his family became the absorbing theme of the happy circle. Ethel grew quite anxious to know when they should start out for the Celestial City, and some of them did start that very winter.

"If we hadn't given up our presents we should never have had this book," said Ethel one day, "and I would rather have it now than a thousand wax dolls. I think it pays to give up one's own way to do good to others, and to follow in His steps who gave us an example."

"So do I," said Tom, brushing his whittlings into the coal bucket, and looking over her shoulder at the picture of Giant Despair. "If I had got my skates, I expect I would have broken my nose before this time, and I never would have been content to stay at home and hear this story about being a Christian."

"Yes, and poor papa would have been cold all winter. He wouldn't have had any nice slippers, and mamma wouldn't have had any breakfast shawl, and everything would have been different. I just enjoy my book, and I'm learning how to use my tools scientifically when I do get them. So that's all right."

"But the very best thing you have received has been the blessing of Jesus. I am hoping that my children will always be better, more unselfish, children because of this Christmas lesson. The Bible says we are not to look on our own things, but on the things of others, and we must not only be unselfish at Christmas-time, but at all times, always looking around to see where self may be forgotten, and someone else remembered, following in His steps who went about doing good. If it is ever so little a service to ever so humble a person, if it is done unselfishly for love's sweet sake, it will be recorded by the angels of Heaven, and received by the Lord of glory as though done unto himself."