The poor Count's Christmas

ALL THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO DANCE GAYLY AROUND THE TREE.
THE POOR COUNT’S CHRISTMAS BY FRANK R. STOCKTON WITH SEVEN BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DRAWINGS BY E. B. BENSELL
NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY MCMXXVII
First published in book form, 1927, by Frederick A. Stokes Company
Printed in the United States of America
The Poor Count’s Christmas
THE POOR COUNT’S CHRISTMAS
Very many years ago there lived a noble Count, who was one of the kindest and best-hearted men in the world. Every day in the year he gave to the poor and helped the friendless, but it was at the merry Christmas-time that his goodness shone brightest. He had even vowed a vow that, as far as he was able to make them so, every child he knew should be happy Christmas-day.
Early every Christmas morning each boy and girl in the neighborhood who was old enough, and not too old, came to the castle of the Count Cormo, and there the Count and Countess welcomed them all, rich or poor, and through the whole day there were games, and festive merry-making, and good things to eat, and fun of every kind, and besides all this, there was a grand Christmas-tree, with a present on it for each of the eager, happy youngsters who stood around it.
But although the good Count had a castle and rich lands, he gave away so much money that he became poorer and poorer, so that at last he and his wife often found it hard to get the clothes and food they absolutely needed.
But this made no difference with the Christmas festivities. The Count was not now able to be very generous during the year, although he was always willing to divide a meal with a hungry person; but he managed so that the children could have their festival and their presents at Christmas. Year by year he had sold for this purpose some of the beautiful things which the castle contained, so that now there was scarcely enough furniture left for the actual use of himself and the Countess.
One night, about a week before Christmas, the Count and his wife sat in the great hall before a fire smaller and poorer than those which burned on the hearth of most of the cottagers in the surrounding country, for the cottagers could go into the woods and pick up sticks and twigs, whereas the Count had sold all his forests, so that he could not cut wood; and he had only one old man for outdoor work, and he had already picked up all the fallen branches within a wide circuit of the castle.