The Christmas earnings

by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

"I fear not, my child, unless you can contrive some way to earn it. We have no right to indulge in luxuries so long as we are in debt, and the giving of Christmas presents is certainly a luxury."

"But the poor children, mother. We might give them only such things as they need, and leave out the candy and toys. Those little Brown girls have hardly comfortable clothes."

"I know it, Ethel, but we must be just before we are generous."

Ethel was silenced, if not entirely satisfied by her mother's reasoning. But after a little interval, she resumed the conversation.

"Mother, how does it happen that failing makes so much more difference with some people than it does with others? Why is Mr. Coles rich, while father and the Mr. Wileys are poor? Now cousin Anna has every thing just as she always did: they do not make any difference in their housekeeping, and Abby is dressed just as well as ever. She told me to-day, that her father had given her five dollars, and was going to give her five more if she finished the arithmetic. She wanted me to ask father for some money to-night, that we might go out shopping together to-morrow, but I thought I would speak to you first."

"I am glad you were so thoughtful, my love."

"But why is it, mother?" persisted Ethel. "I want to understand it, if I can."

"And I will try to explain it to you," replied Mrs. Fletcher. "If in doing so, I should be obliged to speak freely of the faults of others, you must remember that what I say is not to be repeated."

"I will, mother," said Ethel. "But tell me first what it is to fail, please, for I don't know exactly."

"When a man is unable to pay all his debts," said Mrs. Fletcher, "he is said to fail, or to become insolvent. This may come to pass in many different ways. He may have lived so extravagantly as to use up all his means, and then have run into debt for what he wanted till people would trust him no longer. He may have been imprudent in his business, by trusting those who were unworthy of confidence, and by selling his commodities to people who could not or would not pay him. He may have signed notes with other people to enable them to get money, not expecting to have to pay it himself, and then have been obliged to do so. Or he may suffer from the failure of others, and this was the case with your father."