Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-18
MIS- C. Ell l. AN Y.
John spsncsr's christm,, Dinner.

Christmas day dawn.d clear snd frosty.
The snow lay deep In the city streets. bu,
deeper still on the country roads and In rus.
tic lanes, fllins them up to level with The
stone ~slls. Fsatnsry aates weighed down
the branches Of the tres, and gave TO the
whole landscape that aspect OF daflling
whitc with which New England winter
make. us 90 familiar. Ricts Of hay were
90 completely invested ,hs, they might easily
be mis,ook for mounds OF snow. The rud.
dy y-chcsked farmers boys. with their trow.
sers tucked into their boots. msniully at.
tackled the large drifts. and with cleaning
shovel. Gu, . way through their centre.
Now and then the juggling Of bells announced
the approach Of sleigh or pune making i,'
slow way through tho encountered roads,
the hor.c. aounderps and smoking With the
eIertion they were compelled to make.
In a two story house. accessible from the
main stree, BY narrow lane. and fnll hall
a mile from any other dwelling lived John
Spencer. There was nothing remarkable
abou, ih. hou'e. IL wa' plain building
OF two stories. boil, with the usual want OF
taste which distinguishes the farm'boo.es Of
New Eng In tbs main part OF The house
tber. were t~o rooms on dIor. one on each
eide Of the iron, door While an I. par, Of later
date Contained . kitchen. and overhead .
b-dro7m I, may appear singular that the
l. par, Vas the only portion OF the house
which ito owner chose TO occupy. The 9th.
sr rooms. though furnished and ready Tor
occupancy. had no, been u'cd Tor yeau. No
FIRE bad been tindled in the old fashioned
/ fireplace since the last female occupant bad
been borne out In coin fifteen years BE-
fore.
For fifteen years John Spencer had occu.
pied the hou.s alone. Such had been his
choice, since a, various times hs had been
invited 10 ie, the remaining portion. bat had
invariably refused. THIS was the moro Sin
gular, 40 IN hi, solitude he bad developed &
strong passion for money. and IN his own
expenses had shown himself penurious 10 .
degree. Little was known OF hi, hou-e-
keeping. hot his rurcha.cs in tie village
were 81 .canty, thu, cOnjce'urrs could read
ily be iorm-i as u style Of living. which
~ lar a. could he judged. would hardly have
proved tempting 90 an erieurean.
/ In the farmers housc- IN tho nelrhbor.
hood Christina. received noi.y welcome.
Young children danced with deli;h, a. they
took from the nails o. which they bad su,-
pordrd them shs well dlled Christmas ,tock.
7 ins.. aud We'd with each other m hcinS fret
O. orcr the good wishes Of the season.
whsruvcr there I. children CHRISTMAS isA
fe,n,s season. and 10 greeted with joyfui &C
el.ma,ious. The bo-pl,Abls board groin'
with the weigh, Of dsinties. and fcf once
the careful mother throws to the Wind pru'
Dental considerations. and puts no check
upon the rirorou. arpe,i,es Of her offspring.
But in John Spencer, dwelling Christmas
4 dawned quite Ike any other day. IL is
doubtful II he would have known OF its AZ
rival, had not some adventurous urchin IN
the 10y Of his hsar, % far forgotten his u..
ual ave Of the taei,urn farmer rs TO greet
him with Merry Christmas that very
morning. John Spencer eyed the little Tel
low with 'ome surprise, ani mu,'erlns that
b. did not know that !, was Chri'tuas'day.
TO the great AmaIemsnt Of the boy. who re-
elrded ST. Nicholas as the greatest saint IN
,h. calendar. and tho day eOn.cerAsed to
him ,h, mos, important Of tho year.
Quite regardle,, OF the character OF the
day. John Spencer ha, seated h'mselfI IN the
room winch served him alike as ki,eheH
and sitiing.room. llewas seated on u three.
legged stool. such n 10 sometimes used IN
milking Before him was lare, pile OF
corn, which hs was bu.ily engaged IN husk.
ing. A bu.hei basket st his side received
the ears Of corn. while ,he hu'ks uere crowd
cd in another TO s.rve for fuel. While he
10 at work let Us glance at him. Ills haure
which is spare. 10 tall and somewhat 'toop'
ing. His age 10 forty Eve, bu. time has not
spared him. aud his strongly marked lea
ture. give the impression Oi more advanced
age. Like mos, who are more accustomed
to solitude than society he has an distracted
look. 700 can read in the rigid lines OF
his face that he 10 one Who lives for himself,
and !. seldom called to sympa,hr'c With the
j1ys aud grieis Of Others.
For two hours he worked steadily at his
self imposed tack; bu, when the last ear
had been husked be rose IRON his stool and
se, about preparing dinner. This was FOO
frugal to be quite in keeping with the day.
A couple Of sausiscs were placed over tho
fire to try, and the same number of slices OF
bread were Gu, for toa''ius. Ihese pre-
paraiion. completed, John Spencer was
about To re.lms his seat when he MAS pre-.
vented from dong % by an unusual eireum-
stance.
A faint knock Was heard at the door. aud
m indi.tipc, sound. something like moan,
seemed to blend with IL.
In grca, surpri'e John Spencer advanced
to ,h. door and opened !, cautiously. lie
had hardly done % when woman. leading
boy Of eleven BY tho hand. staggered IN.
and. sinking upon the nearest chair. mur.
INJURED. Help US. 10 iieaven's name! We
are perishing with cold "
The unexpected host started in astoni'h.
ment. lie bad lived % long IN solitude that