Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1862-12-24
many thing. to Be thankfuI f0r, after

Was sOlu0tuluS II H6I ASdAb dAWd wal y
ling a perpetual psalm Of gratitude. And
the grim misanthropy of her chance com
panion was an inscrutable riddle to her
simple nature
She ventured no more remarks until
the stage emerged from a sort of hollow
in the road, revealing brilliant winter
landscape, with a superb mansion tower
ing up on the distant hill, and cosy
looking village nesting nearer.
aThere it isl can see it through the
treesr' exclaimed Fanny, joyously, for
getting in her eostacy the presence Of her
surly companion.
"See what?"
"My fathers oottage-there, beyond
the tall cluster of pine-trees: He is Mr.
8Ielworth's gardener, sir, and Mr.. Mel
worth owns that tall house with the col
onnade of pillars on the hill. They say
he is a very singular gentleman, sir-he
is scarcely ever at home"
"Shows his wisdom, I should say, y
remarked the old gentleman.
"Itis a lovely place, and cost. great
deal Of money to build, pursued little
Fanny fhOughtfully. 80, ifIwere only
as rich as Mr.. Melworthl"
well, what would you do?"
"What wouldn'tI do2" said the young
/ girl, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks
tinged with varying color; 81 would
make every one about me happy on this
Christmas Dayi I would send fifty dol
lars to Mr. Gray, the minister, who is
working himself to death on a salary Of
just nothing at ALL would send pres
ent to poor old Mr.. Higgins and his wife,
and"
"Go on-let's hear what else you
would do, if you we're as rich as Mr..
Melworth" said the old gentleman dry
ly.
Il would put a hundrod-dollar-b bill
into blank envelope, and send it to
Harry Martynp
{" And who is Harry Martyn?"
He is-he is a very particular friend
of my mothers"
ooh, I thought sol And of your own
I suppose, too. But what's he going to
do with his hundred dollar bill, hey2o
Nothing, sirI faltered Fanny, a lit
tie abashed, I" only he is teaching school
to earn money to 60 to college, and-and
1t would help him so much!"
"Hum-m-ml" commented the old gen
tleman under his breath. at would be
a very fine thing, wouldn't it, if you we're
richl"
Fanny hung down her head, painfully
conscious of being the object of sneering
satire, but in few minutes, as she was
alighting in front of the little cottage
among the tall pine-trees, he said kindly,
nodding to her:
"GOOd-bye, my little girI-if all rich
people made as sensible a use of their
fortune as you will of yOurs-if you ever
get 1.-THE world would be considerably
improved!"
And Fanny Stewart watched the stage
disappear, with a curious uncertainty in
her mind as to whether she liked the
strange old gentleman or not!
Half an hour later there was a clear
fire burning in the library of Melworth
Place, where the dark Oaken panels re-
fected every flicker of the dancing flames,
and the polished hOlIy-Ieayes tapped
against the easement with the weird mo-
ton of the sighing wind.
"Lonely-lOnely," murmured the old
gentleman as he paced up and down the
dreary room. "AI the rest are making
merry at their Christmas fresides, but l
am alone Well-Providence apportions
its goods strangely here below Ny
little philosopher of the stage-coach was
right when she imagined that the great
est privilege of wealth was to aid the
needy. Strange that I never should
have discovered it beforel"
He touched the silken bell rope as he
spoke.
"Send Duncan, the steward, to me; I
want to ask him about some of the vii
layers"
The hOusekeeper bowed and withdrew.
The stars Of Christmas night; they
glowed and sparkled like silver lilies in
the blue gardens Of heaven, looking down
on the white and silent earth below. Is.
there ever a time when nature speaks
more audibly to man than at the blessed
season of the Redeemer's birth?
The great logs, moss-enameled and
crusted with curious layers of bark, were
all ablaze in the wide chimney Of old Mr.
Higgins's house; the kitchen clock tick
ed busily away, and two or three crickets