Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-03-29

poor fathers dyin' the doctor says"
The slender, plaintive voice went to
her heart like knife. . ...
What can do ?-how can help
your" she asked.
Oh, Miss it's twenty-five dollars
we owe-rent, you know and poor
mother can't pay it. Please help her ?"
Maggie closed her finges over the
gold in her hand, and looked toward
the blue silk with swelling heart.
Seeing her hesitation, the clerk came
round and took the child by the shoul-
der.
go out" he said roughly, "and
don't let me see you in here again.
Don't heed her, Miss" he added, clo-
| sing the door, it is all lies they tell.
Shall wrap the silk up?"
Poor Maggie, for an instant self was
predominant. She must have the blue
silk she must go to the Christmas
ball and dance with Henry but in
little while something nobler got the
supremacy something that made her
young eyes outshine the silk that the
willy clerk so temptingly displayed.
No." she replied, resolutely, "not
now. | must look after that poor child
first"
Half an hour later, poor woman
wept tears of gratitude and joy over
her dying husband in the cheerlese gar
ret she called her home and Maggie.
went back to the old farmhouse with
a step slow and sober enough.
Well, pet" said her old father,
fondly, :" 'spose you've got the blue
silk at last 2"
No, papa, no !" faltered Maggie,
with gush of tears that she tried in
vain to repress, IL didn't get it. II
gave the money away to poor little
girl" 81 ... ...'.
1t was Christmans-day. The snow
lay white and crisp on the chain of
hills that shut in the old New England
farmhouse and the sun, just dropping
out of sight, tinged their SUBMITS
with soft glow, and gave the strip
of wintry sky beyond rosy warmth,
so suggestive of summer twilights,
that one forgot the keen winds and
biting frost, and fancied the notes of
the ring-dove in the wood, and the
breath of violets on the air.
But Maggie was not indulging in
any such reveries as she stood on the
front stoop, her pretty curls pushed
back, and her blue eyes brimful of
tears, as sleigh after sleigh flew by,
with its merry peals of bells, bearing
freight of happy girls to the gay
party
Oh | did want to go so bad"
she murmured "but can't wear nv
faded merino. All the girls will be
there, dressed so nice, and so happy.
Oh, dear oh, dear!" and little sob
choked her, and the tears brimmed
over and stained her pretty cheeks
just as another sleigh dashed up, and
Henry jumped out and ran up on
the stoop.
Why, Maggie" he called out, :" not
dressed yet? ] thought you'd be rea-
dy. Come, hurry. it's getting late"
I'm not going, "she faltered.
The young man turned round in sur
prise.
Not going, Maggie 2 Why, you
said you were on Sunday"
Il know but I've changed my
mind. can't GO"
"Pshaw this is nonsense. Go and
get ready, Maggie /; it's no use to fool"
His tone irritated her, and she re-
piled sharply, Pm not fooling, Henry.
I'm not going, and you needn't wait"
All right won't. Some one
else will 60, | guess" and he sprang
into his sleigh and drove off,
Poor little Maggie, this was the
cruelest blow of ALL She could not
brave it out any longer. SO she ran
into the old kitchen, and laid her head
down on her fathers old leather-cush-
ioned chair for good, childish cry.
Tie old clock licked on the mantle.
shelf and her father and mother
dozed over the "keeping-room' fire.
Christmas-night was going by! Mag
gle cried, and cried, till her head
ached, thinking of the gay party, and
some one else dancing with Henry !;
then she stroked the cat, and listened
to the cricket chirping under the
hearth, and finally fell asleep.
| A soft tonch on her brow awakened
her just as she was dreaming of the
ball and the blue silk and starting
up, she saw bewhiskered face bend
ing over her.
j "Oh, Henry 1" she exclaimed,
scrambling to her feet, how you
frightened me. What's the matter
What have"
|, Nothing. Maggie only I've come
to spend my Christmas-night with you,
if you'll let me-"
"But thought you went to the ball
II so l did and heard the story oi
, the blue silk dress and found that
there was no one cared for at Squire
!, Stebbins', or anywhere else in all the
world, except in this old kitchen, Mag
gie."
Maggie blushed, and shook down
, her yellow ringlets over her tear-stain
ed cheeks. What change had come
over the old kitchen, so dismal little
while before /! How bright and cheer
: |, full everything looked. Whata happy
happy Christmas-night it turned out t.
, be after ALL
The next morning, the dry-goods
. clerk brought up package for Mag
!. gle, containing the blue silk and thu
| dainty gloves. She guessed wei
enough whose hand had sent them
Miss Tabby was called upon, and tn
| dress got up magniiicently but whel
: Maggie wore it, it was tono Christina
A ball-bnt to her own wedding
G A woman in Detroit cooking a cod
fish found diamond in it.