The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-12-28

telling how they woald make such pretty
wxaihs with them for Christmas, though
l they couldsuot bavsl any Christmas presents,
she did 70 wish that he would bring her tbs
beaohful dsil she had just seen 10 the shop
tvindcw. And her brother had begged heI
not to talk about II before pspa, u made him
look 90 grAvs Lake thoaght Of the chIl-
drenss talk now, and though u would nevc,
! have occurred to him to regret anything hs
bad done, yet n could not belp hsiihg q
j Iittle uncomfortable. = 80 T. tea
|. TO change .As ousrent of his thou. hts, he
\ rose 10 light lamp, aud set about mending
some garden tool, and 10 be did so he fan
! cied he heAsua low, waalsng cry. At hrst,
he thought II might be the signing Of the
wind. but. Is he listened, u came again and
! again. and ii length he went from the houss
a, see what couid be the cause The moon
light fsIl on the now-covered grouad, max.
ing every object distinct. Near his gate, he
saw a little child bending over q dark
figure on the ground, and calling plaintively,
/ sldamma mamma ~ As he approached,
she scarcely heeded hIin, and never ceased
her mournfui cry, still piuckiug at the dress
OF the unoonteIo6s Ass9lnx.s WIS. shculd
be do ? His hrst shoaghs was 70 proeurs
assistance and take her to the Almshcuse.
But when be looked ct her again, and uU
!. how III she evid ntiy was, not even he could
have the heart for that No Other house was
very near There was no help for Il /; and
be lifted her, and bearing her into the house
consigned her TO Huldan's care. Huldah
was kind.hearted enough, and ready 70 do all
that her simple skill could suggest for the
strangers relief, bat 1t seemed Of no avail,
and the village physician who had been sam.
, moned, shook bis head gravely, MS he boxed
at her. W 4s
Some Of the neiel,Lcrs, too, who had heard
the rumor had come in, and there was hur-
rying 10 aud FRO OF busy feet. Luke had re-
sumed his seat BY the fre, half annoyed at
all the stir in his usually quiet housL. and
vet reused to some interest IN the str.ngers >
tate. The child bad been left there Tiih him,
for in an the excitement no one had thought
Of her. She sat cronching IN the corner,
hnshed With awe and s,arm, bewiidered by
the unfamiisr scene about her, and hall
afraid os the slienf man who never looked o.
her. But at le-Gth with . chiid's boidness,
she gradually stole nearer and nearer to him
and. timidiy laid her hand ON his. fne hight
touch soused him, and no boxed up to see
the little creature nj his side gazing visit
fully into his face, the tears still shining in
the bright eyes
II was the FIRST time, perhaps, in al his
life, that child had approached him trust
ingly and con6dingly, and II touched him.
Involuntarily he raised her TO his knee, and
awkwardly enough, yet with no ungentle
touch. he passed his rough hand over the
bright curis. which twined about his fingers
as he streked them, and tried to softsn his
harsh tones to speak few soothing words.
Il was not long before the little arms were
clasped about his neck, and the soft, un-
wonted touch sent = strange thrill to his
heart that seemed 10 stir IL with gentle feel
iues. Soon the child was smiling gaily, and
merrilv praftling w broken words. while the,
s-anSauSn e-eyar we're 6xed on his face, and
the dainty little fingers stf6ked his rough |
cheek. But drowsiness at length crept over,
anS the blue eyes eIosed, and the golden !
ringlets rested on his shoulder. Luke was
rough locking man, and yet y made pretty
piclure as he sat there bending over the
child, and his griszlsd locks almost touched
her fair hair. One OF the women chanced
to enter the room, and was e-n"xed to see
him thus; but when she wo ave taken
the child away, he refused L :. re her up.
II would disturb her, he said, and be liked
wei enough IT, llsfssa hi sAas ihar
In truth II was pleasant thing fus5him
to have some one trusting and clingihg to I
tsm. As lie sat thus, bending over the eleep- I
ing child, ard her warm breath famed his \
cheek, emotions softer than be had known /
for years, took possession Of him. Memo /.
ries Of the past came back to Inland scenes |
forgotten years ago How lor M vg.r4 att. ny.
he had thought uf his boyh0od; ana yes d /
rose up before him tonight, and he became 7
strangely vivid He recalled the pretty cot |
tage whi.h bad been the home OF his child. I
hood, the tender mother whose voice was so I
soft and low, always gentle, even " reproof, I
and so sweet rs she sang melodies in the 1
dira twiIight-the father who had seemed 10 4
him so noble, 50 worthy Of admiration-and. I
dearest Of all, the sister who had shared eli /
his sports, without whom no pleasure had \
been complete. But she bad passed out Of
bis life, and for years he had hardly thought !
of her yet now, as memory led him back
into the past, ne recalled thousand childish
Joys which t1-v had shared tngether. One
after another they rose before him, and none
look ed fairer than the bright Christmas days
when their parents loving thoughtGulness
had filed their hearts with gladness, aud
their hands had borne to others poorer than
themselves tokens Of care and kindness.
How swss: those hours looked % him now.
b5Saf the day had come when sao0eu /
gloom fell on the house; when strangers en- I
tered it and moved silently about, and spoke /
in whispers and he and his sister, awed BY /
the mystery about them, had crept away to- /
gether to wonder what il meant. They knew
The father and mother were In the husned
and darkened room, where they were forbid |
den to enter, though they often stole to the |
oor to try to catch the sound Of the fami- |
liar voices. And ut length they had been
taken there, into that quiet room, and had
cried out wildly, aud started back in alarm
"a thew saw the still and motionless forms
before them, and looked on those eyes which
no longer wore the old loving smile. And
the davs had seemed even more dark and
dreary than eyer, and every one about them
had worn q strangely nournful look, So
the time had come when they had stood to-
petber ia the old churchyard By an open
grave, while the throug about them had
gazed tearfully on and at length ~ the cof-
FMS were lowered into the earth, the mystery
Of all these dreary days grew clear TO them,
andsthey had clasped each other sobbing.
And pisying faces had surrounded them, and
kind words were whispered, and gentle hands
led them away. They had never gone 10 the
old home again, but that night had cried
themselves asleep amid unfsmiliar scenes
And in few days be and that sister had
been parted never 70 meet again, thrown
among trangers- @ssst a
IT,. = = - -.t