Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-12-05
TALES AND SKETCHES
EERE lEsssEsAN's CsEKeEsT3l a 8;
EVE.
By uART 4. DENIsOT.

! II had been showing heavily all day, but
/ toward night had cleared of, and now q
/ keen, litter wind was blowing. that cut to
/ the very bone. 1t was so cold, indeed, that
! but few persons were in the streets, although
! it was Christmas. eve. Usually, at this hour,
on the night before the great holiday, the
payements were crowded with people; happy
children going, hand hand, with their
parents, to buy toys; gay lockers On; mas
! kers 10 grotesque garments; and boys blow
ing horns everything ami everybody juhi-
liant with JOY and merrment. But now the
streets were almost deserted, for the snow
lay foot deep. In vain the shop. windows
! blazed with gas and exhibited their very
choicest stores. Here and there a cwsboy.
STOPPING to face the blast, cried the evening
papers; and now and then solitary cab
drove almost noiseiessly through the white
streets. The gale roGred through the trees
of tue public square, and the icicles ratified
down from the caves. 1t Was as desulate
winters night as you ever saw.
Suddenly, q bare footed little girl, thiuly
clad, and shivering with cold, turned a cor
ner, and came face to face with one of the
most brilliantly lighted toy.shups in that
quarter of the town. She had evidently
been abroad to gather fuel for scanty fire,
for she carried an old, torn basket on her
refuse wood, which had been picked up
everywhere and anywhere.
Al sight of tie dazzling window and of
the glories it revealed, the poor little thing
stopped. Her eyes sparkled with joy. Her
breath came short. For "A moment she for
got the want and misery at home-the fire
less room, the empty cupboard, the sick
lnotheg--and could think of nothing but the
lovely things the window contained. Oh
that doll, that glorious, gorgeous creature
the spangled dresses that seemed covered
with diamonds; the funny, funny masks.
She had never had Christmas tree herself,
but she had heard of such things, and she
gasped, breathlcssly, gazing at the doll.
"Where will it 60, wonder To some one
who lives in a beautiful house, I expect, and
has everything she wants, even to pies aud
turkeys for Christmas" she added, in
longing little voice. "Oh, dear'
That sigh reached the ear Of tall, dark
man who was passing, leaning upon the ann
ri another gentleman. lie looked down, at
first with wonder, and then with pity, upon
the sweet face and eyes upon the little red
hands that were grasping the basket the
poor, little hands that should have been
white and dimped; upon the chips with
| snow melting about their edges; upon the
/
| feet; aud then again into the deep, wistful
! eyes
| "What O pretty child" he thought
'Poor little thing" And he asked, stopping,
! his voice softened to tenderness, "What is
your name, little one Z"
The child, reused from her absorption,
looked up, startled, but seeing kindly face,
sbo answered, dropping courtesy:
Lucy, sir ~
| Lucy 1t was the name of his only sister,
whom he had not seen for many long year !;
not since he had gone away, after the death
of their parents, and the sale of the old home
stead up in New England, determined to
make his way in the world. What train
Of memories it called up He thought of
the happy old days, and ofsweet Hetty Moss,
and then OF the utter despair that followed,
when his father died bankrupt, and his
mother followed of broken heart and some
iar-away relatives came and took his sister
out of charity, and old Deacon Moss shut his
doors against him. The shame and anguish
OF 1t all returned on him as sharply as when
he had first felt it, lad of twenty; but back
also came the memory of his sister, and he
almost persuaded himself, for moment, that
the enid before him looked like his "iittle
Lucy had looked at her age. There was a
said,
Lucy what, deari"
Lucy Pettigrew."
An! it was name he had never heard
but, remembering that his sisters child
would not bear her mothers maiden name
he asked again,
And have you always lived here9"
always. As long as 1 can remember.
father was soldier, you know, and was
! iz A.
mother and me-"
He looked again at the child The fancied
resemblance to his sister had faded The
"little Lucy" of long ago had blue eyes and
faxen hair; both hair and eyes here were
brown.
There was an end of the dream, then He
gave sigh at the thought, But he put his