The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-12-24
The TWO NlSSe3
AN OLD MANS CHRISTMAS STORY.

| am an old man; so old am [ that,
looking back, life seems very long, and yet
so short, that do not know whether many
things did not happen in dream. am
hale, and hearty, and merry, for the mat
ter of that; and when [ laugh, my laugh
rings out clearly and loud they say; so
much so, that it makes the people around
especially my grandchildren, and nephews
and nieces, laugh too. And when l laugh
the old times come back when others, who
are silent now, laughed with me, and then
1 am suddenly still, and the laugh dies
away; and when | think of it, It's empty
echoes fill my brain just as if it were sleep
! laughter in 4 dream.
When l stop laughing so suddenly, for
the merriment and enjoyment, and, for the
matte. of that, the grief and pain of old
men, are short and sudden, like those of
children-my grandchildren, and nephcws
and nieces have great difficulty to stop
too; and they choke and nudge each 9th
or, and say that is a good story, uncle
almost as good as the story you told US
yesterday.
Told yesterday let me see what it was
| told yesterday. How long ago it seems
it must be longer ago than the time when
| was only twenty years old, a stalwart,
brave fellow, in yellow breeches, black
leggings, a heavy, brass bound, leather
helmet, with plume tipped with red, and
a clanking sword, which [ now could not
lift with my two hands. I was royal
volunteer then, prepared to resist the
French and and some of my COMPANIONS
were encamped in white tents on the coast
Of Kent.
Yes, people think me very merry. And
so, thank, heaven, | am for | try to
stand upright, four-square to the world, as
a man should but being an old man, l
have blank places in my heart now, where
no love grows barren spots in my memo
ry, and chilled and numbed parts in my
feelings whereto [ cannot look back, and
whereon [ dare not tread and touch lest
sudden pain should come back, like the
shooting of an old, old wound
Been in love? Yes, | should think |
have how else could have grandchildren,
those people who laugh SO hearty when /
laugh, and make me tell how old / am a
score of times, and say how we'll I am
looking.
Been in love? [ think L was talking
of that, was | not Yes, been in love =
Well, we did love when | was a young
fellow, and [ recollect my Alice, and / re-
collect her as [ loved her when she was
very young, and as / love her now.
think she could do anything but drink and
smoke or tell an untruth, or do wrong
action. Her face was a sweet oval her
hair very dark brown, nearly black and
her eyes were deep blue, full of merri-
men5 at one moment, aye, at all moments
except when she heard sad story or was
touched with pain for any one else, and
they grew deeper and deeper as they filled
with tears. Not for herself She never
cried for herself that [ know of, for she
never had days illness. But she was
terribly cut up when her brother died, and
that YOU sec was how knew her Her
brother was my right-hand man in my
company. Many's the time he stood
shoulder to shoulder to me, good at drill
good at song good at anything. He
used to live near the coast and, indeed
he Joined us, and | was one of his tent
fellows, and his chum.