Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-01-09
Chpire MIisfeIIanY.
A NEW YEARS sToRY--ovEn THE

y
Of homely comfort. OF mere ornament
there was little; but ttbe furniture, though
plain as 1t could be, and bearing the
marks oflong service, was good and solid,
and Its trim arrangement and spotless
cleanliness spoke highly of the house
keeping of its owners. A square of Dutch
carpet, bound with crimson braid, was
laid upon the stone floor, aud a glazed
oak book case displayed upon its shelves
a goodly store of delf and ancient china.
On the chimney-piece q cuckoo clock
room stood an old Fashioned square piano,
on which was piled q considerable num-
Der of well bound books. Two or three |
old line engravings, mostly Of scriptural
subjects, decorated the walls, and, the lat |
tice window was half hidden by a Grim.
son curtain. The whole aspect of the !
cottage betokened competence and mod !
est independence. Norw the inmates !
belied by appearances. for few among |
the inhabitants Of the village were more |
universally respected than David and
In the same cottage they had lived for
thirty, y,years, paying their way, and ask
ing no favors of any man; and for five
and twenty of those years David had been
parish clerk and school master, and in
the estimation of the youngsters, little,
If at all, inferior in dignity to the parson
himself His wife, with no less respect,
won more affection; for David Holt was
stern and hard man, always just, but
seldom generous; while Mary was ever
tender-hearted, with kind heart and
smile for everybody. TO her the school
children came In all their troubles,
whether arising from blow of a cricket
ball, or the perplexities of the rule of
three, and rarely failed to receive some
measure of consolation.
Such were the couple who sat one New
Years Eve, not very long ago, by the
Cosy cottage freside. A long clay pipe,
| a real old fashioned church warden, just
put aside, lay upon the snow white deal
table, and David Holt was reading aloud
| from. ponderous family Bible, while his
good wife, her hands crossed upon her
knees, sat reverently listening. AS bs6t-
ted their solemn occupation, the faces of
both were grave and quiet, but that quiet
gravity seemed only to throw into strong
er relief the characteristic expression of
each; David, square headed and square
chested, with massive jaws and chin,
heavy overhanging eyebrows, and deep
| set, keen, grey eyes, hard, proud, and
unforgiving, the embodiment of stern
self and rugged pride; the old woman,
gentle and quiet with downcast eyes,
| SOfu ICY IlaIi, dhN piVehobhN hISf
that told of nothing but love and charity.
And yet, though the two faces were so
unlike, keen observer might have de-
tccted an element of likeness.
There are some events. (happy those
who have known ponessuch) which,
coming intq 2 human fife;s sfeave- behind
I them q sfdsiow forever. 1t needed nc
secoud glance at these two persons to
know that some such event (some great
c;, Il owe ha1 y,ocsa1 nxyo
their lives. But as nature differs, so the
scars left by the fiery trial differ too. In
David Hollis face the shadow bore the
impress of humbled pride; in Marys,
that of wounded affection. The smile
on the old wolnan's lips, the kindly
smile that had rested there from youth
and that old age could not wear away,
though still sweet, was sad as well; and
the Kind voice that had SO often spoken
courage and cheer to others, had now q
tone of WEAKNESS and ever present pain
The rugged nature of David, on the other
! hand, seemed to have hardened under
the rod. The hard features had become
harder; the cold gray eye colder and
sterner than ever. Even now, while
reading the sweet New Years idyl, the
sweet story whose burden is the song ol
the angels, Peace on earth, good will to
men," his voice lost none of his accus-
toned harshness, but uttered the sacred
words defiantly in tones suited rather
to some tale of battle and violence, than
to the glad tidings of everlasting peace
Slowly and steadily, never raising his
eyes from the sacred page, David Holt
read on but even above his loud, harsh
tones could be heard the unmistakable
sounds of q storm raging without. The
wind howled and F0ared over the wild
West country moor, straining the cottags
caves, wrestling with door and easement
and piling heaps of snow high against
the lattice windows. 1t was a night in
which no one, with home to go to
would have been out of doors; any shell
ter, even the poorest and toughest, would
have been preferable to exposure to thai
pitiless storm. And yet out In the cot
. tage garden, under the full fury of the
bitter wind and driving snow, a woman
!. stood, bare-headed and mOtiOnless, gaz
ing through the lattice with wild, long
r ling, hungry eyes, at the homely scent
within. After little while she crep
into the porch, but not to ask for shelter
One knock at the door, as though deal
with a feeble or timid hand, was heard
and then, waiting not the result, she cam'
forth again and fled swiftly, her long hal
streaming in the wild wind, towards thu
open moor.
After a moment or two the door opened
the light from within casting broad
bright beam into the outer darkness, ant
> Mary Holt, shading her eyes with he
i, hand, peered forth into the storm. Sh'
caught sight OF the flying figure, ant
u calling to her husbend, the two gazet
: after It till 1t disappeared altogether ii
the darkness. David was the first to re
p enter the cottage, saying, as he did so
i "Come in Missus, come in, will ZEE? |
- % some foolish prank o. one o. the vii
lage wenches. She thought to fright us
/ reckon" His wife turned to follow
him, but as she did So stumbled agains
] a bundle lying at her feet. "She . lef
some'at behind her, them" said the oil
woman, STOPPING to examine it, when
faint, wailing cry was heard, and sh
started back an instant, then hastil.
snatching up the bundle, rushed into tn
cottage. "Oh, Davy, did 'ssever; 1t 81
: childW tl - el1 -.aoit0pItan09
( As she spoke she laid her burden .oi
i the table, and letting fall the thick wooiei
cloak in which II was wrapped, disclose'
q baby ofthree or four months old, who's
wide open eyes seemed to testify to tn
utmost aatonishment as TO how it SO
: there. With motherly instinct, the goo
: soul took the child In her arms, pressing
!, It to her bosom with murmurs ofendeaI
: ment. But Davids brow was black q
: night. "a pretty thing, the shameless