The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-12-30

the dressing gown and embroidered slip
pers that were to please her father when
he should return.
On any other day she would not have
been so lonely, but this bright beautiful
morning with its joyous associations,
ought to be received, Alice thought, in
a different frame from that in which she
found herself. If her father had been at
home, it would be very different, but he
was not, and try as she would, her usual
selfcontrol was not at her command.
Very unlike her solitary meal to the
lively party at Mr. Ambrose's. There not
only the members of the family and allthe
household partook of the festivities of the
day, but others, less blessed in temporal
matters were hidden to their Christmas
cheer. Several baskets of provisions and
half a dozen parcels of clothing changed
owners that morning, as black Lilly's
somewhat tired arms and two pairs of
chubby cheeks made roster by the frosty
air can testify. Scarcely were these de;
lightful expectations to the neighboring
ottases.concluded when the large sleigh
was driven up to carry all off to church.
Joyously pealed the bells, louder an and
clearer as they neared the town. The
streets were. thronged with worshippers
of Him, whose great gift more than eigh-
teen hundred years ago has made all
Christmas tokens doubly precious.
To the happy sleighful never had the
day appeared so lovely and yet so sacred.
/ The church, when1 they had entered its
Mortal Fad never looked SO beautifully dec
Grated. Surely the good pastor had new
er preached so eloquently before. His
discourse seemed -oterfowiEg, with. the
| spirit of the love that ION this day gave
peace to earth, and never, never had the
chorus "Glory to God in the Highest ,
seemed so Hand complete, or atlle solo,
"on earth peace, good will TO men " fallen
SO distinctly upon the ear and fingered in
the heart as on this occasion. Why: was
it-all2: 3e,ENf SsS s /;
CAS- the party were abou. to drive of,
Alice Sutherland, standing on the church
steps appealed strongly with her pale face
and wistful eyes, to Mrs. Ambrose moth.
erly heart. She had never shared her
husbands objection to the child of Joseph
Sutherland, and now she said,
eve must take Alice home with us,
poor child! Come girls, sit up close; Ger
trude, your aunt Margaret wants you on
her lap. Alice, Alice Sutherland, we are
going to carry you off to Christmas at our
house, jump in here, beside me- Alice
was easily taken captive. The lonely
house at home, and the contrasting thought
of the joyous family partyat the Ambrose
homestead, passed quickly through her
mind, SO with heightened color and !
brighter eye, she gladly suffered herself
to be helped in by Mr. Ambrose, who was
too vel! bred to allow any discourtesy to
guest Of his wite's.
Lively conversation mingled with the
merry iingllng of sleigh bells and Alice's
spirit began to rise. Arrived at her des-
tination it would have been impossible to
resist the kind attention and delicate SYM
pathies of all the feminine portion of the
household She felt more like the Alice
of olden time. Mr.. Ambrose seemed
touched-his heart was SO very tender to-
day-by the bright sweetness of the girl,
and he several times found himself think
ing chow like Alice is to her mother, and
how unlike her father" He did not know
that he blamed Robert SO very much, af.
ter all, but then she was Joseph Suther-
lands child, Notwithstanding her blonde
complexion and winning manner-so gran
ite was itself again.
Alice's father had been detained longer
than he expected. To the serious illness
had succeeded death, and Mr.. Sutherland's
presence had been required to arrange
many matters, and to comfort the bereav.
ed ones, so that it was not until the morn
ing of Christmas Day that he was at lib
erty to start homeward.
At first, his thoughts were upon the sad
scenes he had left, and from the affection
he felt for this favorite brother and his
family, his feelings were unusually tender.
As he drew near home, his thoughts turned
thitherward, and entered fondly upon his
beloved Alice. He recalled the few, but
oh such happy years, he had spent with
her mother, ere he had been called upon
to pass through the same sorrow that was
now crushing the heart .of the widow he
had parted from that morning. Alice
looked very like the one whose name she
bore, but not so fresh or gladstone, and,
for the first time, the father was willing to
acknowledge to himself that he was the
cause of the alteration in his child, He
had often been angry with her for her OBJ
stinacy, as he was pleased to term it, but
never before had he blamed himself Now
his heart was subdued1 by the softening
touch of grief
| He thoughtit must be trying to those so
recently afflicted, to witness the festivities
of this joyous festival, and see all around
them so gay, while they were in the first
throes of fanguish and then he thought, as
he was not wont to think, of Him who came
on this day to, bripg "peace on earth,"
and then he tried to recall the rest of the
words sung by the angels on Bethlehem
| c..tl,x +l,o xuho1o