The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-12-30
From Woods Household Magazine.
OUR CHRISTMAS STORY.

flowers that nestled lovingly IN the arms
of the eyergreens standing thickly in the
forest. or scattered hither and thither
through pleasure grounds. The air, was
keenly cold, but very clear No danger
of any storm this morning. The smoke
from the chimneys rose in upright feathery
columns, the side next the sun being gild-
ed by his rays Every thing wore holl-
day look. A sense of peaceful gladness
prevailed out doors and in, this happy
dawn. 2 sseSes
Bnt:lone before old "Sol with his
bright beams, or Bridget and her shafts
Of smoke were up, the children at the
house. on the hill were wide awake The
eyes so sleepy on other cold mornings re,
fused to- ssleepson this, and no bounds OF
patience or of prudence controlled them
In bed. In their white night dresses they
found their way into the warm, coy SIT.
ting room where the night before they had
hung their stockings in certain expecta'
ton that Santa Claus, who had never tor
gotten them on any previous Christmas
Eve excursion, would rememb ber them on
this. Trembling with anticipation their
little hare feet md wee fingers confident
fys approaeheds the plump mysterious
stockings, hung by the chimney with
care, Nor were they disappointed, the
patron saint sof school boys and children
had eenerousfy. and Discriminatory be-
slowed upon each 5ast what'she most de-
sired, and supreme content filed the little
bosons. No fearof their taking cold this
morning. Excitemcnt would have for
fhena3the effect, that pride often has tor
childrenso alarger growth. ga
After q oyfnl half hour had been spent
In the contemplation of their treasures,
the latter were carefully replaced Sin the
traditional repository and conveyed to bed
with their happy owners, for further and
closer inspection. No more sleep for
Gertrude and Minnie, but a long series Of
talks, interspersed with numerous chuck
lings and violent ,eommotions of bed
clothes, as housekeeping with the new
dinner set and dolls was Immediately in
stituted. Theysdi not suspect, that when
in1ths sitting room, they were silently
looked in upon by two or three OF Santa
Claus agents ts-mama, aunt Margaret and
biosister Jennie, who longed to witness
the sweet faith Of the little innoccnts.
After q while the household was astir
and halls and bedroom doors echoed to
g Merry Christmas greetings. Santa,
the sbonntiful, had visited every room,
Mr.. and Mrs. Ambrose, aunt Margaret,
Jennie, Grandfather. even Bridget and
black Lilly were appropriately remem-
befed. tsT "a :,s1ss :
The cheerful breakfast room was filled
with the. pleasant fragrance Of flowers,
Joyous salntations, and EXPLANATIONS of
pleasure and surprise, as each displayed a
gift, secretly wished for, low unexpected
II possessed. o, marvellous Santa many
thine eyes and large thy heart ;.
(" Christmas comes but once a year !"
saoely announced Mr.. Ambrose, and each
seemed bent on making the most of the
allowance. Was ever happier family
circle, or pieasanter breakfast, sparkling
with merriment and lively sallies, want
ing nothing to complete its pleasures.
Nothing! ah, it is not Heaven yet in
spite of all the blue sky, there was a
cloud. Robert. the! eldest and dearest,
was absent, and absent from choice. OF
late barrier had formed between father
and son. Years before, when Mr.. Am.
brose was school boy, animosity had
arisen between him and Joseph Suther-
land, prompted by jealousy on one side
and stimulated by pride on the other. In
college the disccrd was rndiminished and
when the young men left their Alma Ma
ter and entered the arena of business life,
Joseph Sutherland carried. his opposition
to Arthur Ambrose into every affair
where their interests met and Mr.. Am
broses had never seen fit to make a concili-
atory overture.
Three years before our story opens,
Robert the son of Arthur Ambrose, and
Alice, the only child of Joseph Sutherland
had met "by chance-the usual way"
and, in utter disregard of the hereditary
right they possessed to make each uncom.
Portable, had gone TO- the other extreme
and were as anxious to unite their inter-
ests, as their respective parents were to
divide theirs.
Robert would have left father and
mother to cleave only unto her who held
the highest place in his heart, but Alice
oentler nature refused to give pain TO the
parent who had lavished upon her the
whole of his affections, and who, however
rough and selfish toward others, had ever
been kind and gentle to her, and sedulous
ly endeayored to be to his motherless
chitdsin, the place of her, so dear to both
This charge he had admirably fulfilled
Alice never saw the dark spots of his dis
position: to her was always turned the
sunny side. No wonder then, that while
her heart crowned Robert Ambrose as its
king, she was unwilling to grieve him who
had until recently been all the world tc
her Three years had passed, and neithe,
the Ambrose granite nor the Sutherland
flint. had shown any token OF yielding al
atom Robert had grown grave anc