The Lincoln County herald., 1869-01-01
From Poterson's Magasino.1
THE ORPHANS NEW.YEAR'S EVE
BY FRANK LEE BENEDICT.

Such a dreary, dismal New.Ye4r's Eve,
endurable only as it made thu comforts OF
home contrast more strongly with the
dark hcss and cold without.
Snow and ice on the pave clouds
and dark ness overhead chill wind that
struck to the very heart, barbed with
fakes Of snow which stung like tiny dag
gers, and gave fierce menace Of the sterner
winter beyond.
Slowly out Of the darkness came the
child into the Pickering glare Of the street
lamp. She had just passed man muf
fed in thick, warm garments, who bad
not even heard her broken petition for
help, or noticed her desolate appearance
"a man who all his life had consulted
his own ease and selishness more than
the comfort Of any human being, and who
now, hurryiug along under tho inaueu c
of numberlcss bitter feelings, was not
likely to think Of any other creature s
distress.
She came on toward the corner house
where the lights streamed through the
shuttcrless windows, and lay broad and
full on the deeply tracked snow.
She climbed up the railings aud stared
in at the window, 80 benumbed now with
cold that she did not suffer with the
acutcness of the previous hour, stared in
with vague idea of comfort connected
with the bright lights and the cheerful
FIRE fell as the glow fell over her hands.
Such piteoYs sight, as she stood there,
with tho angels up in heaven, and New.
Years Eve on earth
The wind was blowing her thin dress
and shawl wildly about-in the darkness
Of back street she had lost the old shoes
which partially protected her feet, and
now they cluns naked upon the iron
rails-her head uncovered, and her long
hair streamcd over her face as if trying
to keep 1t warm.
The worn, haggard little face, with
childhood aud happiness frozen out Of it (;
tho wild, despairing eyes, with look SO
strange for o child's eyes to wear, gazing
in at the fire and the lighted room. yet
seeming whole world away from its luz.
ury and warmth.
She had set her old basket down upon
the stones. It was almost empty, and she
had not dared to 60 back to the place she
called home; SO, after tho night came,
had wandered about the streets, growing
colder and colder, weeping sometimes in
chilled, nerveless way at others stamp.
ing upon the ground with o passionate
bitterness taught by the precocious hard.
oning Of her life; settling at last into q
passive misery which was in her face still,
as she cluug against the frosty iron rail.
ings and pcered into the lighted room.
The family were gathered in that pleas.
ant apartment. Old Mr. Leyton looking
so content with the cares and troubles OF
a long life left behind, and that peace
in his face which is the glory Of old ago
young Mr.. Walter, and Els wife, aud The
little ones, and quite crowd Of youthful
cousins, all spending the evening with
grandfather and cousin Mildred.
She alone was wanting-an unseasona.
bic visitor had called cousin Mildred
away more than an hour before and
though be had been heard to leave tho
house, Mildred had not returned to tho
library.
The room was quite dcsolate withou.
her. It always was, and, having decided
that her absence was not to bs borne lon.
ger, . chorus Of voices rang through the
hall,
"Mildsed ! cousin Mildred Are you
never coming back?"
The voices reached the little morning
room where Mildred had received her
visitor, and where she still sat just as be
had left her, leaning over the FIRE, looking
absently into the blsse, aud thinking Of
oil that lay between her and the inno-
csneo Of her girlhood-looking back as
We do at thirty, when any chance moi
dent or person who ought to lie quietly
buried in the past, comes up suddenly
and looks 10 in tho face. % had happened
to Mildred I.eyton that night.
A tall fair woman Of . goodly presence,
with face out Of which The freshness OF