The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-12-23
a Christmas Sturu.
THE EVERGREEN MESSAGE.

There are few things more drcary
than to ride through the cold aud dark.
ness of II winters night on railroad
train. The icy blast freezes you as You
essay to mitigate the horror of bad air
by an inch Of open window. Dim. fan.
tastic shapes glide out of the darxGes
and vanish us you speed by A sense
OF rushing blindly at the unsasE comes
over the mind. 1t is as il some Comet
in headlong race had caught up aud
whirlcd of victim. Far away YOU see
the flash Of candles in distant windows,
aud somehow it adds To your forIornity.
There is cheer and eoHiort in which you
have no share, and people are warm aud
happy; while you, homeless wauderer
FOLLOWING the track of an irresponsible
monster, just Craze the edge of their
circle aud are borne away again, And
then the monster gives shrek which
the night rc,ccho-s and if there is II
burden on your heart it grows heagier,
aud the little troubles Of every day
which 1t is so easy to fight by sunlight
crowd IN upon you, aud every thing
seems gloomy and overwhelming.
II was IN something OF this ecrle
mood that Georgia Wnre, lying back in
her seat, with one soft cheek pillowed
on her mufl, watched the outer darkness
S"ue ny as the express tram bore her
l.. IL
nor'hward one cold December night.
iier cousin beside her was fast asleep,
Tue iresi country roses OF her tuce un.
di'nmed oy even the long days, travel
nu, George was not OF the sleepy kind,
anu forced Fiyacity being no longer
eaiied ior' her lace had fallen Into many
,iStiess Enes SAD TO see IN one SO young
r,r she was only h'"eteen--thl' girl
VINO vas cunning herself SO unhappy
ana strange !" say u is often IN very
carry youth 'hat hie ; burdens seem
hcaviestand most inevitable, and yonth's
orlght po'.iDl,'''es are least realized
l "n' aifald We older people would
hardy rtehon uvorg'e 5 case so pi'iable.
she mad health, beauty, an abundant
nome klnd parents, all sorts OF tastes,
faculties, hhil developed capacities--a
iiie iG us bud 10 be sure, she and
Allan beeS~lth had quarreled and
broken Oh their eng cement but that
was no uncommoa sorrow. Temper on
one side, pride on the other, the we'll.
meant interference OF mutual friends
nothing could be more horribly easy
than the way the thing had come about.
"She was bored" she SAID Life seemed
heavy aud distnsieful, and she needed a
change, and was glad to get away
while for this Christmas visit to New
Englahd-that was all. In the DAYTIME
she could cheat herself aud the rest OF
the world; but now, in solitude aud
darkness, her trouble took possession of
her, and great tear stain dimmed the
glossy fur which pillowed her cheek.
1t annoyed her. She pulled down her
v-il, aud hoped llatty wouldn't wake
up fra long time yet.
Hatty was obliging Ii was not uutil
the lamps of the Kiunicutt Station flared
IN her lace that she reused herself; and
by that time Cousin George" was
agaiu the wonder OF style and eompos.
ure who had so impressed her youthful
fancy Papa was on the platform
Further on stood the swift Vermont
trotters, and the sleigh with ;ts hot
bricks and buffalo robes aud as the
bells jingled aud the powdery snow few
along their rapid course Georges spirits
rose, She half believed her recent dis
composure dream born of cold and
fatigue. 81 shall be all right again
now" she said to herself, as they drove
up to the door.