Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-12-23

fireplace for quiet chat. Gertrude, and
Minnie held their dolls very closely
and Aunt Margaret tossed her baby boy
and gave him laugh for laugh.
"King Sol.n observed Jennie, ''has
nearly completed his daily round. but
he seems lOath to cause shadow to foil
upon the day he has done so much to
make radiant"
"Yes, replied Alice, land therefore
he is lavishing his royal store of purple
and of gold on sky and mountain, ere
he gradually disappears"
And" said Mrs. Ambrose, che will
soOn be sending some brilliant 6itte'
doa1 TO console US Tor his absence and
assure US that if his bright face, Is with
drawn, his thoughts are still with US"
'Wbat does mamma mean?" whis-
tpeEed Gertrude to her father.
Look cut the dow, up at thesky,
he answered, land perhaps you viii see
one.n
The children rushed to the window 10
search the sky for billet dour, and in a
few moments exclaimed, 20, l know
know, mamma means the stars. There
are three; and Cow there are four. but
how does the sun send them, papa? L
did not know the sun had anything 10
do with the stars
Mr. Ambrose always answered his
children's questions, unless they were
| beyond him, as children's questions are
sometimes beyond the ken of human
mind; so he mounted one on each knee
| and proceeded to give Gertrude and
Minnie an elementary lesson in sstron-
omy. When he had finished, he told
his little audience that lie could not in
struct them gratis and should claim, as
payment, the song, star of Wonder,
which debt the youthful voices prompt-
| lv and harmaniously discharged. This
important matter disposed OF, Jennie
seated herself at the piano, and soon all
voices Joined in glad carols and Christ
mas anthems.
! The sun had quite gone now; dusk
was stealing closer and closer, but the
singers sang on, by the quivering light
! OF the wood fire. Thus an hour passed,
and Alice and Jennie commenced the
debt of DIR. Mulenberg's beautiful carol.
As their sweet voices Joined i'll the
stanza.
| s'Discord sure must cease
VINO dare hate his brother
On this day OF peace.
| While the heavens are telling
! To mankind, good Will,
Only love and kindness
Should each bosom hl,
Mr.. Ambrose felt as if he were u guilty
man, to have lived SO man. Christmas
Days cherishing; bitter feeling against
any creature. II the frame or mind in
which he was no, at once soothed and
elevate, anger or ny low passion SEEM
ed so insignificar t, SO much of earth,
earthly, that he We ndered how he could
have allowed himg elf to be so influenced.
= He was so absorbed in his self-con-
demnation that he did not hear the re-
mainder of the music, nor the door open.
He saw, however, two gentlemen adj
vance toward the freight, aud recogni-
zed his son Robert. His greeting OF sur
prise aud pleasure, attracted the singers
and in q moment Alice sprang to EN-
brace the second yisi or, who was none
other than Joseph Sutherland. Mr..
Ambrose's first feeling was that of dis
pleasure, so little do we know ourselves,
| but when Afr. sutherland said, less ele-
gantly than sincerely,
Ambrose, L am a fool, and have been
all my life, but / have been thinking
abont this thing all day, and wish you
would agree with me to let by-gOnes be
| lby-gones." Mr.. Ambrose grasped his
| hand and murmured, "who dare hate
his brother on this day of peace" Mr..
Sutherland caught the last word, and
with firm grasp Of Mr.. Ambr0se's
hand resumed y! thought II you were
wiling We would 90 TINS matter up
square" 80 called on TINS young lei
low and brought him along with me,
and we VIII make IL up TO Allce thls
way, in place OF the pre- cent she was TO
have had from her OLD iather TINS morn
ing Alice, poor girl : and MS voice
grew very tender. have not been as
good father to you. as thought all
along was, but you shall be happy yet.
| Alice, now more resembling a carna-
ton than a lily, amazelnent predomlna-
ting in her mind, still clung to her faith
er's until Mr.. Ambrose took her hand,
saying with his accustomed ease,
Miss Alice, your father and have
exchanged pieces today. He has brought
Iny. son Robert to his home once more,
and consider it my privilege TO give
away the bride. -
A general laugh followed this little
sally, during which Robert advanced to
claim his Christmas gilt. 1t was dilll-
ness, or Alice's in its complete restlnl.