The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1869-12-23
Selected Christmas Story.

- 4.Is
1t was Christmas Eve, and our little
drawing-room looked snug and bright as a
room could look 1t was not by any means
difficult apartment to light, being some
thing less than fourteen feet square, the
spacious bay-window not included, and,
execrablo as is suburban gas, You might
have seen to read the most dimlv printed
penny paper in our most distant corner.
But small as was the room, it was the sort
OF evening that would have made you in
stinctiyeIy draw your chair close up to the
cheerful fire that went blazing up the Lii
liputian chimney. BY the way it crackled,
you could tell there was bitter frost out.
side; you might have guessed it, too, by
the marked difference of temperature you
experienced in the aforesaid bay-window.
Suburban window frames would hardly
carry off gold medals at universal exhibi-
tions as triumphs of menuiserie. It was,
indeed, most scqsonable weather for anv
one who had a snug roof overhead, and
credit with his coal-merchant and trades
people generally. With these and an ca
sy mind, the intense cold without OUGHT
to have given kconer zest to the quiet
enjoyment within.
Unfortunately the minds of both nv
wife and myself were much disturbed.
The fortunes of the morrow depended on
the events of the night; and we we're wait
ing oxpectant, in all the feyorish anxiety
Of wishes unsatisfed and hopes deferred.
"Nine o'clock striking, John. Well, if
it does not come in another hour I give il
up"
"Aftor ALL" said 7, affecting eoagd
donce | was very far from feeling, "the
railway companies must have a great deal
to do tonight. Upon my word, now that
[ think of it, it's much more likely that
they will deliver it the first thing to-mor-
row."
"Nonsonse, John. You know that I'm
Gle Wumel said it should be here by
Christmas Eve at latest, and he is quite
sure to have kept the safe side, and sent
it off in time"
1t was our Christmas turkey that was
in quostion-ours by promise and by gift,
at least; although doubts, shadowy at first,
had gone on gradually assuming consisten-
cy and shape, until we nearly arrived at
the conclusion that it must have become
some one elso's by right of capture. Ny
wifo's uncle, old Mr.. Wurzel, of West
repps, had promised to contribute to our
Christmas dinner one of the primest of his
celebrated breed of Norfolk turkeys. In
the hospitality of our hearts we had i'm
mediately taken steps accordingly.
The fatted turkey being, as we fondly
imagined, provided, we had Immediately
bidden the guests to come and feast on
him. Our little dining-room was but
small edition of the drawing-room; and
even when four chairs were arranged round
its dwarf table, there was but scant space
left for the evolutions of our plump maid
servant. So the invitations issued were
perforce limited to two; these were ad-
dressed, first to my Quilter, whose articles
to an eminent solicitor had just expired,
and who was "looking about him" with
view to starting on his own account; and
secondly, to my wife's cousin Palette,
Jealous artist, who hoped one day to take
high rank as an historical painter, and who
meantime lost no opportunity of making
study of the passions. Quilter, as I knew,
had thrown over several other engage
ments to come to us, for he had told me
so; and as for Palette, he was the most
frank Of men, and had had small scruple
in intimating to US that he looked forward
with at least as much pleasure to a meet
ing with the Westrepps turkey as to the
reunion with bis cousin and her husband.
For Westrepps is and has from time
immemorial been famed for its turkeys;
and Mr.. Wurzel has made reputation by
them, as his neighbor, the late Lord Lei
cester, has done by the sheep. In autumn
you see them trooping by hundreds over
the wheat stubble, and through the rick
yards among the falling grains. They
pass a brief but happy life in that Nor
folk Eden, gorging and regorging their
portly persons. When cut down in their
golden prime, and despatched to the Lon
don market, they enjoy posthumous tri-
umph as the crowning glories of the choic-
est stalls in Leadenhall. Roasted, and
reposlng on monster dish, overbearing
in death as in life, they almost elbow the
less essential fare from modest-siGed ta-
BILE; and next day, when itreappears grill
ed and poppered, the very thigh has more
an tn-nl, nr,r thn L.. c Ii. &. |