The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-12-30

I11e 1eOAA1ok/OAsS ~ ~ -------
On sped the train, his longing to stop
for church ungratified. Alice again was IS
in his thoughts. What was she doing, all
alone all day? for he would not reach
home until night. She must be very lone
"! Nobody to wish her "Merry Christ
mas" excepting the domestics. A lonely
Christmas dinner; not even present
the irst,time she. had ever missed that;
but owing to his absence it had been neg
lected this year. Not even. a letter, for,
thinking to reach home, he had not writ
ten. Poor, pale Alice it was too bad, it
was all wrong. She ought never to be left
so. What was lie thinking of, to leave her
all alone? But what else could he do?
His brother was sick, and his presence was
not only consoling, but imperative. But
then, Alice-ah, yes Alice ought to have
some one besides her father to guard her
from such experiences as she was undergo
ing to-day. She ought to have little, bird
like voices wishing her "Merry Christ.
mas" She ought to have rosy cheeks and
happy eyes. And why had mt she 1? Then
his brow contracted. If she had not been
so silly and obstinate as to like Robert
Ambrose, the son of his enemy!-but what
was that-about "peace," and -"good will''?
And wasn't there something, too, about
Glowing enemies? Love his enemy How
could he? Love the man who had always
crossed his path triumphantly! But Alice
was not his enemy; should he be magnan-
imous enough to give her to old Ambrose's
son-old Ambrose, who-but when MIR.
Sutherland thought the matter all over,
he could not tell, after oil, what Mr. AM
brose had done, excepting to be more for
tunate and successful thanihimself, always,
from d boy up Thatused to seem enough,
but today, somehow, things seemed differ
ent from ever before. He began to won
Ger ifshe3had been at tault-.he began to
wonder if he had ever been good to Alice.
Save in one matter, his conscience acquit-
ted him on that point. On the other, he
felt something like shame; but that.was s.
new sensation to him, and after little he
fell asleep, tired of his thoughts, and wea.
ry, too, from the watchings ard ,solicitude
ofthe sick, chamber he9had, ,left:- 3sG2 Z
The afternoon was waning, and, some.
what wearied by very pleasure, the Am
brose family clustered around the open fire
place 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,' observed Jennie, "has near
Iy completed his daily round, but he seems
10th to cause a shadow to fall upon the
day he has done so much to make radiant"
"Yes," replied Alice, sand therefore he
is layishing his royal store of purple and
of gold OIL sky and mountain, ,ere he grad
ually disappears. : :.
"And,". said Mrs. Ambrose, she will
soon be sending some brilliant billet dour
to console us for his absence and assure us
that if his face is withdrawn, his thoughts
are still with u.s.
"What does mamma mean ?" whispered
Gertrude to her father.
"Look out the window, up at the sky"
he answered, "and perhaps you will see
one" ~
The children rushed to. the window to-
search the sky for billet dour, and in al few
moments exclaimed, go, know ! 1 know!
mamma means the stars. There are three;
and now there are four. But how does
the sun send. them, papap did not know
the sun had any thing to do with the
stars"
Dir. Ambrose always answered his chill
dren'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 astronomy. When he had finish
ed, he told his little audience that he could
not instruct them gratis, and should claim,
as payment, the song, ssStar of Wonder,'
which debt the youthful voices promptly
and harmoniously discharged This i'm.
portapt matter disposed OF, Jennie seated
herself at the piano, and soon all voices
ioined in. glad carols and Christmas an
thems.
The sun had quite gone now; dusk was
stealing closer and closer, but the singers
sang on, by the qufsering light of the
wood fire. Thus an hour passed, and
Alice and Jennie commenced the duet of
DR.. Mulenberg's beautiful carol. As their
sweet voices Joined i'll the stanzas,
"Dscord sure must cease-
Who 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 fill"
Mr.. Ambrose felt as if he were guilty
man, to have lived SO many Christmas
Days cherishinga bitter feeling against
any creature. In the frame of mind in
which he was now, at once soothed and
elevated, anger or any low passion seemed
so insignificant, SO much OF earth, earthly,
that he wondered how lie could have al
lowed himself to be- so influenced.