The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-07

The stranger, answering rather the
spirit than the letter of his words, con
! tinued-
"To-morrow's Christmas-day. Fol
twenty years past I've been q wanderel
on the face of the earth, and this is tht
first Christmas-day, during all that time
I've spent In England. / have no friends
not so much as q dog or cat, and DOM
like the idea of spending Christmas by
myself Will you take compassion on me
Mr. Todds You've a Christmas face, and
I've q notion could enjoy Christmas very
well in your company. Will you take
compassion on lonely old man, and
let him spend to morrow with you and
your familyf"
John Todd was in much perplexity
His warm heart felt for the lonely stranger,
by whose frank address he was much pre-.
possessed. On the other hand, there was
Miss Pinnifer's statement, and John could
not quite get rid of vague apprehen-
sion that the stranger might, If f'admitted,
take advantage of an unguarded moment
to handcuff the family all round, and
bear them away to perpetual imprison-
ment; last, but not least, was the consid-
Grafton that the larder was by no means
sumptuously furnished, and that the
Christmas fare was likely to be of an es-
pecially meagre description. The last re-
Election dictated his reply.
II you re really in earnest, sir, it 'ud
be unbecoming in me to say no, when you
do me the honor to ask it. But we poor
folks don't live like the gentry, you know
sir, at the best of times and this year
we've got even shorter commons than
usual We've hearty good fellowship,
sir, but very little else to keep Christmas
with"
"And hearty goodfellowship is the
very best dish at the Christmas feast," said
the stranger. "Beef and pudding are not
to be despised, but they're only secondary,
after all Well, you haven't said no. SO l
shall consider myself accepted. I've
dined off baked potato before now, and
l shall find enough to eat, never you
fear. What's your time? One o'clock
very good"
"This lady and her brother reside in
the house, sir, and they were going to club
their Christmas dinner with ours, if you
have no objection"
Collection l, my dear Todd you for
get that Pm only a visitor. Objection
certainly not. The more the merrier, l
say. Madam, your most obedient."
Miss Pinnifer relaxed 30 far as to cour-
tesy with dignity, still, however. keep
ing her muff available for defence, if neces-
"Well, that's settled" said the stranger
"And now I've got some little matters of
business to attend to, so I'll wish you a
good night Good evening, madam.
Don't distress yourself about the trowsers,
Mr.. Todd"
With these words the unknown de-
parted, leaving Mr.. Todd and Miss Pinni-
fer dumb with amazement. The latter
recovered her speech first, with the OBJ
servation, "Did you ever?" Mr.. Todd
looked at her for few moments. At last
he calculated, slowly and distinctly, " No,
/ neverp
"What a very singular person, Mr..
Todd. You're quite sure you've never seen
him before?"
Never to my knowledge till the other
night" said Mr.. Todd.
"There's more in this than meets the
eye" said Miss Pinnifer.
"You still think, ma am"
"Well, no, not entirely. l must say I
expected to see quite different style of
person. But there's no knowing. shall
be on my guard"
"If he isn't q detective, what can he
want to come here for?" said Mr.. Todd.
"It's the most extraordinary thing ever
heard in my life. I don't know what
Milly will say to strange gentleman COM
ing to dinner but couldn't help ii, could
now? I'd better tell her at once, and
get it off my mind"
"Ill say good night, then" said Miss
Pinnifer. I've left my brother too long
alone already"
Mr.. Todd wished her good evening, and
dived into a small parlOr behind the shop,
where his daughter, Milly, sat sewing,
with three younger brother Todds, max
ing more or less noise, around her.
Milly Todd deserves paragraph all to
herself, as the pleasantest possible speci-
men of good little English girl She
was not beauty, but better than beauty
in the possession of the more lasting come
illness which is derived from bright
smile, a sweet temper, and pair of clear,
earnest eyes, made none the less expressive
by the near neighborhood of a saucy
little retrousse nose. Her wavy brown
hair had not ripple out of place, and her
plump little figure was encased in we'll
fitting dress, which, though it bore the
marks of long service, was neatness itself.
In fact, take her altogether,-but that is
precisely what you would have wished to
have done; orSif you did not you must
have had very bad taste indeed. There
are some women one always wants to kiss
at first sight, and Milly was one of them.
John Todd entered the room in high
state of excitement. "Milly, my girl,
here's most tremendous go"
why, father dear, what ever is the
mattCc,s"
Matter enough, my dear. Here's a
gentleman coming to spend Christmas day
with us. Invited himself, and accepted
with thanks"
"He won't have much of dinner, then,
father, dear; but he's welcome. Let me
guess who it is,-not old Mr.. Bellamy?"
"No, my dear, it isn't old Mr.. Bellamy,
nor young Mr. Collins either, though l
dare say he'll find his way here in the
course of the afternoon, eh, Millys No,
this is quite a stranger; quite the gentle
man, too, can tell you"
"But what mares him want to come
here, then, fatherff
"Well, my dear, that's more than can
tell you, except that he said he was a
stranger and had no friends, and that he
thought from my face that he could spend
a merry Christmas here That's all nom
sense, of course; but the long and the
short of it is, he's coming"
Nonsense, indeed, for anybody to like
my dear old fathers face" said Milly, kiss
ing him. "It's handsomer than half the
young ones now, and like the gentleman
for saying it. No friends that's very sad.
Poor old gentleman, I'm very glad he's
coming but wish we had little more
to give him"
aThat's where it is, Milly 80 do 1 but
we must make the best of it. What have
you gotf"
"Well, father, I've a nice bit of beef,
and Miss Pinnifer is going to bring some
sausages. I'm going to make pudding,
but it'll be only kind of q make believe
to please the boys. They wouldn't believe
it was Christmas, you know, without the
pudding. 1t isn't much of dinner to
set before q visitor, father"
"Never mind, my dear" said her father.
"I wish it was more; but we must make
it do. Make the pudding as good as you
can. Let me see. / know l haven't
much in my pocket-only eightpence:
Well, my dear, every: little helps. l
shan't want my half-pint of beer to night"
Dear old fatherf No, no; you're not
going without your supper, sir, can tell
you, for any amount of grand visitors.
/ know what can do. I've got half
crown upstairs that had put by for
something else, but it doesn't matter, and
that will help us out capitally."
With bright smile, though with little
choking at the throat (for the halfcrown
had been saved by pennies to buy neck
tie for certain Charley Collins, whose
acquaintance we shall make by and by),
Mill rooa IN seook her hoard. but her