Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-12-26
The Christmas Rosaries
By NARY f. C. WYETH.

BY MARY f. C. wYETH.
Ever since May Leslie could remem.
Der anything, she remembered with
pleasure the bright and glittering neck.
lace of real gold beads that encircled
the graceful throat of her favOrite aun-
tie. When she was wee, tOddling ba-
by, she had reached her tiny fingers af-
ter the shining globules, and crooned
and cooed in her most fascinating baby
fashion, to the bright trinkets, which,
had she succeeded in detaching from
the fOndling auntie's neck, she would
most probably have swallowed, one by
one, as long as the beads and digestion
lasted. As she grew older, her admira-
ton for the pretty necklace did not in
the least abate; and her greatest delight
was to have the silken cord which held
the yellow spheres tied round her neck,
SfOr just teenty minute" .H ts5
Mays aunt was an agreeable young
woman, fond of her many brothers and
their several families of engaging little
prattlers, who, in their turn, were al
ways glad to welcome dear, story-tell-
ing Aunt Madge to their household cir
cles. tiH. }si .'
When May was about ten years old,
her aunt came to spend the holidays
with the family of her brother Ben,
Mays father. Before she had been an
hour in the house, May had contrived to
whisper quite confidentially. i...f,-,..r
"WOn't you let me wear your gold
beads just minute, this evening, Aunt
Madge? Cousin Del is coming to stay
all night, and | should like them, just
little, teenty tonty minute.'' And the
good-natured aunty had answered in an
equally confidential manner: 30
"Yes, all the evening; and I'll tell
you and Del story of blessed Christ
mas, besides, if you'll coax papa to
build a rousing fire in the boys room
can't tell this story by an old black
stove. 1t needs hickory logs, and bright
Goals, and apples toasting on n string,
and chestnuts and pop corn popping on
the hearth; for it's story of the dear,
old-fashiOned times.'' ;,.. .....,f.r
May fairly screamed, If there was
one thing more delightful to her than
any and all others, it was Il ''bOys' |
rOom'' fire. The room itself was a long,
lOw-ceiled apartment over the dining
room. The floor was covered with rag
carpet, and furnished with the Oldest
fashioned furniture. Such lofty, ma
hogany bedstead, with pineapple on
the tip of each post. Such claw-footed,
brass-ringed bureaus and stands! Such
a square, stiff-backed settle! And un-
der the broad mantel-shelf, OH sHch a
crowning glory of a Fireplace!
The room was usually warmed in
winter by pipe that came through the
floor from the stove below; but on rare
occasions the great fireplace was filled
with dry sticks of hickory wood. from
the well-seasoned "bOys' room pile"
Not thar there's We're any boys in the
family of Mr.. Benjamin Leslie. Oh, no!
Little May was the only child of the
But the brothers, Mr.. Ben
jamin's and Miss Madge's eight brothers
who were scattered far and wide, in
deed, but who came, at odd times, by
twos and pairs to visit the old home-
stead, and to spend night or two in
the room that all remembered with
tender affection as the nursery of their
and, in later years, as the
free-and-easy den, sanctum and asylum
all in one, OF their whole boyish band.
They had all gone away from it, but it
would always be "the boys ROOM" Mr..
Ben kept wood pile for the old fire
place, and think he was quite right,
when he said, this Christmas eve, as he
built the noble fire, that sister Madge
enjoyed the quaint comfort of the dear
old room as keenly as did any of the
boys. And so it chanced that upon
Christmas eve there was glorious fire
in the "boys' room," and May and Del,
supplied with strings and apples, and
chestnuts and pop corn, wheeled up the
old, hi.h-back settle, and nestled be-
side Aunt Madge, who, with bright eyes
grown strangely dreamful, watched the .
leaping flames dart up the broad chim-
ney, and thought of happy Christmas
ewes so long gone by.
"Oh," "cried Del, quivering with de-
light, s'to-morrow will be Merry Christ
mast .f..... |
"Aunt Madge said BLESSED Christ
mas" when she lent me the BEADS"
whispered May, softly. So F-Hi-. o /,
eyes," said Aunt Madge, smiling ur-
on the waiting little maids, 81 was just ,
it. Dear Aunt James blessed
Christmas"
"Who was Aunt Jane?" asked May;
"my Aunt Jennic?" -.....
"Oh, no, answered her auntie. "No-
body knew rho she was. But let me
tell my story properly; and to do that
| shall have to 90 away back, years be-
fore was born" 8
"Oh, how funny" laughed Del, but
Aunt Madge went on, without seeming
to notice the interruption. g.-
"T0 the days of which have so Of
ten heard my dear mother tell, when
Leslieville was only little village, in
which everybody knew everybody else;
aud the post Office was also the store,