Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-26
From the Artists Love.
KRISS KRINGLH.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
BY FRANCES HENsHAw BADEN.


1t was Christmas morning. The sun
was shining brightly sn the new-fallen
snow. 1t was just cold enough to
freeze. The. sleigh-bells were ringing
The children were having a
gay time, skating and coasting, and
playing tricks on passers-by.
Hunting for some new amusement,
they spied, coming slowly and cautious
ly down the street, an old man. One
of the boys whispered: "Drop some
torpedoes on the pavement, and let
Old Slime step on them. Won't it be
jolly to see him skipping and Jump
ingi"
"oh, EugeneI you better not. 1t
might hurt him badly. I'd rather not
n1akefun out of old folks" answered
one of Engene,s companions.
''Oh, fudge! You have not bit Of
spunk, and talk just like girl III do
it, sure."
A few more moments, and the poor
old man came near, stepping on the
torpedoes, started back, Jet 20 Of his
stick, and fell forward on the bricks.
He lay so still, the boys feared they
had killed him.
Another eye besides theirs witnessed
the accident and its cause. A young
girl stood in the bay window. OF the
mansion before which the old man had
fallen; another instant and she came
running down the marble steps, and,
unmindful of her costly attire, the rich
silk that fell in heavy folds about her
form, she sank down beside the old
man exclaiming:
"For shame, boys! Come, Eugene,
and help me raise him. Nay, he must
be carried, Go bring Brown here" =
A moment or two after, Eugene re
turned, followed by a large, strong
looking man, who, in obedience to the
girls command, raised and bore to the
house the inanimate form of the poor
old stranger.
"Gently, gently, BrownI Place him
on the lounge" she said.
Restoratives were applied. Tenderly
he was cared for; and, after short
time, the kind girls efforts wers sue
cessful. The old man opened his eyes,
and looked ipquiLingly into her face
She explained the accident, and was
holding a glass of wine to his lips,
when q servant came in the room
bearing on silver waiter a card. 2 She
looked at it and said;
aTell Mr.. Granger will be up very
soon. -AskInamma to entertain him. u
Fifteen minutes passed, sssid still she
fingered with the suffering man. He
was lame, and the fall had occasioned
such severe pain to the afflicted link
that he had tainted. It was impossible
for him to walk at all, Just then.
A rustic OF siIken robes, and Mrs
Cameron glided into the room, and
stood looking With perfect amazement
on the scene before her. Kneeling be.
side the lounge, alternately bathing the
face and placing wine TO the lips of the
miserable old man, was her daughter
Florence who ?-what is the
meaning of this?" she asked.
The gentle girl explained, and hel
mother said:
zone of the servants could have at.
tended to him. Ifhe is able to be NOV.
ed now, you had better send word to
the proper authorities, and have him
carried to his home, or the aims
house."
"But. mamma, tte are the proper
ones to attend him. Eugene and his
companions are. accountable for his
suffering"
The old man said something in a low,
feeble voice, and Florence's ear was
bent close to catch the words.
"He will go home," he says. "Well,
you must waita little longer, and will
havethe carriage
: A carriage! IF you please, Florence,
send Brown to- procure one," Mrs.
Cameron said. AS she turned to leave
the room, she continued: "Mr. Grain
ger will feel fiattered by your conduct" /"
i'Send him here, mamma. / know
he viii think Pm doing right"
A few moments more, and Carl
Granger came into the room. Flor
ence's sweet, bright face, that had
been raised to greet him, was suddenly
clouded. She saw that she had mis-
taken her lover-for, with an express
sion of contempt, which he could not,
or cared not to hide, he looked on the
suffering man. Scarce had Mr.. Grain
ger passed. the compliments of the day,
when again the door opened, and an
other young man entered. He was
not strikingly handsome, like the 9TH
er, but his was the face of one that
children love to linger near, women
confde in, and men trust.
Excuse me, butI have permission,'
he said. Mrs. Cameron told me you
were entertaining your guests here"
Turning to greet Mr.. Granger, the
young man saw the sufferer on the
lounge.
"Who have you here? Are you hurt
sir?" he said, going up to the side Of
the old man and taking his hand.
Briefly Florence told of his fall; and
the look of admiration, nay, almost
alteration, which beamed in William
Hnrtley's eyes as they sought hers
J s.,oi,+ 20 l,a,,o bao,, @bo toI.. a. o-4:..I