Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-25
+" TO-MORROW'S CHRISTMAS
BY BRET HARTE.

tltth WAS III klat1SstDies Inc rev DOulQe
that had marked the summer ford
Eimpson's crossing were obliteTated by
vast sheet Of water stretching to Il
foothills. The up-stage was stopped
Changers; the last mail had been aba
doned in the tules, the last rider swir
ming for his life. San area, y remark,
the Sierra Avalanche, with pensive loo
pride, "as large as the State Of Mass
chusetts is now under water.n
Nor was the weather any better in Il
foothills. The mud lay deep on 4
mountain road; wagons that Meth
physical force nor moral objurgatiC
could move from the evil ways in
which they had fallen, encountered Il
! track, and the way to Simpsons bar w
Indicated by broken-doWn teams ar
hard swearing. And farther on, cut {
and inaccessible, rained upon and b
draggled, smitten by high winds al
threatened by high water, Simpsons b,
on the eve OF Christmas day, 1862, cluI
like a swallows nest to the rocky ental
lsture and splintered capitals Of Tab
Mountain, and shook in the blast.
AS night shut down on the settlement
a few lights cleaned through the mi
from the windows of cabins on eithG
side of the highway now crossed an
quilted by lawless streams and swept b
marauding winds. Happily most 9th
population were gathered at Thompson
store, clustered around red-hOt stove
at which they silently spat in some &C
cepted sense Of social communion tina
perhaps rendered conversation unneces
| sary. Indeed, most methods of diver
sion had long since been exhausted a
Simpsons Bar; high water had suspend
ed the regular occupations on gulch ant
on river, and a consequent lack of mon
ey and whisky had taken the Zest from
most illegitimate recreation. Even Mr.
Hamlin was fain TO leave the bar witt
fifty dollars in his pOcket-the ONLY
amount actually realized of the largl
sums won by him IN the successful exer
else of his arduous profession. 'sEf
was asked he remarked somewhat Ia
ter-"ef was asked to pint out purity
little village where a retired sport a
didn't care for money could exercise
hisself, frequent and lively, I'd say
Simpsons Bar; but for young MAI
with large family depending on his
exertiOns, it don't pay" As Mr.. Ham
Inns family consisted mainly of female
adults, this remark is quoted rather tC
show the breadth of his humor than the
exact extent Of his responsibilities.
HOwbeit, the unconscious objects o.
this satire sat that evening in the istles:
apathy begotten of idleness and lack Of
excitement. Even the sudden splashing
Of hOOfs before the door did not arouse
them. Dick Bullen alone paused in the
act of scraping out hiSpipe, and lifted hi:
head, but no other enc Of the group in
Dictated any interest in, or recognition
OF, the man who entered.
1t was a figure familiar enough to the
company and well known in simpsons
bar as ''1'he Old Man. !" A man ofperhaps
fifty years: grizzled and scant Of hair,
but still fresh and youthful Of complex
ion. A face full of ready, but not very
powerful sympathy, with a cameleon-
like aptitude for taking on the shade
and color of contiguous moods and feel
ings. He had evidently just left some
hilarious companions, and did not at
first notice the gravity OF the group, but
the shoulder of the nearest joe
uiarly, and threw himself into a vacant
chair.
''Jest heard the best thing out, boys!
Ye know Smiley over yar-Jim Smiley
man in the Bar? Well, Jim
was just telling the richest yarn abou-r
"Smiley's - fool, interrupted a
gloomy voice.
"A particular - skunk" added
another in sepulchral accents.
A silence followed these positive
The old man glanced
quickly around the group. Then his
face slowly changed. ''That's So" he
said reflectively, after 4 pause, certain
" sort of a skunk, and suthin' of a fool.
In course He was silent for a mo-
ment, as in painful contemplation OF
the unsayOriness and folly of the I'M
popular Smiley. i'Disrnal weather, sir.
amt it?' he added, now fully embarked
on the current Of prevailing sentiment.
q Mighty rough papers on the boys, and
10 show for money this season. And
tO-mOrrOw's Christmas"
There was a movement among the
men at this announcement, but whether
Of satisfaction or disgust was not plain.
i'Ges, - continued the Old Man in the
lugubrious tone, he had, within the last
few moments, adopted-"Y Christ
mas, and to-night's Christmas eve. Ye
see, boys, kinder thOught-that is, /
sOrter had sn idee, jest passin' like You
knOw-that may be ye'd all like to
come over TO my house tonight and
have q sort Of tear round. But sup
pose, now, you wouldn't? Don't feel
ike it, may be?" he added with anxious
peeping into the faces of his
"Well, l don't know responded
Tom Flynn, with some eheerfulness.
: P'riaps we may. But how about your
wife, Old Man2 What does she say to
t?n
Before he could reply, Joe Dimmick
with great directness, that it
vas the sold Mans house, and that,
INVOKING the Divine Power, if the case
we're his own, he would invite who he
,leased, even if in so doing he imperil-
d his salvation. Thepowers Of evil, he
urtheT remarked, should contend
Igainst him vainly. All this delivered
With terseness and vigor lost in this
translation).
Gin course. Certainly. Thet's it.n
aid the Old Man, with a sympathetic
rOwn. "Thar's troubleab thet. It's
ny own house; built every stick of it
myself. Don't you be afeard o. her,
'Oys. She may cut up a trifie rough
2 Wimmen debut she'll come round -
secretly the old man trusted to the ex-
ltation Of liquor and the power Of cour-
geous example to sustain him in such
U emergency.
sAs yet, Dick Bullen, the oracle and
sader Of Simpsons Bar, had not spo-
en-. He now took his pipe from his
ps. "Old Man, hOw's that yer John !
Y gettin' on? Seems to me he didn't !
)ok so peart last time l seed him on
be bluff heavin' rocks at Cinnamon.
'idn't seem to take much interest in it. !
har was a gang Of 'em by var yester-
ay-drOwnded out up the river-and |
inder thought o. Johnny, and how !
ed miss 'enli Maybe, now, we'd be in !
le way eff he wus sick"
The father, evidently touched. not
ally by this pathetic picture Of Johnny's |
eprivation, but by the considerate deli
acy of the speaker, fastened to assure
i'm that Johnny was better, and that a
little fun might 'liven him up.D
Vhereupon Dick arose, shook himself |
nd saying, Pm ready. Lead the
ay, old man; here goes, " himself lead
he way with leap, a characteristic
owl, and darted out into the night. AS
e passed through the outer room he
aught up a blazing brand from the
earth. The action wasrepeated by the
st Of the party, closely following and
lowing each other, and before the as
'nished proprietor of Thompsop,s
roeery was aware Of the intention of
g guests the room was deserted.
The night was pitchy dark. In the
rst gust OF WIND their temporary torch
were extingUished, and only the red
aids, dancing and flitting in the gloom
ke drunken Will-o'-the wisps, indicat-
| their whereabouts. Their way led
, Pine-Tree canon, at the head of
bich broad, low, baTk-thatehed cabin
lrrowed in the mountain side. It was
le home of the Old Man, and the en-
ance to the tunnel in which be worked
hen he worked at all Here the crowd I
fused for moment, out Of delicate