Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-10

and jokes and banter passed from ont
to another with the most good-naturet
freedom. Everybody but me was in
little group of friends. [ was the only
person III the whole theater that wa;
alone. And then there was such clap
ping of hands, and roars of laughter
and shouts of delight at all the fun go
ing on upon the stage, all Of which wa
rendered doubly enjoyable by every
body having somebody with whom te
share and Interchange the pleasure
that my loneliness got simply unbear
able, and / hated holidays infinitely
worse than ever,
"By five o'clock the holiday became
so intolerable that / said I'd go and ge
a dinner. The best dinner the town
could provide A sumptuous dinner
A sumptuous dinner for one. A din
ner with many courses, with wines O.
the finest brands, with bright lights
with cheerful fire, with every condi
ton OF comfort-and I'd see if couldn't
for once extract little pleasure out ot
holiday.
1.-The elegant dining room of the ia.
nous caterer looked bright, but it was
a Christians but mes There was q
f1utter of surprise when [ ordered a
dinner, and the few attendants were,
no doubt, glad of something to break
the monotony of the hours
'My dinner was elegantly served.
The spacious room looked lonely; but
the white, snowy cloths, the rich win
dow-hangings, the warm tints of the
walls, the sparkle of the fire in the
steel CRATE, gave the room an air OF
elegance and cheerfulness and then
the table at which [ dined was close to
the window, and through the partly
drawn curtains were visible pictures OF
lonely, cold streets, with bright lights
from many window, it is true, but
there was a storm, and snow began
whirling through the streets. I let my
imagination paint the streets as cold
and dreary as it would, just TO extract
little pleasure by way ofcontrast from
the brilliant room of which I was ap-
parently sole master
g dined well, and recalled in fancy
old, youthful Christmases, and pledged
mentally many an old friend, and my
melancholy was mellowing in a low, sad
undertone, when, just as | was raising
glass of wine to my lips, [ was start
led by a picture at the window pane.
It was pale, wild, haggard face, in a
great cloud of black hair, pressed
against the glass. As looked, it van
ished. With strange thrill at my
heart, which my lips mocked with a
derisive sneer, I finished the wine and
set down the glass It was, of course,
only begger girl IL at had crept up to
the window and stole bright glance
at the scene within but still the pale
face troubled me q little, and threw q
fresh shadow on my heart. / filled my
glass once more with wine, and was
| again about to drink, when the face re-
appeared at the window. It was SO
white, SO thin, with eyes SO large, wild,
and hungry-looking, and the black,
unkempt hair, into which the snow had
drifted, formed SO strange and wierd a
frame to the picture. that I was
fairly startled. Replacing, un-
tasted, the liquor on the table, Irose
and went close to the pane. The face
had vanished, and I could see no object
within many feet of the window. The
storm had increased, and the snow was
driving IN wild gusts through the
streets, which were empty, save here
and there a hurrying wayfarer. The
whole scene was cold, wild and
desolate, and I could not repress q
keen thrill of sympathy for the child,
whoever it was, whose only. Christmas
it was to watch; in cold and storm, the
rich banquet ungratefully enjoyed by
the lonely bachelor. I resumed my
place at the table /; but the dinner was
finished, and the wine had no further
relish. I was haunted by the vision al
the window, and began, with an unrea
| sonable irritat ton at the interruption
to repeat with fresh warmth my detest
atien Of holidays. One couldn't ever
dine alone on a holiday with any sort o
comfort, [ declared. On holidays on.
was tormented by too much pleasure
on one side, and too much misery OF
the other. And then, said, hunting
fer justitications of my dislike Of The
day, How many other people are, like
me, made miserable by seeing the full
ness Of enjoyment others possessed 2
'fOh, yes, [ know" sarcastisally re
piled the bachelor to a comment O.
/
generous and noble-souled people de
light in seeing other people made very
happy, and are quite content to accep
this vicarious felicity. But I, you see
and this dear little girl"
"Dear little girl"
\ ooh, I forgot" said Bachelor Bluff
blushing little in spite of a desperat,
effort not to do so. 81 didn't tell you
Well, it was SO absurd kept think
ing, thinking Of the pale, haggard
lonely little girl on the cold and desc
late side of the wlndow-pane, and tn
ovef-fed, discontented, lonely old bach
elor on the splendid side of the win
dow-pane; and [ didn't get much hap
pier thinking about it, [ can assur
you. drank glass after glass of tn
wine, not that [ enjoyed it's flavor an
more, but mechanically, as it were, an
: with a sort of hope thereby to drow
unpleasant reminders. I tried to al
; tribute my annoyance in the matter t
: holidays, and SO denounced them NOR
; vehemently than ever. I got up one
IN while and went to the window, bu
, could see no one to whom the pale fac
could have belonged.
C ''Atlast, in no very amiable mood,
r got up, put on my wrappers, and wer
, out; and the first thing [ did was
run against small figure crouching i
the doorway. A face looked up quicl
: ly at the rough encounter, and [ sa
: the pale features of the window-pan,
L was very irritated and angry, an
: spoke harshly; and then, all at once,
am sure L don't know how it hal
! pened, but it flashed upon me that
! OF all men, had no bright to uttera hars
word to one oppressed with so wretcl
4 ed Christmas as this poor creatrrl
was. | couldn't say another word, br
began feeling in my pocket for SON
Z money, and then asked a question {
! two, and then I don't quite know no
it came about-isn't it very war;
here = exclaimed Bachelor Bluff, risi1
/ and walking about, and wiping the pc
t splratlon from his brow.
/ " Well, you see," he resumed, ne
g vously, lit WAS very absurd, but [ di
1 not believe the girls story-the o.
y is.4o z l.. !