Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-25

Tho employees retired on this, not
daring, it seemed, to intruie further
o., the head of the house. a.. :.
Father in Heaven, thank Thee =
muImured the merchant, and. turnin6
away, he picked up the evening paper
to<hide his emotion. As his eyes fell
upon it, q paragraph attracted his at.
tention. 1t announced, the failure sof
the bank in which his old book-keeper's
savings had been deposited. With e.
sigh he handed it to- Joe Darling; and
said
81 deeply regret this, my old friend
MY ruin was enough - s :, -
Old Joe read tie announcement with
a sinking heart, and echoed the sigh of
his old friend..s ,-,... -: -
"The Lords will be done, sir!" he
said; "you ought to have all-but I
am now pen1iless. Your trouble is
greater than mine. Any letters, sir,
by to-night's mail Z Any resources OF
Important intelffgence
"No resources, Joe, and bad news.
almost worse than all.''
=" Worse, sir!" -
eyes, yes You remember my son
Charley; of course you remember him.
You know he went about two years
since to live with Van Zandt 4 Co. at
Antwerp2" :.;...i
eyes, sir: What of hima Don't
tell me-he is not dead, sir2"
"No-that pang is spared me, but I
have bad, very bad news of Charley,
my old friend. / wrote recently, an
nouncing our situation, and recon-
mendipg his return, and Messrs. Van
Zandt & Co. replied that he left them
nearly year ago"
Left them9" - -'>'.
eyes, yes. He had fallen into evil
courses, and they reprimanded him
when he went of, no one knew where.
Letters were written TO me by the
house, but they, must have smiacarriel.
Nothing has since been heard of Char.
Icy Il fear he M. taken 10 more evil
ways stif. He may be dead indoedj
Unhappy that I am! all connected
with me seem to turnout badly!" SO 4
The merchant uttered q groan. Old,
Joe looked at him with deep commits.
seration. = -:,...
"I am more unfortunate. than You
are, Mr.. .Worthington," he said, in =
low tone, 81 had = soma noble boy
he is dead, sirl. You knew my: Ed
mund! He was SO handsome, so spir--
tied. so bold and he was lost at sea!
He was on q. whaler-the ship foun-
dered, and the crew. were lost. NV
poor Edmundl We are truly unfortu-
nate fathers, sir!" '.': 3. ..
There the conversation ended, and
the merchant and ook-keeper separ-
ated.. 5,
Through the following week untir-
ing efforts. were made to collect the
resources of Worthington Brothers.
But slight success crowned the mer-
chants efforts to. rescue the house.
Friends of past years seemed TO have
grown cold, and regretted their ina
bility to render assistance; and it was
only by great sacrifices that the house
succeeded in making all payments up
the day before. Christmas. In this,
however, the firm succeeded, and az
Mr.. Worthington locked his safe, and
put on his hat, he drew long breath
Of relief. Then, taking his old book
keepers arm, he went homewerd with
a thankful heart, and, as they separated
at the corner, he murmured,: - .. -.
"Let US keep a good heart yet old
Christmas morning, and the snow
was falling and the wind whirling it
around like mad. A thousand goblins
seemed laughing and turning summer
sau]ts and halling each other as they
sported round the gables and whistled
through the keyhOles and ,chilnneys,
Wild with mirth at. the coming OF
Christmas, and old Joe Darling's small
house, in afremote street of tho great
city, seemed especially honored BY the
hobgoblins, who shook the windows
till they ratified again. 81
A great fire Was burning, and the
eakfast-table was set and old: Joe
was rubbing his hands in front of the
blaze and looking ont of the window,
when voice behind him, with a rush
of laughter in it and sounding like q
silver bell, exclaimed:
"Christmas gift, father, dear! I've
/ caught you" ,.r- -
Old Joe turned round. Aa he did 80
pair of rosy lips pressed his cheek
and two arms cluug around his neck,
belonging to little fairy of seventeen.
"Why, you look like a, sunbeam,
Daisy" he said. -. =:
And indeed the face resemblod one,
so brilliant was the light Of her: eyes,.
Daisy was small, with q neat, cosy fig-
ure, in plain but. pretty dress and
YOU saw at q glance that this was one
of those little e-fngeredt niries, who are
the blessings Of the homes il which
they rule. -, !" - r".'.~
The father smiled, and passed his
hand fondly over her hair. AS he looked
at her he thought of his well-nigh pen
niless condition and heaved sigh.
st Poor little lady-birdl : / have moth
ing for you '" he said, sighing again.
/ But Daisy did not seem to regard the
circumst ances as at all depressing. On
the contrary her face glowed, and turn
ing her bright head toward one side,
she whispered S"-@' = 49,.
"J've got Christmas gift for ydd,
father dear 90 =. ''a*< '- "
"Have you9 Now, you've gone and
worked your little fingers TO the bone.
It's a cravat, or"
"No, indeed, I've done nothing .oi
the sort-that is not your present."
The rush Of joyous Laughter in the
1 girl 's.volca nearly drowned hex words.
4 Size seemed Bursting to reveal some
secret. Their talk was interrupted,
however, by the appearance of Mother
DARLING. and her flock, with old Uncle
John, looking wise and secretive. :.
Daisy had procured, somewhere, the
handsomest Christmas-tree imaginable
La: bushy cedar, full. flight blue-ber
ries, and having returned from church
whittier she went dutifully with The
rest, she proceeded, with, the aid o.
Uncle. John, her prime friend and ia
vorite.s to deck the@wondrous tree will
it's brilliant ornaments. As. evening
drew on it was finished, and erected OF
the sideboard its paper baskets, ant
presents, and tapere making it I
magical spectacle to the young Dar
, liugs, .;wh9. gazsd at it with epeneeye'
~~Then The Christmas dinner appeared
andsriveted I'll eyess 1Ntss<1g great Sroas
turkey, and round OF beef, and flankin
? side dishes, aroused wild enthusiasm
in the young ones. Old Joe devoutl,
. said grace, and the youthful member
, of the Darling family, chirping like
y flock of blrds, called each others al
. tention to the splendid banquet
;. All sat down. Old. JOeslookedaE0und
"There's one: 'seatF too many" b
y said.
"I set it, there, brother.."s said Uncl
\ o'a1s :.for os. om:ss.blrosher r 81 ,~@Aave 70