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

H.. INJURED the merchant, and, turnin5
away, he picked up the evening paper
to hide his emotion As lis eyes fell
upon it, paragraph attracted his at
tention. 1t announced the failure of
the bank in which his old book keepers
savings had been deposited. With q
sigh he handed it to Joe Darling, and
said
II deeply regret this, my old friend
My ruin was enough -
Old Joe read the announcement with
a sinking heart, and echoed the sigh of
his old friend.
"The Lords will he done, sir!" he
said "you ought to have all-but
am now penniless. Your trouble is
greater than mine. Any letters, sir,
by to-nisht'' mail Any resources OF
important intelligence?''
Ono 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 & Co. at
Antwerp?"
eyes, sir. What of him? Don't
! tell mc-he is not dend, sir?"
"No-that pang is spared me, but I
have bad, very bad news of Charley,
my old friend. [ wrote recently, an
! nounclng our situation, and recon-
mending his return, aud Messrs. Van
Zandt & Co. replied that he left them
nearly year ago"
cleft them2"
eyes, yes. He had fallen into evil
courses, and trey reprimanded him
| when he went off, no one knew where.
Letters we're written to me by the
house, but they must have miscarried.
Nothing has since been heard of Char
ley. I fear he has taken to more evil
| ways still. He may be dead indeed
Unhappy that I am! all connected
with me seem to turn out badly!"
The merchant uttered groan. Old
Joe looked at him with deep commits
seration.
81 am more unfortunate than you
are, Mr.. Worthington," he said, in a
low tone, II had a soma noble boy
he is dead, sir! You knew my Ed
mund! H. was so handsome, so spir-
tied, so bold and he was lost at sea
He was on whaler-the ship foun-
dered, and the crew were lost. My
poor Edmund We are truly unfortu-
nate fathers, sir!"
There the conversation ended, and
the merchant and book-keeper separ-
ated.
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 70 have
grown cold, and regretted their ina
biiity 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 as
Mr.. Worthingron locked his safe, and
put on his hat, he drew a long breath
of relief. Then, taking his old book
keepers arm, he went homeward with
thankful heart, and, as they separated
at the corner, he murmurcd:
Let us keep good heart yet, old
friend"
Christmas morning, and the snow
was falling and the wind whirling it
around like mad. A thousand COLLINS
seemed laughing and turning summer
saults and ha1ling each other as they
spolt ted round the gables and whistled
through the keyholes and chimneys,
wild with mirth at the coming of
Christmas, and old Joe Darling's small
house, in q remote street of the great
city, seemed especially honored by the
hobgoblins, who shook the windows
till they ratified again.
A great fire was burning and the
break fast-table was set, and old Joe
was rubbing his hands in front of the
blaze and looking out of the window,
when voice behind him, with rush
of laughter in it and sounding like a
silver bell, exclaimed:
"Christmas gift, father, dear! I've
caught YOU"
Old Joe turned round. AS he did 80
q pair of rosy lips pressed his cheek
and two arms cluug around his neck,
belonging to little fairy of seventeen.
"Why, you look like sunbeam,
Daisy" he said.
And indeed the face resemblcd one,
so brilliant Was the light of her eyes.
Daisy was small, with a neat, cosy fig
ure, in plain but pretty dress; and
you saw at glance that this was one
of those little-tingeredf Airies, who are
the blessings of the homes in which
they rule.
The father smiled, and passed his
hand fondly over her hair. As he looked
at her he thought Of his well-nigh pen
miless condition and heaved a sigh.
"Poor little lady-bird! Ihave moth
ing for you :" he said, signing 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:
GIVE got Christmas gift for YOU,
father DEAR
'Havc you? Now, you've gone and
worked your little fingers to the bone.
1t 8 y cravat, Or"
"No, indeed, I've done nothing OF
the sort-that is not your present.
The rush of Joyous laughter in the
GIRLS voice nc:,rIy drowned her words.
She 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
hantlsomest Christmas-tree imaginable
-. hushy cedar, full of light blue-ber-
RIGS, and having returned from church,
whittier she went !nt;fulIy with the
rest, she proceeded, WITH the aid OF
Uncle John, her prime friend and ia
vorite. TO ,lcc's the wnnlrons tree will
it's brilliant ornaments. AS. evening
drew on it was finished, and erected on
the sideboa,l-its paper baskets, and
presents, and tapers making it q
magical spectacle to the young Oar
Iings, who gazed ut it with open.eyed
wonder.
Then the Christmas dinner appeared
and rivcted ali eyes. The great roast
turkey, and round of beef, and thanking
side dishes, aroused wild enthusiasm
in the young ones. Old Joe devoutly
said grace, and the youthful member:
, of the Darling family, chirping like ,
flock of birds, called each others ut
=, tcution to the splendid banquet.
All sat down. Old Joe looked round
"There's one seat too many" III
> said.
"I set it there, brotlIcr,,' said Uncle
8 John, TRANQUILITY.
, "t' or whom, brother? Have yo,
4 invited some friend e.
T. "No brother, 1 thought OF our Ed
! nlnnd."
The old ook-kcepcr looked wlstfnll.
p at his brother, and then went and hclt
i. out his hand to him.
WThnnk VOL brother" he said III