The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-12-19

! i'''Nio"' DAL VII ItOSsi, tIit I'IcllN CUdln-
/ bermaid, had stayed to listen to it! It
was Christmas eve, and tomorrow the
"prodigal son" of the household was
expected home, as he had been expect
ed, o how vainly, for many q long year ::
and both the ladies' were so bus;ly en-
ployed in killing the ''fatted calf :"
against his coming that neither had a
moments time to waste on vagrants.
o, if Aunt Hetty" had not been so
| sOUndly sleeping, dreaming of the happy
days when Rob, the baby, made his first
appearance on the family stage. Again
big sister Hetty" carried the rosy
cherub III her arms, rocked him asleep
and worshiped him awake. She saw
him unfold once more like lovely
flower, all grace and dew and sweetness,
and then she saw with unspeakable an
guish how easily breath of sin blasted
his beauty. Once more she re-hyed
those terrible hours when Robert. her
idol, was proven to be yeriest clay.
Again she saw him erring-falling. fall
ing deeper and deeper into the abyss of
sin, day by day. Once more she saw
her talented, beautiful boy arrested for
| a heinous crime, committed under the
bestializing influence of wine, and heard
his cry of "Lost lost forever lost :"
Then she awoke and remembered that it
was on Christmas eve he went away,
| and again her presentiment returned,
/ that Christmas, the tender, merciful,
forgiving, reconciling time, would re-
store him to her arms. And SO, pray
ing and hoping, she falls asleep again,
and in a blissful dream saw the wretched
outcast transformed to a shining saint.
As for "my ladies" they were busily
engaged in putting on the " final
touches" hanging gifts upon the Won
derful Christmas tree; adjusting the
curtains so that only the artistic ray of
sunlight be allowed to enter. They
/ overlooked the dinner preparations, and
dressed the children il holiday attire,
all the while chatting Of the expected
guest. All would he come 1T last, the
poor, unhappy ywanderer? Hewould have
a story to relate that would harrow up
their souls ! II they had tears to shed
they would reserve them for his woes
for, despite the disgraceful stain he had
left upon the hitherto immaculate Dud-
cy escutcheon, he was well beloved Ill
the Dudley mansion ; and while they sat
in hopeful expectation of his happy re
turn, the poor, pale little pleader
went sadly away to his garret without
so much as kind word from them TO
relieve poor papa" woes
! Old Katie, alone, kept the child in
remembrance. "Bother the face iv
her!" she said, goss;pping over her tea,
/ TO Rosa. I'm blissed if she didn't
look the picter " master Robert at tin
And thin, the name " her Hitty-
list as Robert used TO call Miss Mchit3.-
ble and did she say it was her fayther
sint her? and would she be afther
wantin' to live with me leddies? faith
an it's Miss Hetty ought to know, an
its mesilf ought to nv called her to
sphake wild the child if the ghoust "
Bloody Mary had stood at the door II
the brat proves to be Robert gerrul,
and he a shtarvin wild could this Christ
mas Eve, one of them as is maxim so
merry above our hids II never see sun
shine again y.
Perhaps she'll go to Aunt Hetty's
Christmas Feast, suggested Rosa. Il
gave her ticket, and I've got her adj
dress on a slip of paper in my pocket. "
"Och the darlintj May the Howly
Virgin bliss yez fur that I'll stir myself
in the mornin an see if / can find the
place; an if iver l sit my eyes on that
child agin it's mesilf II know who's
fayther iv her, and mayhap bring him
home to thin as love him like their own
hearts blood y
Now, Aunt Hetty was an old maid. as
Won must know and, although she was
rather "down" on children, as class,
once or twice a year she liked to gather
2 perfect swarm Of little ones about her
to "satisfy the maternity within by the
lump" as she used to say. land have it
done with" About the time that Rob
ert's exile was over, and when they be-
came convinced he would not OF his own
accord come home, Aunt Hetty bought
a house-not handsome or grand
house. not in - frst-class location, by
any means; for into such house she
could never have gathered the cbil-
dren she wished TO find, but it was
bonse where the poor, the manned,
the lame, and the blind" could find
shelter and sustenance. IN fact 1t was
a haven into which she hoped poor
Bob and his wretched family might
drift some day and be restored t? her
arms.
In this house OF Hetty's was an I'M
mense room with long tables running
through it, and here was yearly spread
her Christmas feast, to which came
swarming myriad Of hungry children
some pretty large children among
them to be sure, but "of such even
the full grown ones ''are the kingdom OF
heaven.