The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-12-19
M j S G eIIa1a JUS.
For tic -Lgis and Htel1igeacer.
A CHRISTMAS TALE.

In the year IS, on Christmas eve,
lady aged about thirty years, and two
bright, beautiful children, the one boy
and the other gill, aged respectively six
and eight years. were sitting over Il few
Goals in an old, uncomfortable house, on
the banks of the Hudson, about ten miles
above the city of New York They were
cold and hungry. The lady's name was
Minnie Morton. She was the wife of DR..
Edmond Morton. Mrs NJ. was lady of
refinement and education, and had been
very beautiful, but her trials during the
preceding year had made sad inroads on
her beauty. Her children were good, hand
some and intelligent. The Doctor had
married this lady in Richmond, Va. She
was of good parentage, but at the time of
their marriage she was an orphan, and
alone in the world, having no relations in
America. She was Il dear, loving wife, and
a kind atfectionate parent
Twelve months prior to the above date
DR.. Morton sailed for Europe, in the brigan-
tine Goou Hope, the object of his voyage
being to transact some important business
for O New York merchant, at the city of
Naples. This gentleman, in whom the
Doctor placed implicit reliance, agreeing to
take good care of Mortons family during
his absence; but shortly after they sailed
the merchant failed in business, from hay
ing endorsed for an unprincipled villain,
and lost all he was worth, and the severe
reverse in his circumstances soon caused
| him to sink under his misfortunes and he
died, leaving Mrs. NJ. in strange village,
| without means or friends. The lady man
aged to support herself and children for Il
time by keeping a small select school but
time passed on, and the sad intelligence
came that the Good Hope had fallen prey
to the Barbary rovcrs and that all on board
the ill-lated ship had either been killed or
sold into slavery at Algicrs
OF course Mrs. Morton received this dis
tressing intelligence with heart broken deE-
pair. She could no longer keep school, and
she sold off every thing she could spare and
rented Il small, uncomfortable house about
halfa mile from the village, and commenced
to live with the strictest cconoay. On the
day when my story begins, she found her
self destitute. She had sold all her jewclry
and every thing else she could possibly
spare, had dressed herself and children in
coarse attire, and had lived in the most
frugal manner. But now Christmas Eve
had come, and whilst thousands, were pre-
had no wood to make fire, nothing TO eat
and no money to buy anything; and to add
to her sorrow, her landlord paid her visit
Oh this evening and demanded his last
quarters rent. She frankly told him that
she could not pay him, as she was destitute.
This fellow was Il brutal, uncouth rascal,
and was n widower. lie was quite rich,
and had 10 need o! money, but he had
another object in view; Tor he now told
the mourning, beautiful and refined lady,
that if she would marry him she should
live like lady, and offered TO marry her
the next day. The astonished and indig-
nant lady answered him dcliantly, telling
him to leave and never speak to her again,
and that he now had her answer and shut
the door in the villains face. The ugly
rascal now lett, black with rage, swearing
that he would throw her and her ID
brats out of doors before New Year.