Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-12-26
For the INDEPENDENT.
THE CHRISTMAS GIFT.

and cold. with great flakes ofsnow
floating languidly down and along
the thoroughfares filled. with
shifting tide of hurrying humani
ty: kind fathers, laden with votive
offerings to Santa Claus; happy
mothers, with hearts full OF loving
plans for the little ones tonight
stern men, Fastening home to
empty hearthstones; sad eyed wo-
men, missing the merry music OF
a little tongue that prattled of
Christmas delights last year.
A man, tired of facing raw
Worcester, that all his foX-furs
failed to battle, catching q glimpse
of the glowing base burner behind
the plate-glass of NJ. Genin's jew
elry establishment, turned in with
genuine American expletive,
and made directly for the great
store with its myriad, car
buncle-like windows The fox
furs thrown aside, we observe d
broad expanse of bosom-linen,
with something that sparkles sus-
piciously like a diamond in the
pin that secures his scarf; above
this, pointed black mustaches, that
scarcely serve to conceal the fexi-
bic curve Of a rather scorntui
mouth - nose, too, Roman for
grace, and eyes, that, just now ARE
divided between an admiring in
spectlon of a glossy boot, and
white, well-shaped right hand,
carefully kept as any of the Metro
politan bellies. 1t would take no
very acute physiognomist to dis
Germ that the gentleman was per-
feetly satisfied with himself on the
evening in question. He pulled
down his waistcoat complacently,
with q sidelong glance in the mir
ror opposite, at what went to make
up very distingue tout ensemble.
and he started visibly, for rarely
amused pair of eyes had encoun-
tered his own in tn mirror, ana
there was merry mockery In
them that sent the blood in waves
to his face. like the veriest school
girl. He turned, and the same
eyes, serious enough now, looked
up at him from behind the coun-
ter.
"Can I serve you, sir?"
She could not have been sixteen,
for when she rose her stature was
but that of child. but her tea
ures wore demure expression OF
gravity, and there was an ODD de'
mand for respect in her every GEES
ture.
81 want a Christmas gift for my
mother-can you help In the selec-
ton ?n
She gave him g glance, tanta-
lizing, almost saucy, with the same
mocking sarcasm that had struck
the death blow to his complacency
then sho smiled, bending over
her pretty wares.
"Truly now, sweetheart or
lover and the playful levity
with which she questioned him
was.too fascinating to be resisted.
"What does it matter? The same
would do for either"
"Indeed, no! In all the stories |
ever read / never found that the
same thing did for either men
don't get their mothers straw
diamond necklace like this. or "a
emerald brooch like the one you
are inspecting, or Italian vases
like those in the window, do they?
No!no! they buy some inexpen-
sive little thing like that veneered
trinket- case, or these dear, little
napkin rings, don't they?"
How audaciouS she was, land how
pretty She stood there with 81
little rivulet of diamonds flashing
through her fingers, and her fresh
red lips curved mockingly, her
brown eyes with bantering light
in them steadily regai ding the city
exquisite, who, strange to say, felt
a queer little thrill run along his
bldse system as he looked at her.
81 think / will have this; it is
entirely appropriate for sisters"
said the gentleman, drawing from
it's velvet resceptacle q slender
golden circlet plainly enamelled,
with five small diamonds set cres-
cent wise in bed of seed pearls.
Her eyes sparkIed furiously.
"How queer you humankind
are" with her well-poised head
on enc side, as though she was
criticising him from an opposite
standpoint, "How did you know
it that it is not to be purchased for
love or money? 1t is my ring, my
mothers bridal ring. Papa sent it
to the factory to have the dia-
monds frightened, and it came back
with the new goods. Papa tells
me he has had five applicationslfor
it this week."