The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-12-24
JAMES CHRISTMAS GIFT.

Tree. reaching It14fN "
of the fresh evergreen odor were waited
through the room, pressed out of the
doorwavs and far down the hall; the
shadow of the tree sent long. delicate fin
gers airily searching among the flower
clusters OF the vases near beyond among
all the branches were to be seen such traces
OF Santa Claus as if he had been bent on
out doing there every thing that had ever
been heard of him in the wide world at
Christmas time; down from the chande-
liers the lights gave kindly and contem-
plative attention the fire leaped up in the
CRATE with uncommon hilarity as if to say:
Glad to see you, good st. Nicholas haven't
had the pleasure since long time ago;
silver stream of laughter poured from the
nursery and rippled up and down through
all the passages-sUch a struggle has the
sleep-angel always with fair eyelids in the
child world on Christmas eve.
And there sat jamie, mistress of the fair
home temple in its holiday adjoining and
mother of the gay children laughing and
coquetting with sleep; around her mouth
were sad little lines fast impressed there,
enough to make one grieve much to see.
And YOU would have wondered all the
more what could have made them grow
there so if you had known that from
among the tangled home music no baby
laugh had ever been withdrawn up there,
that no other than the sleep-angel had ev-
er closed the eyes of any of JAMES, fair
children and JAMES husband was honor
ed among men and jamie was an envied
woman.
Tears fell fast as she reviewed all the
Christmas ewes since her marriage morn
ing, weaving out of their events pathetic
little history with only Robert and her
self as actors Robert and herself once
lovers. Was this welded life then, NOV
ing on all marvelOusly fair in a girls out
look beneath her bridal veil over the days
to come, to find true description only in
Balzac's gloomy chapters on Petty An
noyances of Married Life" So different
grew the Christmas ewes for jamie, drop
ping one by one the blossoms OF poetic
feeling, one by one the cadences soft and
tuneful, the souls singing how dear one
other is, dropping even the gallantry
which devoted men give loving wives, I'M
til instead appeared dearth OF marriage
beauty, and here sat jamie looking out up
ON the desert where no sweet dew came
down, where no bloom breathed forth a
fragrance of tremulous love.
Ii might have been more dreadful to
ness in one welded; it was pitiful enough
for a soul like JAMES, to look backward
upon the long ebb of that warm tide which
wraps hearts away out of GOODNESS and
death into the sweet bliss of life. 1t was
pitiful indeed, and voices of the past grew
more significant uttering into Janie's con-
seriousness the unwritten pathetic history,
grew nearer the truth of cauSation compar-
ING this and that on to the time when even
bitter speaking had come to pass between
the twain made one; and the voices made
denominations against herself for having
martyred love.
Still Robert had been often wrOng-the
voices did not deny that-and earlier had
spoken sternly to three days bride, who
wept for hours in consequence; had told
her then he found her sensitive blossom,
and like Il sensitive blossom would he
hereafter guard her; many an earthquake
had violently shaken the sensitive blossom
since that day; but alas how well she
knew the sensitive blossom had as often
revealed spirit not common at all to the
gentle floral family; and jamie remember
ed how often along the way she had parted
company with fOrbearance, and this sut-
fering long and being kind had not been a
beautiful virtue taught by the wife and
mother i'll her household.
As two friends gaily joining hands
across tiny beck and wandering care
lessly Oh where it flows between them
until it widens to the hands unclasping,
Robert and jamie had moved side by side,
with differences swelling 10 wide and
turbulent flow between them, when
Janie's eyes were opened on the Christ.
mas eve to see it all, to feel the slow i'm
Fortunate receding-the gradual yielding
of the clasp once too seeming strong fOI
any power in the world to part. And
seeing all, she cried across to him in ter
rible anguish 80, Robert, let us bridge
it." And entering as the words thrilled
forth, her husband thought at first she haC
been sleeping-it was well past midnight
And seeing there the laden Christmas tree
he was reminded that great perpleXitieS
had driven from his mind all thoughts of &
gift for jamie. Then he told her thai
with great misgiving, and, scanning hel
face, beheld thereon a look of yearning
above material gifts. That sacred bridge
to be builded never by worldly cost! She
and Robert drawing nearer heaven anC
drifting wider from each other!
Somehow, among the Christmas orders
that potent spirit visiting his home OF
NHTlSIludS eve. anu lOOhlDS dG llldJ luOlutH
out of a woman's eyes, took Robert in pos
session, and filled him also with a sense Of
how they were Withholding each from eacf
promised gift, while freely giving wha
is sold and bought. And the Christina!
morning coming over the land found jamie
and Robert lovers, for the sacred bridge
was builded by the strength of both il
charity, and no longer were they divided
by even tiny beck of doubt or rebellion
Never was such precious Christmas Civ
ing" said jamie, and the lights from thu
| chandeliers gave soft attention, and tin
fire leaped high up il the CRATE to say
"Glad to see you, good st. Nicholas, glat
you so beautifully remembered these TIVE
children And JAMES, friends all won
dercd why she had no Christmas gift, ant
why she seemed so happy.
elbow light the touches are
That kiss the music from the chords of life,"
murmurs jamie, while the perpetual gif
goes on in gracious installment of pOeti
| tendernasses which raise marriage life, a
| thoughts follow habits, to fragrant Eden
where the dew falls not alone upon tn
wedding morn, but daily after.
/ M -