American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-12-26
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, ANDIN
MY LADY'S CHAMBER.
A Chrisenpas Story.


A Christmas Story.
X. W. RAYMOND.
UPSTAIRS lived the musician all alone
Downstairs lived the old shoemaker al
alone. In the lady's chamber, with the lady's
parlor opening out Of it, lived the lady, like
wise all alone-excepting her maid but she
doesn't count, you know. In other words.
the house was let to dodgers in stories, and
the shoemaker had the first story, the lady
the second and the musician the third, which
was also the attic, and gave him the privilege
Of the roof
All three Of them led quiet and discomfort
ed lives The musician had to play in
chestra, where nothing was required but
what he called trashy light music, and that
he abominated- Moreover, he had to give
lessons on the violin to several pupils, none
of whom had any genius for it, and all OF
whom would have failed to master it. even
with genius, because they had no application.
This he disliked more than the orchestra; and
he used to retire to his solitary lodgings and
revenge himself upon society by fierce medi-
tations, now and then, of starry night, seat
Ing himself on the roof and confiding his
restless feelings to the sky by means of wall
ing melodies upon the vfDlin have no doubt
he thought this music of high order,
ana wondered why such strains were not APP
preeiated by the public. In truth, however,
1t was not much better than that he play ed
in the orchestra One WIS trashy and light
the other was trashy and heavy; that was all.
Yet the musician could have composed heav-
Nobody can set to real music and song to his
fellow Men the theme: "Behold how much
more refined l am than you are" This was
what the musician was forever doing; and
no wonder people didn't appreciate him. He
didn't deserve it.
The shoemaker downstairs was lonesome
too. Not that he spent any time bemoaning
his lot, or really knew what the matter
with him. He was industrious and sober; he
earned good wages, saved a large part of
them and put it in the bank. His only pleas
ure was to see in his handbook how the de-
posits were accommodating. Yet he was not
naturally miser, nor did he cherish any
plans as to the disposition of his money. He
had no thought OF spending it or bequeath-
ing it to anybody. He had merely got into
the habit OF doing nothing but work and save.
While he worked he neither sang nor read,
nor thought much. When he was younger
he had done all three, but that was years ago
and he had got out of the habit of it, though
II anything had shaken and stirred him up
think he would have surprised everybody with
his native good sense and shrewd wit. As it
was, nobody in the world knew what there
was under his crust. Folks called him Old
Pegs; and recollect how, once upon a time,
when q few Of were talking of a wonderful
new invention for making shoes by machinery
somebody said: 's Talk Of a shoe-ms kin y
machine! Old Pegs is the best one that will
ever be found-warranted to run all day with
out watching, do good work, make no noise
and need no repairs"
Then there was the lady on the second floor.
She was widow and well off as to money
matters; but she had lost her only child as
well as her husband, and she wanted to get
out of the world. So she had rented the sec
Ond Moor. and there she lived with a maid to
wait on her. One of the maids duties was to
answer calls at the door, and tell everybody
that the lady received no company. The lady
gave her the necessary instructions for each
day the first thing in the morning, and then
spoke to her no more.
The rooms were handsomely furnished, for
I.Ex~ h<se
elegant way. The parlor was full Of books
and engravings. A picture of the ladly's hus-
band on one wall faced a picture of her child
ON the other; but both were covered with
Grape, because she couldn't bear she said to
look upon them. A piano stood there too;
but it never was opened. The curtains were
always down, and blinds closed; the rooms
were somber and gloomy, though little sun
light would have changed them marvelously.
There was nothing the matter with them ex-
cept the lady's mOurnful life.
As for her, she read and unused great deal,
and was convinced that her existence was
blasted Her health failed sOmewhat-she
said by reason of her grief; but the doctor
said from lack of air, exercise and amusement
At these words, when she first heard them. she
gave a shudder of horror; but the doctor in
sisted, until she yielded SO far as to take occa-
sional rides in a close carriage.
Thus ups stairs. down. stairs, and in my ladv's
chamber there was Loneliness and unhappi-
ness, which the sufferers charged on Heaven
Dut WHICH was really ali lnelr own fault- They
were naturally good people, too, which made
II all the worse; since they had no excuse for
allowing themselves to fall into their present
condition Selfshness--that was what troubled
them. Selfish refinement upstairs; self
ish labor down stairs; selfish grief in INV lady's
chamber And thus it happened in that house,
what l trust was not the case in any other
house OF Christendom, that Christmas morn
ing came, and no one paid much attention to
it. No one, that is TO say, except the ladys
maid, who appeared before her as usual with
a curtsy; but instead of waiting to receive in
structions as to dinner, and so forth, she said,
very quickly, as II she had thought it all over
and put it in the best words beforehand " II
you please, ma'am, I'm going home Tor to-
day, and will come again in the morning.
got up early, and swept and busted, and got
your breakfast; but you'll have to make your
own bed, ma'am, am sorry to say, for can't
wait any longer. 1t wouldn't be fair to the
children, ma am; they've voted not to look at
the stockings till l got there, and promised
to he there by nine.''
Now, if the little maid had delivered a
shorter speech, the lady would have made, l
fear, snappish reply, for that was her first
impulse; but the allusion to children turned
her thoughts little, and she said, not un-
kindly: Very well; 90 and enjoy yourself
Alas. my days of happiness are OVER With
that the little maid, trembling at her own
dacity, said: If you please, ma'am, it would
DO you good TO see the children, and they
would be proud to have you come" But the
lady waved her hand and sank into an arm
chair, overcome with the mere idea: and
when she lifted her face from her black
edged cambria handkerchief the little maid
was gone.
The lady couldn't really enjoy her grief un-
less everything was in order about her: so the
first thing she did after breakfast was to
make the bed and arrange the chamber with
her own hands. She had not done so for a
long time, though she was capital house
keeper, and there was nothing about house
keeping, from garnet to kitchen, that she did
not understand. This morning she was quite
surprised ut herself to find how much salts
faction it gave her to do something. - Max
ing ones own bed is a real pleasure said
she to herself, aud then felt quite guilty that
she had thought of pleasure-she, whose days
Of happiness were But the mischief
was done, and without really knowing what
moved her she dressed herself with more
than usual care, and in a less gloomy way.
Instead Of her heavy Grape and bombazine
she put on lustrous black silk dress, and
left OTHER ugly widows cap. Then she seated
herself again in the armchair, and was all
ready to mediate; but her thoughts kept
running ON the little maid and her family.