Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-12-24

him at the thought He wanted to ask his
| father if such thing We're possible but could
not summon courage for long time to face
! the dreaded answer,
Mrs Jamson went to the kitchen and com
| pleted preparations for supper and then said
! to her husband: Come, YOU shall have one
more good meal, anyway, and then I'll do
anything you think best and try to make
little go a good ways
at will be a bitter day TO me, Jane, when
! can't say to you and the children, eat and
be satisfied but ] confess I'm caught in
| very tight place If the mill don't start soon
| can't think what we shall do, for | don't
know how to do other kinds of work even if
could get any. Seems to me ia rather die
than see those mouths crying for bread" he
added, looking at the plump, round-faced
little girls who were soon on their way to the
bottoms of two bowls of bread and milk; and
I'm one who couldn't live on charity"
"Now look here, Silas,n said his wife, wip-
ing her eyes lest her tears should weaken his
ten before she handed it to him, don't you
20 to talk about dying, ! know the papers
are fun of suicides of people who'ye got into
trouble. But if ever man does mean, cow
ardly thing its when he kills himself and
leaves a weak woman and lot OF little chill
dren to bear the same trouble all alone, and
made a million times worse by the sorrow
and shame of his death, Whateyers before
us let's stand by each other and try to do
right
"Oh, I don't want to die" said her hus-
| band, hastily; I'm not tit, for that matter
Only feel desperate blue, for | can't see my
way an inch out Of this fog
"Weu," said Mrs. Jamison, I'm sure of
one thing We ought to trust to God and do
right"
band again answered with irritation, Ii
saw you all hungry I'd be more inclined to
steal than trust
ooh, Silasm said his wife, reproachfully,
you don't mean that. You are SO full of
trouble you don't know what you are saying
But her own conscience condemned her, for
though a protesting Christian she had grown
cold and Indifferent like many others World
illness can master the soul in the cottage as
well as in the palace. She was OPP
pressed with the thought that consola-
lions of faith came from her lips with
poor grace and found little echo
in her own heart, and so She ceased from her
vain attemptto help her husband IN that dlrec-
ton, and the meal went forward in depressing
silence. At last the pressure of anxiety be-
came too great for Little Ben, and he ve-u
tured in timid, trembling tones, Papa, don't
you think Santa Claus will come just the
same this ChristmasY'
mo, indeed, sir" replied his father with
crushing emphasis "Santa Claus has got
death of him, Pm thinking, for u.s.
Little Beu's cup of sorrow now overlooked
and SO did his eyes. His wee sisters having
found the bottoms of their bowls were at leis-
| ure TO observe him, which they did IN much
wonderment and sympathy, for he was a
manly boy and seldom cried.
whats matter, boder" asked the
| youngest, her own eyes filling.
"Sauta notwithstanding this Christ
mas sobbed Little Ben He's got the
| paniC,'
These dismal tidings brought dismay to
| their little souls also, and they at once setu up
a dismal wall that | wish might haunt the
| dreams Of the spectators.
And so the whole family came at last under
| the shadow Of the great financial disaster.
| The father left his supper unfinished and
! hastily reiterated to the dusky corner behind
! the stove, in the sittngroom.
Mr.. Jamison was a shrewd, thriving native
of New England, who by industry and trust
worthiness had attained an important posi-
| ton in the mill and received large wages.
| Property was rising in the village and be
wisely thought it better to buy home than
to be moving about in rented rooms, But MS
! we have seen the panic caught him, as he cN-
pressed it, in a very tight place. yet he was
| better off than many for he had something
! that he could call his own. His wife, like
! himself was of American descent; had been
|
maiden days had learned the trade Of dress
making. But as prosperity increased and She
| came to have a nice and quite Pretentious
| home OF her own she grew ambitious and
gave way TO that baneful idea Of American
society that working for money except in
some genteel way was not the thing for
women seeking social promotions Her hus-
! band, with something Of the same perverted
| pride, had said she needn't work; he
! guessed he could take care of his family 50
on the new home the dressmaker's sign had
not appeared.
But it was in relation 70 her daughter that
! Mrs Jamison's notions Of geutilty developed
| themselves most decidedly Alice was IN
usually pretty and her mother purposed that
she should become fine lady in very truth
and make a good MATCH So the child was
always dressed beyond her station and taught
to put on airs generally She should do Nc
hard work because her hands must be kept
white and little, and she was petted and dat
tered 10 that degree that her father some
times said: You'll make such lady Of hei
that she will be ashamed OF US both one o
these days
There is plenty Of vanity in every heart
and that in Alice's vas nursed and developed
by her mothers foolish course in no ordinary
degree, and had she not possessed good
substratum Of common sense she might have
been spoiled utterly But she was hrigh
| XIII ana uld not ia NulC DNti nv pN'NS oti'
was acquiring a very fair education. Sh'
also had a little love affair on hand with
Young man who was clerk in dry goods
store in New York, and Of whom Mrs. Jami
son spoke conidcntially to few intimate
cronics as exceedingly wen connected be
ing IN fact the son of q deceased Methods
minister, once a pastor in the village. N
formal engagement bound the young people
but he had waited on Allie TO that eXtcn
that IL was considered pretty well settled. II
her confident expectation Frank wa
destined 10 own the store IN which
| he had recently written her with muci
! eatiou that lie had been promoted
to the dignity Of selling goods in small guam
titles 50 Allie, with her music, drawing ans