Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-12-23
. small carefully built fire


inviting them to share her Christmas
dinner, because her other friends
were not coming and she did not
like to dine alone. But they wrote
a dellcately worded, friendly refusal,
on the ground of preferring TO spend
their holidays with each other only.
The kind littls woman sighed, bu
went on with her preparations for
dinner, while her children enjoyed
the pretty gifts that had made :heu
happy since morning. BY and b
she wrote another note which read
Don't be annoyed, Mrs Wilson, if beg you
to- accept one little dish from my table sine,
you prefer to remain at home, because l an
dreadfuy superstitious aud | believe in the
old Saxon proverb: The family whose
Christmas dinner is unshared, will be uniucky
all the year" So please do taste a morsel,
just to save me from misfortune. Yours truly,
KATE LEMON.
Then on a china platter she arrang
cd most appetizng little filet, ten
der and brown and juicy. fianked by
SLICED potatoes Drowned in gravy,
amber like bits of carrot tender as
jelly, sippets of toast and over the
whole gravy that would have COM
PEELED the praise of a Frenchman.
All round these she placed tender
heart.leaves of lettuce and put the
dish on pretty tea tray with
saucer of cranberry jelly beside it,
and hel little note edgewise between
them, and softly opening the door
looked out.
No one was in the hall, SO Mrs.
Lenox noiselessIy put the tray close
to her neig hbor's door, raped loudly,
and instantly darted swiftly back to
her own room, softly shutting her.
self in. Then with her children she
enjoyed lust such dinner as she had
given her neighbor. There came no
sound from the adjoining room, for
the walls were thick enough to muff1s
ordinary noises, and Mrs. Lenox did
not know if the Wilson's were pleas
ed or not, but solaced herself with
the saying no news is good news
and took her children out for walk.
That evening, whom the little ones
were asleep and the artist In her
pretty studio reclining on the sofa
enjoying q book, she beard q timid
rap, and Mrs. Wilson came quietly in.
She tried to speak, but could not ;
her checks grew crimson and her
earnest ey es sparkled with moisture !;
then es Kate Lenox rose to receive
her neighbor with d pleasant smile
of welcome the young wife fell into
her arms sobbing
oh, you angel. God bless you
The artist felt her own eyes grow
dim, but endeavored TO speak lightly
as she drew her guest to sit by her
on the sofa, saying:
You are very good not to be vex-
ed with me for wanting you to taste
my flet. DO you know | rather
pride myself on my cooKing?'
'Ah, God bless you'll You saved
US We were hungry
Hungry 7 cried Kate Lenox, hor-
rifed Hungry on Christmas day +
Mrs Wilson could only nod in
reply for her sobs came iastor. The
wv" ladies sat cIasping each other,
and Kate Lenox kissed her neighbo
and comforted her By repeating hUiy
words of promise; while her own
tears fell fast and her heart stopped
beating for moment at the thought,
w hat if my darlings should ever
be hungry 2
Mrs. Wilson was not weak young
woman-only unerved just then by
excitement she composed herself
soon and explained.
yes she said, in low, thrilling
tones, 'we had only loaf of bread
and bit Of cheese all yesterday, and
to-day only few biscuits, until you
placed that delicious dinner at our
door. Ga it was like the heavenly
mama. When l was eating |
thought | was no longer in this
world
Il am - glad that you were not
angry at me.
Harry was angry at first. He
wished me to carry it back at once,
and when | implored him just to
taste little, he said we were not
beggars. and ordered me to return it.
| think be was really out OF his
mind. he went on so dreadfuilY. and
reminded me that had promised to
die with him to night.
'Ohp
fAh, yes-don't condemn US too
severely He has been sick and out
of work we have been poor long
time. AL our clothes are wearing
out-you know that is hard on
lady and gentleman ! We have been
used TO live well.
Now people owe Harry who don't
pay, and at last his money and cour-
age went together But you saved
US Poor Harry he had lost his faith
in God, and /, too, have been sorely
tried but | kept telling him that we
should not be allowed to perish so
miserably, that ministerDg angel
would DO sent, and you came-God's
angel Oh, | love your
She could say no more fol- while,
but Katie Lenox presently entreated,
And now you must really let me be
your friend. | have plenty in the
house for Breakfast, that is if you
like French pancakes and coffee"
Sab, you have given us ali We
need l coaxed and pleaded with
Harry till be ate with me, and pres
emily he rose and said he felt like
man again, and went out to one deb
tor whom be got fly dollars from,
and this gave him new lie ; so that
he went to a gentleman whom We
know and got an engagement of
work to begin with the new yearl'
oh, l an. glad 7
The faces OF both women shone
with a radiant happiness, then the
young wife asked
May look at your sleeping chill