The Republican journal., 1875-11-04

a Srle1 to Kill outright, but it threatened
to be lifelong anguish. lie had long
known that the ambitious Mrs. Vaughn
did not regard him as a brilliant match
for her beautiful daughter; but that Me
lissa should disoWn her love was incom-
prehensihle
1t would be sorry Christmas for him,
indeed, but he thought it best to leave his
patients in the hands of his assistants, and
run down to Haven to keep it with Jennie.
When one has lost sweetheart, sister
is, perhaps, the next best thing.
But he found Jennie somewhat changed
too; she was by no means in her usual
| sprightly vein; She had nothing for him
but half smiles. He wondered. secretly.
if she had ever experienced a like dissat-
! istaction with lite, OF which he had never
| dreamed before.
| They were an uncommunicative family,
! he knew; and sisters and brothers much
more readily repose sentimental conf
| dcnces in strangers than in each other
To be sure, Jennie had hung the Christ
mas wreaths in the window. There was
Il goodly store Of daintics in the pantry,
too. But there was little of Christmas
cheer besides, though the frost was on
the pane, the old chlrchbells saluted the
Christmas eve with cracked but jubilant
| voices, and the moon was rising overhead,
as it rose over Palestine when first the
song OF "Peace on earth, good will toward
men' was heard. whose echo still Ylbrates
across the dusty centuries.
Dr Leuyard stood before the blazing
| hearth, thinking what different night it
might nave been, had Melissa continued
| true wondering what she was doing; il
the fire-light still flushed her cheek in the
low parlor; If she and LennoX March still
sung together sweet Christmas choruses.
lie was thinking thus bitterly when q
sharp ring at the door started both
brother and sister from their reveries
choppers ring" said Jennie. She had
never exchanged u word with Ledyard
about the fatal telegram. If he did not
choose to mention it and explain, why
should she? How could she? She had
not the courage. But, sitting there, it
had struck her that he was looking worn
and depressed and it was on her lips to
say something comforting, when the little
servant entered with a yellow envelope
"a telegram, doctor" said She
81 hope they haven't called me back to
the city-no urgent case, trust llumph;
poor thing, poor thing" and he tossed the
| telegram upon the table.
is any one i'll 7" said Jennie 'Must
you go?'
"Oh no; its the same Old story. Read
it, if you wish"
Jennie took it and read
To DR.. Ledyard Johnson:
Dearest, My parents consent at last. Come
| to me before my heart breaks, if you still love
your EMILE.
Then she looked up at Ledyard, who
seemed TO have forgotten all about it,
He was still standing before the fire,
looking at the picture Of the ''Sleeping
Palace hanging over the mantel
"Thats n capital thing, Jennie; do you
know it? One would think the artist had
visited the sleep-shops. Its the genuine
blue sleep See this Old seneschal, who
was about to blow his trumpet when the
enchantment seized him, with his two
cheeks dstended! And there comes the
fairy prince across the hills The many
fail, the one succeeds | say, Jennie,
why do they always paint fairy princes
with a feather in their hats?H
'But-but the telegram :" gaspcd ,Jen-
nie
The telegraue Oh yes. Sad. isn't it -
'Oh, it's the same-tho very samen
"lhen YOU have seen it before. thought
it was probable I've had dozen, or less,
word for word, She's as mad rs a March
hare, you see, but quite harmless. She's
one of my hospital patients, you know.
She had Il lover, they say, whom her
father dismissed and it affected her rea-
son, She took the greatest fancy to me
from the first, imagines ! am the young
man in qucstion-it's plain she has for
gotten his name-and 50 every little while
she gives the keepers the slip and tele
graphs to me Poor child She must be
fifty years old at the least. There's a
heart wound for you. Jennie, what's the
matter, dear? 1t isn't Il nice story for
Christmas-eye.n
s'Oh, it is the best story | ever heard
the very best " she cried, rising and
stretching out her arms to q charming
apparition in the door-way--or could it
be Melissa Vaughn, wrapped in crmlne
and crowned with smiles?
&" heard every word of it," said the
phantom of Melissa; $50 much for caves
dropping; but then, to be sure, it was an
old story. had heard it before. DR.
Rightabout is my godfather you know,
Godfathers always bring gifts in the fairy
books. so this morning at breakfast we
happened to be talking OF insanity and
BY y-the-way, Melissa, said he, there's a
rival Of yours at the Guinness Hospital.
There's an Emile st. Raymond in love
with your Dr. Johnson-sends him tee
grams by the armlul Of the loVingest sort
It's lucky you aren't jealous; but, bless
me, she's rs mad us llamlet-been so this
twenty perfectly harmless, though
Do you know, Ledyard,' > she pursued, com
ing toward him and putting out her hands,
81 couldn't speak word, The tears just
filled my eyes, thinking how had sentenc-
ed you without hearing. Don't they look
terribly red?'
They look terribly beautiful" he said,
kissing the bent brow. 1t seemed to him
that he was beginning to see through the
fog
And mamma,' continued Melissa,
s'who is hard upon evil-docrs, but kind
hearted withal, said | must run right
down this Christmas-eye and make it
straight through Jennie--lor we thought
YOU were ut Babylon street still--and she
is waiting in the hall hoping you will for
give us
~ will go and help her to take of her
wraps" said Jennie, leaving the lovers
alone.
And so the curtain falls? Nay, rises,
revealing a happy Christmas-eve in store
for DR.. Johnson and Miss Vaughn.
SHE KNEW THE WOMEN. At one of the
railroad depots in Detroit the other day.
a lady walked up to the ticket window
and smilingly said;
Il know just how women are, ana
don't propose to bother any one Answer
me few questions, and I'll sit down and
say nothing to no one till train time.
How far is it to Grand Rapids? What's
the fare When does the train leave ?
When do we arrive there? Where do
they check baggage? Which track will
the train start from? How can get to
Muskegon from Grand Rapids? How tar
is it? What's the fare9 Do | change
cars? Is there palace coach on the
road? Shall | get q lay-ovcr ticket? Can
l check my baggage clear through? ? Is