The Red Cloud chief., 1875-12-30
IN TRUMPET.
efory Of Christmas

A 0tOTy d Cnristnias'
~ know IT," sid Miss Pamphyiia an
swering a rueful glance frem Miss DE-
bitable's brother; "still it's a great com
fort TO reflect that she could have the
trumpet"
Miss Pamphylis certainly had a very
peculisr way of looking at human grieis'
She would stand for enc moment o: dis'
NAV, and then suddenly illuminate with
some comforting reflection" about
something that had been, or hadn't peen'
or could he, after all. 1t always re-
minded Miss Mehi.able's brother OF q
cluster of ripe grapes he had noticed
one October day when the skies were
6tful. For one instant, while a cloud
crept over the sun, they hung heavy and
dark as the leadcn shadow behind them
then, as a quick, strong ray Of sunlight
MERGED the cloud, the red wine that was
in them took fire, and cleaned ana
bIazed, until his very pulses warmed as
lie looked.
He felt them suddenly warming again
in lust the same way, as Miss ~Pamphyila
uttered the words, ''she could have the
trumpet" What a thing it would make
of life if that "could" only began with
a "w" instead of q SCI" But as it did
not, and there wasn't the least prospect
tina. it ever would, Miss Mehi.able's
brother patiently took it with the &c"
much as he would have Rugged a warm
soap stone. if wandering in the dark
among the glaciers of the Alps.
Miss Mehitablc, meanwhile, peacefully
unconscious that either of them had said
anything, sat gazing into the glowing
hearth of Goals, with q satisfied little
smile on her face, and q fresh folded
handkerchief in her lap. She always
did have a fresh handkerchief in her
lap-it was SO tidy just where the hands
lay; and as for her smile, her very fea-
lures were as likely to disappear. That
was because she found life always SO
pleasant; indeed it contained but two
regrets for Miss Mehitable, and it would
have been foolish to let such a minority
disturb all the rest. One Of these re
grets was that PamphylIa did not feel
quite inclined to marry Phenix. He bad
asked her every Christmas Day for ten
years in succession-though never until
after dinner, for he liked everything hot,
and the f~aintest hope is a warmer sauce
than disappointment-but it was OF nc
use. Miss Pamphlets i~nclinations did
not quite agree, and the trial wa pu,
over till another term, leaving the first
part of the evening a little downish,
until Miss Pamphylia regularly bright
ened with a consoling thought.
"After all, she said, sit Is a great com
fort to reflect that he needn't ask me il
he didn't choose"
"Dont't be a goose, Phenix," Miss Ne
hitabie always said gently, the mex
morning, to comfort him; and though
perhaps he had seemed a little like one
pluming Himself and picking up hi.
crumbs so many months, only to be slain
on this fatal day; still, when Hetty sal
tnis, he remembered what he really was
and rose from his ashes to begin anothel
year.
But it seemed such q pity about spoil
ing the evenings, particularly as Mis-
Pamphylia only came ono a year, tina
she at last insisted upon a different ar
rangenent.
"Dont ask me again until l am read,
to say yes" she isaid with the firmes
air.
sand when will that bein askei
Phenix.;
Miss Pamphylia hesitsted a moment
and then looked with a sudden CLEAN O
mischief in her eyes.
"Whenever Hetty asks for the trum
pet" she said.
That was coming very near the secont
of Miss Mehitable's regrets in life
which was simply the miserably in
distinct way in which people were al
lowing themselves to speak the last few
years. It vas growing upon them, too
instead of improving, until she hat
really given up expecting to hear any-
body unless they came and spoke di
rectly to he-. Then, of course, the.
took care to enuqciate properly, know
ing how much she disapproved the mod
ern carelessness; but the moment sh'
turned away it was all forgotten, sat
even Phenix and Pamphyiia, who wcr'
as we'll brought up Is herself, did NJ
better. One said "N-m-m-m," and thu
other answered, "M-m-m-m." and It va:
only a miracle that they ever made head