Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-23
A TRUE CHRIsTMAS TALE.
BY CHASSEUR.

atD WTitlDS q true story, duu tnaC Is saying
much for these times. when fancy aud fiction
are crowoed with Wreatbs, whilst plain truth
aud naked fact stand all unadorned, th ugh 10
the Olympiao halls Truth IS the fair-st Goddess,
and Faucy bows low before her
The actors 10 this christmas Carol lived in
certain city of this State a lew y ars ago, aud
it may be, are dwelling there pow. Iftheg are
offer 20 apology Tor writioe this, for it makes
sweet little prologue 10 hte's great comedy,
and read, as It Will be, on Christmas eve. by
all sorts oil pe"ple,l may touch sume chord, and
perchauce aw"keu feeling that will Increase
beggar's DE, aod If even one heart be tenn
purarily brighieued aud mad. happier, then 1t
is n"l wr,tteo altogether 10 Vain.
h !th Ayouu Was the belle OF the city.
Hnw many heart turologs ths c.used amoug
the other young maidens, dc not know.
Women are unlike Den 10 o'e resp, CT !;
they are iptets,y jealous of ooe auother,
aud though they nee' wtth oiloglng kisses and
warm caresSes, yet these mean but httle, and
they treat their VAIN ,st friends aud bltterest
female foes alike. don't suppose that Edith
knew uf this. She was so sunny mpered So
utterly uusefsh that her irank co diaity made
warm irlends of many, and disarmed the Grill
cism OF all but few, aud those few comprised
the most luVeterate scandal no0gers 10 the
city, disappointed maids, soured wives. and
lean, lank widows, who seemed to indulge 10
diet OF wormWood aod pa'i, aud 10 look at the
world through gloomy, ]auodlced eyes. Edith,
or Lady Editb as she Was called, was one OF
those W ,meu who seemed to summon al! the
chlvalry and tenderness of mao nature. There
are TWO ktods Of girls: One class, 10
their coupaDioushlp with mao, brlpg out
all the devil that turks 10 bis nature,
and set free from tie PaUd0ra box Of
his soul all the worst passions the other Class
stills the tempest Ut warring feelings and lDv0ke'
all that is good aud DCbe II his breast. Ii Is
not the woman's charms nor her alluremen
that exercise this potent effect. Ii is the w,man
herself, as Cod creates her, either with
Circean power to transform men TO beasts, Or
30 euoble them to the dignity OF gods.
Sweetly tender, thoroughly honest. and sur
passir gly fair was Lady Eilth; bruno. with
fair COMPLEXION, bus eyes, aud dark nalr that
rippled 10 waves aud croWOed her head win
real wumau's crowd, all her own. She was
con panionable, and tar above the frivolous
butterflies that dance their way through the
world, but as Mrs hlalaprop would say
companions are odorous, | will stop, ouy l
wouid like to point 70 the contrast TO elevate
NV heroine, and one gift must DOT forget to
sueak nf, for ou it hangs the very Dlth OF my
tale. Lady Edith was wonderful mimic, aud
though her powers we're oil untrained, she was
cap.ble of assuming any disguise. Had sne
tried she could have made the whole town stand
10 awe of the effects OF her woudertul power
iu this respect, but she was TOO true hearted
and honest to give paiu, aud except on rare
occasions she never INDUCED 10 her dangerous
gift.
YOU eau easily guess that she was oue OF that
lind of girls whom men get crazy about. They
-. hpr
kind of sovereign court. where willing subjects
,owed 10 homage, and 90 whom she bestowed
her smiles so evenly that none could claim her
certain preference. She had all kinds OF beauX !:
voupg swells, who talked In q biase manner,
raved over Ouida aud mlsquoted Byron ;
moral beaux, who we're good young meu, Win
yreat oplnlou Of their own worth, but who
we're "a TEDIOUS as thrice told tale; egotlstl-
,,al beaux, whose sole refrain was their lmmac-
ulste selves old trisky, superanluated beaux,
who assumed the jauoty airs OF youth stiogy
beaux, VINO spsut uothiug but their tune on
her: generous beaux, who were always 10
d.bl oo her account mule-headed Oeaux, VINO
wouldn't take 20 Tor their answer, aud lastly,
sh. had fast beaux, whom she liked oes1' OUT
whom her friends dldnt.
R,v rrsff ,rd belonged to the latter that is
be ASSOCIATE d with that particular class, aod
man ,s known by the company he keeps. kay
was one of those wayward. impuslve men, with
y strong will aud .termlord purpose, that
went his way utterly unoarlng tor the oplulous
at others. He had au intense love for the
he.u,;ru and cultivated taste that made
h,n ,o,k upon life with broader scope
and lofi,er view than most men. lie liked
,be fair sex almost too well, and spent m're
time on ,hem than Was good tor bim. Ihey
Ink ii him aud so,ne spoiled hlm-that 10 tneS
treated him So Well that he never felt IKE CIV
inv mn his liberty HIS life Was happy one'
as far as il goes, aod Ray being philosopher
saw 0, b, r meo' 5 troubles, Witnessed other men
cares. and theo sauutered sereneiV o. ho"'
aver there IS 40 old hom ly saw saying that
eve,v Jack has his Jul, aud after hayios
A,rtsd his way through a score OF love a1airs
R,v'. fate secured hln at last, ADD Lady Eulto
became mis- one thought, his one dream OF Ire.
HaLy.d her with passionate caroes'oess
,hat astoni,hed even himself. She was his
du.l his pouler Self. and came upon his spiri
10. revelation, even as the tender nlargu srns
did nnon The ,ired, we4ried nature OF Faust
Har,w1odoess, truth aod purity sotteoeu a., anu
myda better bis world hardeoed heart. Ut
sprinp iu the depths was stirred oy neI tau'
and the chords, a uus rupI, yet yir'oeu W, a
swee, loucs tVuer aIuue. vi course LI'y u Az.
felt lutle prou af her Gu quest. hoW muc'
she really nked Ray rrafforu 90 ooe knew; 40
even her ln,lm tie lrleuds. Ger her mother.
You would never be so uuwlse rs TO marr
him her mothef.had oileu said 1t will be ruu
piuv great risk. Aud her trieuds sald u
much aud good deal more to the purpose
So that Lady EAth really deemed 1t her dut
TO ocrush down any taVorab feelings that sh
had for him, aud TO eud at once compao.on
sb,p that 10 its complete oongenIallty ma
yrnwn sweet 10 her.
T, was the evening before Christmas. Fo
ssv,r,l days spow storm had been ragtog
hn, II was now clear aud Intensely cold. Every
1h,pv was covered with the su"wy mantle; To
houses over the way, the streets the roofs 40
even the church steeples were all hld 10
white shroud, that in the gathering gloo'
seeued wierd and ghosliike The streets Wei