American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-12-23

Letl0ve revive
Joys ashen embers,
For Love Il Lite
Since Love remembers.
MRS. DUNN'S CHRISTMAS.
II vas Christmas-eve in Mrs. Dunn's
coy parlor; the backlog b1azed and
snapped. with q good win. as if it re-
membered the days when the sunshine
crept into its heart; the candles burned
with . clear radiance on the mantel.
Outside, the snow fell and drifted
against the pane, the wind whistled
loudly, as il to drown the Christmas
bells, that now seemed far away, and
anon rang out like clarion calls. Mrs.
Dunn herself sat before the high-polish-
cd fender with her knitting-a woman
who had been pretty once, but no long
or young now, with hair quite gray. and
the traces Of the tears that time had
dried upon her pale cheeks, one might
have said, just a. the showers of long
past ages have left their prints on the
stiffened soil. Mrs. Dunn's tears had,
indeed, been shed long ago, but they
burned yet so surely Is the twilight of
Christmas-eye fell about her. Tonight
her houseful of boarders had all betaken
themselves their several ways, this one
to spend the holiday with his partners
family, that one with his mother in the
country, the other with his sweetheart,
TIL nobody was left but Mr.. Royburne
"a man a. gray and worn Is herself
who had only his violin with which to
keep Christmas. He sat now in the
chimney corner, drawing the bow across
his violin, and bringing mp long past
and half-forgotten scenes BY the NEGRO
NANCY Of his chords and melodies.
"One feels the need of . home on
Christmas-eve, Mrs. Dunn" he said,
presently, breaking of the air of ssAuld
Lang syne'' suddenly. "Not but this
chimney corner il n much q home as
I've ever known, and NO bad substitute;
yet perhaps It's only sentimentality,
but when . man reaches my time Of
lie IL goes hard with him to remember
that he has found. as the poet says, his
wArmest Welcome 1t an inn" ~
g No doubt, no doubsln sighed Mrs.
Dunn. sIt seems q IL . boarding.
house were only way-station to some
thing more permanent. That's the way
i ussd to seem to me when I was twen-
ty-fve- Do you know, I've got to kind
of dread Christmas-eve - much a.
used to love It; it's sort Of landmark
now that shows how far we've wander
ed from the hopes and promises Of
youth A. you say, it's night when
one needs . freside, in it's true sense,
and love and friends, and all they ex-
peeted to have when life was young :"
and Mrs. Dunn's voice trembled and
broke, and Mr.. Royburne drew out
chord that sounded like an "amen."
/" You may lsugh II You win at an old
woman like me,'' she said, when she
had recovered herself; "but 1 had q
blow in my young days that I've never
got the better Ola love affair."
"Yesf Let those laugh who win.
We Al keep . corner Of our hearts
where NO one enters"
And every Christmas-ti the pain
bites deeper, TIL il seems a. II could
not bear II, just a. an old wound il said
to throb and ache 1t it, anniversary"
Mr.. Royburne tapped his violin gently,
~ much as to say, 1--WE know what
that H." but he looked curiously at his
landlady. Having lived two years un-
dsr her roof, and found her efficient in
Al the practical affairs Of Life, and al
ways cheerful, it had hardly occurred
to him that she had q more tender or
romantic side, though he knew her to
be conpanionable and evensympathetic,
and with something in her air, . tone
In her voice. that brought up the i'm
aga Of . fair woman he had loved long
ago.
1t was when was barely twenty
Eve, " she continued. ~ ought to have
outgrown it and him by this time, but
I'm afraid I'm not strong minded.
There! shall bore you to death, Mr..
Roybqrne-there are some folks who
have no mercy ON listener; but so me
how l fslt like talking about myself to-
night."
"And / feel like hearing about your
ssf tonight. Pray go on; love at
fairs Ike an air of Mozart, always
Iweet to listen to-"
"Mine wasn't sweet to live through,
| promise You. You see, I'd been left
alone in the world, with . trifie of mon
~, not enough to keep me without
work; that is to say. there was Aunt
rich and alive, but had no
from her, and would to
Heaven I'd had no realizations! Well,
wasn't quick enough to teach, and
1ad no knack for millinery or mantua-
and the hundred other employ
nents women turn their hands to now
sdays were unknown and untried by
hem then; SO I put the little had in
n q n