New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24

| this farming business, 10 which am part
ner with man WHOM picked up out here,
| with; but we shal! both be rich men in
time, and then, but not till then. my dear
and loving Alice, you will see me in Eng
land again"
$50 be it! hope Tom will not be disap-
| pointed; it is time his luck began to turn.
| If little of it came this way should not
be sorry" was George Woodwyn's remark
when he had read the letter.
What do you mean." inquired Alice.
"Why, mean" answered her husband,
"that mine seems TO be deserving me- did
not intend to tell you about it, bnt you see
it's OF no use my attempting to keep any
thing from you; the fact is, have had an
other disappointment in the bank this very
day There have been more promotions,
owing to the opening OF the new branch,
but am again paesed over. suppose l
! shall he left out in the cold now until l am
| an Old man. I'm sure it's very fortunate
| We have no house rent to pay, for shall
| get no Iise in salary for years, can see"
Now, dear, don't begin to worry your
| self please, about money; we shall do very
we'll, even if you don't get An increase,
though it is hard for you; but we shall al
! ways have this roof IL cover ne, thanks to
| my dear mothers foresight in making her
| father leave this littlo freehold to me az her
| dsa b. AT any rate We can never be turDed
| out Oh house and home; besides, there viii!
he dividends coming III SCOT from mine and
Lly's portion of dear fathers money"
"Yea, yes; l know eli abOut that; not but
| what see the sh ares in tho 'Wteal Grydd
Copper Mining Company have gradually
| been going do vi, and they are now at five
! or six lower than when We bought in,
not quite year ago. dare cay am fool
| ish: but there seems TO be a run of Dad luck
| with LIE just now-tbat's all I meant to SAY
| think no more about it,
| But loving wife he's sharpered percep-
| tions, and will easily divine the state of Der
| husbands mind, strive he ever so earnest
| ly to hide II; and though Alice Wondwyn
| gave little heed to tie tone in which George
| had referred TO the matter of luck on this
| occasion, the first suspicion that he had
| some anxiety which he was keeping from
| her Was raised ny il. This suspicion in
creased after some months, when she OBJ
| served not only that there was 3 saadened
| look creeping over her husbands kindly
| face, hut a consta n inclination Oh his part
| TO refer to the i'll luck which he conceived
WAS besetting them.
In the curse, however. of little more
| than three years after they were left alone
| in their home. a real anxiety arose, which
l
perhaps than any they had ever felt. The
| little girl lillian became dangerously i'll,
| an! after the fever which struck her down
| had passed she remained in sadly delicate
| health for many months. She had to be ia
ken to the sea tor change of air; and what
with this and the heavy expenses for medi-
| ca, attendance for the first doctors in Lok-
| don were consulted), it was indeed found
| that their income was barely sufficient to
meet the strain upon il. For it must never
| DO forgotten that though the mother and
daughters portion, amounting to G2500 Of
old Mathews money, had yielded by its ill.,
vestment in the "Wheal Grydd Company"
fair dividends up to this time, they were
not equivalent to the share the old grand
father had contributed to the expenses of
the home, and which. of course, had en-.
tirely ceased through the unhappy mystery
in which he had chosen TO envelop his at
fairs.
BY way of adding to the Wood wyns'
anxietiee, news had come that Tom Rick
mans venture with the sheep farming was
going wrong. A murrain had broken out,
by which he had lost large Gums, while,
to put the finishing stroke to their misfor-
tunee. the dividends from the "Wheal
Grydd Company" suddenly ceased, there
being q check in the mining operations.
By the time, therefore. that the fifth
Christmas after Mr.. Richmans death was
coming round, we ind the Woodwyns
really in somewhat straitened circEm-
stances. Still sickly, Lillian has this au-
tumn failed to get her usual breath of sea
air; it could not be afforded, and this
deprivation left its mark on the palld
cheeks of bo h m0Sher and daughter. As
if. toe, 30 bear out the adage tina. misfor-
tunes never GENE alone. one gloomy Ne
vember afternoon, George, returning from
the city more depressed than ever, has to
make a clean breast of his troubles, unable
any longer to evade the tender questionings
and appealing looks of his wife.
81 don't know what we shall do, darling"
he said; "but that abominable mining com.
pany after gradually showing signs of de-
creasing prosperity, the shares gong stead
lily down month by month, SO that l should
have lost hundreds of yours and dear Lii 8
money il had sold-though l ought to
have had the pluck to realize my loss long
ago-has finally come TO such pass that
everyone in the city says there must be
call on the shares soon. ! have foreseen
this for months, | may say for years, and
yet have been such an idiot l could not
make up my mind to SELL"
II am grieved for you, my poor George"
said Alice. more than l can say; but we
must not let trouble take away all our hope
and strength; we need both. And we should
not forget the dear. bright days that we
have known, now that we have to face I'M
fiinchingly many a dark and dreary one; for
l, too, have only sad news to tell. BY the
midday post came letter from poor Tom;
he has lost all-every farthing of the fl50O.
His partner has absconded with everything
he could lay his hands on; and We may ex-
poet Tom here, bereft of means, and having
worked his way home las in his happier and
younger days he worked his way QUIT, trust
ing and assured that with US he will find
comfort and hearty welcome. God help
him and us! The hearty welcome he shall
nave, George, from both of us, shall he nOLl
But another mouth to feed-wiil be-a bur.
den and my heart is heavyw
Here o few quiet tears stole softly down
Aiice's cheeks, and for a moment checked
her uttefanCe.
tom coming homer said George, land
eNnllessV
Yes" answered the wife. "and he will
be here day or two before Christmas Day
if the ship makes as good run as he ex-
poets. This letter was sent by the mail
which started week before he was to sail"
"Well. well. well. dear wife," said poor
George, "he is your brother, has your dear
eyes and kind heart, we know. Such as we
have ha shall share; and, thank God, NO
man can rob us of the love that has hal.
lowed these walls to US for many ear
pasc. Let US thank Him that we stand here
together with one heart ond one hope, and
not thought unshared by the other"
Somehow, notwithstanding their gloomy
prospects, this opening of heart to heart
gave TO each f0rtltude which sent them
to sleep that night more peacefully, per-
haps, than had been the case for long
while past
CHAPTER II.-THE LUCK.
Christmas Eve, in this the most memora-
Bile of all wears for the WOOdwyn house
hold, fell upon Sunday. The long antici-
pated fatal call on the shares had come
about fortnight previously, and the poor
drnd ring hank clerk unnram0fAd vet aaHa