The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-01-27

me with him. All was confusion out
side. The pirates were yelling and jab-
bering to one another. Chinese iunks
doomed up in the inky darkness. The
Captain struck out manfully for escape,
and setting me lose said, this may
bear the news of my death to my dear,
dear family would like to have told
I'd try, but l could not speak with the
cork in my mouth.
81 fioated about for two weeks, when
was picked up by a, homeward bound
ship, the captain of which knew Cap
tain Blake's wife, and brought me safe
ly home. How they cried, and felt so
bad, for old Captain Blake was mighty
good to them. And then we commenced
to get poor-the Captains brother
gambled the money away-and they
sank lower and lower. They lost every
thing; but never would part with me.
And now poor Mrs. Blake is sick, SO
sick, and poor Nelly has no work, the
uncle is always drunk, and l tell you
they are starving, starving
A step on the stair interrupted him,
and the next moment pale, wan girl
entered. She could not have been over
eighteen years of age; but sorrow and
starvation had set their deep marks
upon her features, which even now held
something which might be called
beauty. Her face and hands were blue
with cold. Her threadbare shawl was
small protection to her shoulders. She
carried small bundle. A voice in the
next room called, and, brushing the
snow from her dress, she went quickly
| in. The little parcel contained some
scanty food, for the sick woman who
| lay ON the bed within. The poor
mother pressed the daughter to take
some; but she told her she had dinner
outside and would prefer to eat it in
the next room. And coming out she
sat hopelessly down and cried in muffled
sobs, as if her heart would break. She
was starving, poor girl, and this joyous
Christmas Eve brought no hope, no
work, no bread to her and her sick
mother. Drying her tears, she arose,
and taking the old bottle, commenced
to clean the grease off, and soon its fat
old sides were as sleek and shining as
could be. sUncle viii persist in using
this for candlestick, she muttered
"Poor old bottle; it is all we have of
father, good, dear father l think so
much of it, and we have had it now six
years-a sad, sad six years. But III
keep it, I'll newer
A step on the stairs interrupted her;
and drunken voice called out s' Nelly!
Nelly! where the devil are you?'' Hur-
riedly placing the bottle on the table,
she went into her mothers room, and
turned the key. A look of aversion and
horror was ON her face. The next mo-
ment the door of the stairs was thrown
| open with a bang, and besotted, ugly
looking man staggered into the ROOM
"That lazy, good-for-nothing girl:
where the devil is she? She never waits
on her poor old uncle" With difficulty
he struck a match and attempted to
light the top of the bottle. ssDang that
stick alone. Dang her old bottle! I'll
pitch it out of the window" The girls
door opens. ooh! uncle, don't break
the bottle; please don't. Let me have
it; please do.' She laid her hand on
the drunken mans arm, the brute drew
back his hand, and the next moment
the starving girl sank senseless and
helpless to the floor, from a heavy blow.
Singing snatch of some drunken song,
he threw the bottle through the window
pane, and went staggering, reeling,
shouting from the room.
| 1t was Christmas morning. The bells
were ringing and banging, and clang-
ing away in q merry style. The snow
was falling very slightly, only stray
snowflake now and then. Crowds of
men and women, and boys and girls
filled the jolly street. Merry, laughing
boys and girls they were; shouting and
calling, and blowing horns, and snap
ping whips, and ridingimaginary horses,
and occasionally shying good-natured
SNOWFALL at papa, who always laughed
and took it all in fun. Handsome,
smiling girls in bands of threes and
tours, and muflied in the prettiest and
most bewitching kinds of hoods you
ever saw, walked along quite smart.
Every body knew this was Christmas,
every body accordingly was happy,
every body was joyous, every body was
delighted to see every body else, and
you never could imagine time when
every body was SO jolly and gay. There
was one person, however, who was not
A tail, heavily-whiskered man, closely
muffied in a large scarf and wrapped in
a heavy pea-jacket, with his head bent
toward the pavement, walked sorrow
fully, sadly along. His black beard
with its long silver threads told of past
sorrow, and his face showed present
grief. Now and then a tear trickled
down his cheeks; but he tried to blame
i tho rEnl-