The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-12-21
MRS. DUNN'S CHRISTMAS.

1t was Christmas-eve in Mrs. Dunn s
coy parlor; the backlog blazed and
snapped with a good will, as if it re-
membered the days when the sunshina
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 if 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-
ed fender with her knitting woman
who had been pretty once, but no long
er 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 as the showers of long
past ages have left their prints on the
stiifened soil. Mrs. Dunn's tears had,
indeed, been shed long ago, but they
burned yet so surely as 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,
till nobody was left but Mr.. Royburne
"A man as gray and worn as herself
who had only his violin with which to
keep Christmas. He sat now in the
chimney-corner,d drawing the bow across
his violin, and bringing up long-past
and half-forgotten scenes by the NEGRO
NANCY of his chords and melodies.
"One feels the need of a home on
Christmas-eve, Mrs. Dunn" he said,
presently, breaking off the air of "Auld
Lang Syne" suddenly. "NOt but This
chimney-corner is as much a home as
I've ever known, and no bad substitute !;
yet-perhaps it's only a sentimentality,
but when a man reaches my time of
life it goes hard with him to remember
that he has found, as the poet says, his
warmest welcome at an inn"
"No doubt, no Doubt" sighed Mrs
Dunn. cit seems as if boarding
house were only way-station to some
thing more permanent. That's the way
it used to seem to me when | was TWEEN
ty-five. Do you know, I've got to kind
of dread Christmas-eve as much as
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. As you say, it's a night when
one needs a fireside, in its true sense,
and love and friends, and all they ex-
pected to have when life was young"
and Mrs. Dunn's voice trembled and
broke, and Mr.. Royburne drew out a
chord that sounded like an "amen."
"'You may laugh if you will at an old
woman like me-" she said, when she
had recovered herself; "but l had a
blow in my young days that I've never
got the better ola love affair"
J.. "Yes? Let those laugh who win.
We all keep a corner of our hearts
where no one enters"
"And every Christmas-time the pain
bites deeper, till it seems as if l could
not bear it, just as an old wound is said
to throb and ache at its anniversary"
Mr.. Royburne tapped his violin gently,
as much as to say, ave know what
that is" but he looked curiously at his
landlady. Having lived two years I'M
der her roof, and found her efficient in
all the practical affairs of life, and al
ways cheerful, it had hardly occurred
to him that she had a more tender or
romantic side, though he knew her to
be companionable and even sympathetic,
and with something in her air, a tone
in her voice, that brought up the i'm
age of fair woman he had loved long
ago.
"I 1t was when was barely twenty
five," she continued. al 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, MIR.
Royburne-there are some folks who
have no mercy on a listener; but so me
how l felt like talking about myself to-
night"
a" And feel like hearing about your
self tonight. Pray go on; a love af-
fairs like an air of Mozart, always
, sweet to listen tor
"Mine wasn't sweet TO live through,
Iprcmise you. You see, I'D been left
alone in the world, with trife of mon
ey, not enough to keep me without
work; that is to say, there was Aunt
Huldah, rieh-and alive, but l had no
expectations from her, and would to
Heaven I'd had no rezlizationsi Well.