Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-12-13

S0>l0wtng etmple story, BY word oi
uaoush, for several reasons. In the
1sst place, it ls as strictly true ss It h
strange: in the next, it enables me to
Justify 9rstitude In q quarter where
Justification b seldom accorded; and
again because Il places our patiently
S06neEInk, much lbused John Chinx-
man ln better light, and shows him
70 be - fully susceptible to humane
and QeueEoos treatment ~ his more
1ortunate fellows of less slanted optic
and less pronounced expression oi
us,se and cheek bOne.
. ~ tne winter holidays OF 1S5-ap-
prOsched, they found me In very un-
0nviabis state Of mind.
I was living, with my family. In the
littlo mining town 0f Red 0ulch, not
= huudred miles from Marysville, Cal
ifornfs. A continued run OF III fortune
had reduced me from the proud posi-
sIon uf . mining speculst0R on my own
account to the superintendency OF 40
average paying quarts mill. 1t was
pfuv0king hard times that prevaiied.
Long rQnfinued III success had broken
ny Sptfit and undermined my indi
vido1i energy. and Il was only BY OBJ
opgvfng tho strtctest economy n every
thing that my good wife and I man.
aGed to make both ends meet in the
q6sSd1ct ct oQp HOUSEHOLD, and at the
m6 dme send our three children to
Z af5d6e8sbie school, and preserve an
o1sWuo semblspce to the thrift and
d1o6GcY ttiak had distinguished rs In
odEps66petoos fays.
xrd che of our sources of annoyance
iustnf u time Of which / was speak
inf ~ tnat our little ones would have
% b put od with their Christmas tree,
10 which they had been accustomed
oncS i y6ar from the time they were
bdfL Hut they took It better than
cuoid have been expected when their
tm6tkat brepered them for their disap-
nid3ntment beforehand.
''T6fnny, the eldest, who was verit-
able Ifttl6 philosopher fn his way ,
6t0utly asserted that he had outgrOwn
euch childish luxuries, and would man :
nfo % make merry enough If we would
tfSnt him to new pair Of boots, OF
which be was sadly iu need, poor fel
toW.
Bella also pretended to think moth
ine Of the disappointment; but IL little
3enny, Whose brief recollection could
mot include more that two Christmas
srucs II the furthest, looked . little
dovncast when told that santa Claus
Vuuid this year have nothing for her
s6ot ! cheap doll and . picture book,
ehs did mol whimper about il, bat bore
igltkes tSomp.
s6GII, I know they feel the dieap-
16lnsdie1f bitterly It heart, sid my
vi1o sadly; 'snd hope we shall be
able next Ghfistmas to make amends
sScpposs 1 cot one of the dwarf ars
oat Oh the mountain, and hang Il over
With sugar Pscms aud cheap csndies?
I suggested. 1t would be better than
nothipg.'
beautiful and expensIve trees to which
the dariings have b0en accustomed
Then LET us think and say no more
about It, said with some impatience.
Il wouldn't mind their dissppoint--
ment 30 much,' continued my wife, III
Il was not constantly aggravated BY
the Cameron children. next door, who
are forever Growing over our chicks by
describing the magnificent tree their
parents ere going to provide for them
Il have q notion to oInove tn the other
end of t0gn, exclaimed, biting my
1ip. fox Mr. Cameron was one OF my
employers, and the one who most per.
eistenly reminded me of my dependent
position. having known me In other
days when was as well OF ss himself.
THAT would cost more than . well
loaded Christmas tree, I am afraid,
ssid nay wife.
Just then Master Tommy came
stamping In from school, with his
'anscbsI on his arm, and . brighter look
O his fare than I had seen 1t wear for
Hoorayp he cried, .we'rs going to
have . Christmas tree after all;'
sYs, indeedi' exclaimed B la, who
Lost then made her appearance at his
hoek, towing IL Jenny, whose eyes
were also dancing in her head; = bet
ter and more wonderful tree than is in
I'll California sns 49,.
And where is It 70 come from? said
In much surprise.
sAh Kin Is going to give It to u.s.
But my vile and myself burst out
laughing at this.
Al Kin was simple minded, Chi
nB5e laundryman, who had formerly
keen employed by me In my little
hiatt on Feather River, where ] wss |
delving for gold on my own account:
He had been taken with q dreadful
lever, from which only the most I'm
care on our part. together
with fortunate doctorine, had restored
him 10 life and usefulnsss-though to
he latter only with fmpaized and bro.
ken faculties. He had never been
1tronsminded st bis brightest, and his
= IvaIesence left him Cd devastated Of
sls email store OF Oriental cunning as
% veree fibon jmbeciiity, while bis
energies had only recuPerated |
uds-Ientiy 70 enable him to earn pre-j
nsious Subsistence at . neiEhb0rtnGi
AgpdEy that w. ssss;ed o. BY ons q q