The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-05
mouth. when Mike entered with dainty

mouth, when Mike entered with dainty
rose .perfumed three cornered note.
"From the ovid maid, snr, |" said he.
Miss Osborne, you mean," eaid his
master, sternly. "Don't call her an old
maid again"
"Would Mr.. Guernsey"-so the note
ran" give Mrs. and Miss Osborne the
pleasure of his company this Christmas
EVENING" Brother Robert and his wife
have come down from the city, and
there would be little music, little
supper, and whist"
await, and I'll write an answer, " said
Mr.. Guernsey. And while Mike waited
he began to talk again. "Shure, We
heard the news, SURF The village is full
NV it. They say she oughtn't a done it;
that it's incouragin' wickedness an"
Who the dickens are you talking
about ." asked his master, turning impa-
tiently around, pen in hand.
"The owld-I name Miss Osborne,
sur" answered Mike.
Sand pray Ohat shouldn't she have
done2"
"Taken Bessie Vests baby, sur.
'Taken Bessie Vests bahy?' Go
on this moment, Mike, or I'll brain you
with the poker"
"Well, you see, sur" Mike, thus adj
monisned, went on glibly enough. eye
know that unfortunate story about Bes-
sic West, the purity sewing gurril?"
eyes, yes-heaven knows 1 do. Not
a woman's tongue within ten miles, ex-
cept one, but has wagged about it.
"Well, sur, last night she died, an
she sint for the owld-I name Miss o.
borne-for she was frighted NV the
other women, they'd been 80 hard to
her-bad cess to 'em AM half NV 'en
wild ohildher NV their own, an not
KNOWN what they're comm to an the
owld-I name Mss Osborne-wint-"
"Of course she did," interrupted his
master. $50 on"
can she prayed wild the poor thing,
an closed her eyes /; an whin she came
away she fetched the young wun wild
her, an they do say she's agoin to 'dopt
it, an they'll niver shpake to her agin.
(which would be very great pity T.
said the old bachelor with emphasis, and
rather diabolical grin.
Yis, sur. An now suppose we'll
be afther movin', shure, for it only naded
the baby to make it complate; owld-I
name Miss Osborne, cats, dogs and ba-
bies."
SECT me my great-coat, was the only
reply he received. "I'll answer the note
personally" And, the great-coat on,
away started Miles Guernsey for Rose
Cottage once more.
Bedad," said Mike, with an intoxi-
Gated wink, its mesilf knew he
wouldn't shtand the baby"
Miss Osborne's parlor was that night,
if possible, brighter and cheerier than
it was on the summer day the old bache-
lor first entered it. Instead of roses,
Christmas green's dotted with brilliant
red berries Topped back the curtains,
enwreathed the pictures, and dropped
from vases and shells, and right over the
tall wax candle burning on the center
table hung bunch of mistletoe (sent
with kindly greetings and a real English
plum-pudding from some kinsfolk across
the sea-, its waxen berries cleaning like
clouded pearls among its slender green
leaves. Miss Osborne had evidently not
expected her guest so soon, for she sat
before the glowing g ate tire with Bessie
Vests baby on her knees, its small toes
held out toward the welcome warmth,
and itself cooling and gurgling after the
fashion peculiar to extreme youth.
How lovely she looked, with spray
of holly in her hair, tender light in
her eyes, and the loose sleeves of her
dark silk dress falling back from her
shapely white erms. as she held the
child with motherly grace, and softly
sang dreamy nursery rhyme Miles
Guernsey thought of beautiful Ma
donna he had seen in Rome as he looked
earnestly at her a moment before she
became aware of his presence. (The
black-eyed maid servant going out in a
hurry as he reached the door, he had
entered unheard.) At last she started
up, the roses in her cheeks sweeter and
pinker than ever. ga merry Christ
mas !" she cried. "How good of you
to come so early I'll go call Brother
Robert"
/ don't want to see your brother, y
said the old bachelor, cat least not yet.
i came to ask"
81 was sure you would" said Miss
Osborne, breaking out into a laugh like
young girls. :. / told mother so this
| AhoAhAuSs huOW Wudb JOu ChihO w
ask. r- ns. ...
care you quite certain you dos" said
the ola bachelor, an odd smile spreading
over his face, until it danced in his
handsome dark eyes.
"Quite CERTAIN" said the old maid,
seriously. "But we really don't need
your help, Mr.. Guernsey; for, although
we are far from rich, we have enough to
share with this dear little one, sent to
me, il seems-don't think me foolish-as
a precious Christmas gift on the blessed
Christmas day-the day Mary clasped
her beautiful boy to her heart in the
stable of Bethlehem. See, isn't she
prettyi And 80 plump! Take her in
your arms. am sure you, who are 80
kind to cats and dogs, must almost love
this motherless little girl" And she
laid the child in the arms of the man
who had never held a baby before, and
who looked down uponit with some
thing very like tears ghttering in his
eyes.
eyes, it is pretty and plump, and
everything you say. Rosa-pardon
me, Miss Osborne but please take it
back. I'm afraid of it. It's making
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