The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-01-05


sion, so that he might be present at the
ceremony of christening. This most de-
lightful of events in every happy home
soon arrived, the husband in the mean
while preparing the necessity utensils
for his expedition to the land of gold,
and assisting the captain TO gather to-
cether party of men ambitious for the
same important undertaking.
The babe was beautiful boy, with
the nose and mouth of its father and
the merry blue eyes of its happy mother
| At the font il was christened David
after the indomitable youth in the
Sacred Book who slew the giant with
pebble, its father differing with Shaks-
peare, and believing that there is much
in name; and that the young David,
as he grew in years, would be able to
STAY every giant that might stand in his
path.
In due time the father departed on
his great expedition for wealth-to be
gone he could not tell how long. He
promised his wife, amid the sorrows and
tears of parting, that he would write to
her often, and that he would send the
means to keep her and the babe in com
fort.
Two letters came weekly for few
months after Harry's departure, and
each one Astounding in language of the
most ardent affection for Katy and the
blue-eyed boy. But in those days, be-
tween the States and California, the
mails were very irregular, the country
was wild and unsettled, and finally the
letters ceased entirely, and Katy heard
no more from her husband.
The means he had left for her support
gradually diminished, and Katy, who
was an orphan living with distant rela-
tives at the time she was married, was
too proud to call upon her friends for as
distance, and when her supply of funds
was entirely expended, she applied at
the manufactures, and the stores, and
the shops for swing
In a city Ike Cincinnati, crowded with
poor class of sewing girls eager for
work, even at the lowest wages. employ
ment is hard to obtain. And so Mrs.
Window found it, and it looked possible
that she and her Davy "-as she now
called him, in spite of fate and prophecy,
would soon be compelled to starve.
Little by little her jewelry went for
means of support, then pieces of furni-
ture followed and she was compelled to
move into a humble tenement house,
renting two scant rooms, and living on
oatmeal porridge, before she at last OBJ
tanned work. When it came, however, it
was not much; but it sufficed to pay
her rent, buy cheap clothing, and fur
nish very unostentatious meal for her
and little Davy.
On the gloomy day before Christmas
at the opening of our story, we find Mrs,
Window and little Davy together, living
IN the two rooms we have spoken of.
One was used as bedroom and the
other as living room for the mother and
the companion of her privations.
Poor as Katy Window was, she had al
ways followed that old-fashioned, pleas
ant, happy home-like custom of having
the stockings hung up on Christmas eve,
so that little Davy might wake up on
Christmas morning, and wondering over
the mystery OF the great and good Santa
Claus, take the sweetmeats and toys
from their receptacle at the chimney
side, and be happy-yes, very happy-at
least one day in the year.
And the occasion was one of great hap
piness, too, to the poor mother Her sons
| IOuStu Vic tllDtTS Vi
JOY, and of memory, in her bosom. The
days of her own happy childhood came
back, ere yet Death had taken from her
the relations that were near to her heart,
and broken to fragments the endearing
ties that made happy the home of her
parents.
Littly Davy, as the night grew on
apace, this Christmas eye, cheered his
mothers heart by talking of Christmas
and Santa Claus, and wondering what
good things the venerable bearded friend
of innocence and virtue would bring to
him in the night. His joyous, childlikc
prattle cheered her spirits greatly, and
as she breathed quietly prayer that her
boy might always, always be as happy
as tonight, and that no worse blight
than that of poverty might mar his life,
she added to her aspirations the wish
that some word might soon come to her
of her husband and his safety and
happiness.
Amid all these five years of suffering
and restitution, she had never lost faith
in her husband. She knew that if he
was alive any where on the earth, she
would hear of him in time, that he would
! was full of truth.
And then little Davy, for a wonder,
too, spoke of his father, Whose name
he had not before mentioned for long
long time. Davy loved his father. Al
though he was Just born when his father
left, yet as soon as he had grown old
enough to understand his mother had
made him acquainted with his fathers
character, and had taught him to love
him, and to hope and pray for his return,
Mamma" said Davy, I" do you think
Sandy Claws will bring a little wagon
and a drum, and a rocking-horse, and
lots O. candy and good things down the
chimney to-nightp'
/. don't know, my darling" said Mrs
Window, whether he will bring you a
little wagon and rocking horse, but
am sure, you have been such good boy
!. this year, that he will bring you some
thing nice. He is always kind to good
boys in some way"
And, mamma, if Sandy Claws is SO
good and kind to nice little boys and
their mothers, why won't he bring papa
to us, who has been away so long
; Every Kismas have witten letters to
J Sandy Claws, and sent 'em up the chin
ney, and asked him to send papa to us
and he don't pay no attention Now,
you wife plain letter so he can read
it, and sign Davy Window to it, and see
if he won't send papa, and the other
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