The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-01-05
OUR STORY TELLER.
ONE CHRISTMAS EVE.
BY JAMES PUMMILL.

Yes, it was gloomy day. For you
must know that the day before Christ
mas-merry, merry Christmas lis not
always happy in anticipation of the
coming holiday of the year. And on
this day thick clouds of nature were
added to the thick clouds of SCOT that
settles over the Paris of America on
lowering days.
Mrs. Window sat in her scant fur
nished room in the third story of house
on Bakersfield, sewing. Her little
son Davy played about the floor making
believe he was a locomotive, while his
mamma worked upon the cheap shirts,
and sighed. She looked out of the win
dow at the thick bank of clouds and
smoke that dimmed and blackened the
atmosphere, and her sigh deepened; for
she remembered that tomorrow was
Christmas "a day that had once been to
her the happiest and brightest of all the
year. The weather was in unison
with her feelings just then. Why
should the Christmas eve be bright, why
should the sunshine sparkle, when her
life was darkened by poverty? That
was question which arose in Mrs.
WINDOWS mind; but only for mo-
ment; for she was a good, hopeful
Christian woman, and believed that the
Lord would provide in some way for
those who have faith in his promise that
all is for the best-eyen clouds and shad-
ows-to those who lean upon His power
full arm.
Mrs. Window had once been in good
circumstances, and surrounded with the
comforts of the world; and therefore
her present condition of poverty was
the more keenly felt She had been the
belle of one of our suburban towns not
many years ago, and her hand was
sought in marriage by numerous lovers
some of them commanding wealth and
position but Harry Window, the dash
ing amateur comedian, the fine singer,
and the handsome lover, for whom all
the girls were setting their caps, was her
choice, and after happy courtship they
were married.
Harry was not rich; but he was strong,
full of nervous vitality, and ambitious.
Before his marriage to Katy Marvin,
his ambition was of an esthetic charac-
ter. The drama, music and poetry oc-
cupied his time; and it must be said that
he obtained good reputation in each of
these. In public entertainments for the
benefit of charitable institutions, Harry
was always called upon to take a leading
part, and received sufficient applause to
satisfy his heart. His poems for the
daily papers or the magazines were not
thrown in the waste-basket, but were
printed and copied, and widely difIused,
and often praised.
But shortly after his marriage Harry
ambition took turn. Poetry and elo-
cution are very satisfying to the soul !;
but they do not always bring comfort
and enjoyment to the body.
Harry had read biography as well as
poetry, and he knew that the author
and the actor have hard strug-
gle to keep soul and body together. He
knew that even those who are on the
topmost round of fame's golden ladder
are compelled to work earnestly, vigor
ously and constantly to maintain their
high position, and that even then they
sometimes fall, and are heard of no
more.
No." said Harry to his wife one day,
fame is precious bit of tinsel, Katy ;
and that is all it is. You and | must be
happy together. When Poverty comes
in at the door, Love flies out at the win
dow. Love in a cottage is pretty
thing in poetry-books, but not in real
life. / am going to be rich-I intend to
devote my talent and energies, now, for
few years, in the gathering of gold.
When we are rich, We will settle down
to poetry and art, and take the world
easy"
But how? That was the question.
Harry's people were not wealthy. They
possessed sufficient to live in comfort.
but not in luxury, and could give their
son no aid. Harry had received a fair
education, had studied law, but not with
sufficient industry, as you may reasona-
bly, think, to give him any prominence
as student. And after he was married
he removed with his family to Cincin-
natl, and hung out a shingle.
He had no particular luck. Briefs
came to him, like angel visits, short
and far between, and the indications of
wealth were not very fattering. About
that time the California gold fever was
raging throughout the land, and Harry
determined to join company, and seek
the Ell Dorado where gold might be had
merely for the plucking. 1t was diff
cult to obtain his wife's consent to this
r.4a, Tor a parting with the husband she
10 much loved, and the breaking up of
their happy home, was bitterness itself.
At last, however, she consented.