Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-28
The man sat down to wait. And the child

| Opening the door, she went softly In, no
| speaking; perhaps the SteTl-lOOking old mar
| sitting there with bent head. avyed her 10 ST
/ lence- Joseph GOidiag, waking up from his
| deep reVerie. saw letter held ont TO him. HI
! hidden behind his large chair, was one OF hi:
/ Wal'lng-maidS. With singular quckentng Oi
/ pulse, lie recognized his daughters writing.
she had waited ell these silent years. she tod
! nm, because she was determined never TO write
/ 10 him again until they were rich enough fol-
I him to know that she did not write for any need
J OF his help. They had passed these ten years
i Ia the Indies. and Heaven had prospeFed them
/ Her husband was rich man now, and she
{ wanted from her father only his lOye-Walted
+ only that death should not come between them
ana neither Of them go TO her mothers side
/ without having been rCcAnciled to the other.
g How did this come heTc?-who brought it?'
+ demanded Nj. Gclding III his usual impeIi0u:
/ ..Idld grandpapa."
lie sprang up at the soft timid voice. as ii
SclEe fright TOOK him, and stared at the lOyelJ
. vision. standing there like spirit On his hearth
stone, with Ter white lace and cleaning Colder
/ hair. Was Il real? Where was ne? Who could
! thiS child be? But, as he looked. the likeness
( flashed upon him-and he grew hungry II
/ clasp her 20 him. II was the little Amy OF old
/ days grown into beauty-for Amy had never
/ been 50 wOndrOUsly fair as this.
/ come here, my Child; don't be afraid. Tel
| me what your name Is
/ "Amy. GraDdpaF3.
! Another Amy. Grandpapa! lie felt the SGT
rising up in his heart with great hood OF emo
n.
| ''N hat have they told you about me?'' he re-
! TONED, after long pause. ''IIaye they bid You
| hate me-"
"They always told me you were far away to-
! wards where tue sun rose: and If were gO1d
| they would bring me 70 see you some day
/ Every night | say i'll my prayers, God bless
| papa and mamma, and cod bless grandpapa -
Why didn't they bring you? What. made
them let YOU come alone?"
81 ANNA sent me with John TO give YOU the
letter. was the simple answer. 1.-THE carriage
IS at the gate waiting for me-"
''WhO is John?"
Papa'S servant"
''And-Where are they stayfng?"
''At the hotel. We only got here this morn
Mrs. Osgood, lowering in the hall looked on
in wonder. Her master was coming down
stairs. calling for his hat and coat, and le ldllg
the child. lie got into the carriage with her
and it drove away. Mr.. GOldlng was wonder
ing vaguely whether it were real.
They arrived at last, and the child led him in,
olCi1Eg door at the end OF a long corridor.
She spoke Checringiy.
Mamma. here IS grandpapa. He said he
would come back with me-
1iT. GDi1ing's head went off In Il swim. Ad-
yancing weakness t6llSUpOn people in such N )
meGJS is these. lie sat down; and there were
ANY 5 efins-ilia own Amy's-ab0uC bis neck.
which Oi The two SoDDed the most, could no: be
told. Why had he never known what lie lost
through ali these vanished years?
Father, are We Tec0uciled at laSt:''
. / don't know, my daughter; until you tell
nc whether you forgive me-
There should be no talk about forgiveness, =
she said '"1Cu went according 10 your own
opinion Of what was right. and perhaps ! was
20 blame, too. rather, il IS enough that God
has brought Us together in peace. | thought
that no one could resist my little Amy, least of
all, her Sraadpapa."
lie looked up. The clrild stood By, silently;
The freight glitterng On her golden hair, her
face smiling StTangeiJ.sweet He put out his
2rmS and drew her into them. clOSe-Where no
child. not even his own. had ever nestled before
Uh, how much he had missed in llfe,-he knew
il now. He felt her ciinging hold around his
neok-her kisses dropped upon his face like the
plying dew from Heaven; and he-waS il him
self Or another soul i'll his place?
- Father. see
Amys voice had a full. cheerful ring in it,
Her married life had been happy. Mr.. Golding
turned at the call.
Here are Harry and the boys waiting to
speak to You, she said in a less assured tone.
lie shook his sOn-in-law's hand heartily. Old
1eUdS, Old things, were over now, and all was
become new. In his heart, until that trouble
came, he had always liked Harry Church
Then he looked at the two boys brave, merry
little fellows. OF whom he might be proud
Explanations ensued. Fortune had favored
Mr. Church; they had come back for good, and
were already looking out for house.
NO house but mine interrupted Joseph
gone. You must come home Tomorrow"
''TO-morrow will be Christmas day. said his
daughter, half-dOubtingly.
''Ali the better II Christmas was never kept
in my house, it shall be kept now. | shall not
live TO see another Amy"
She looked up at the changed, thin face. and
could not contradict him. Some one going out
TO the West-Indies, had told them how Joseph
GOldinG was breaking; the news had caused
them to hurry home prematurely. Amy said to
Ter husband that if her father died. unrecon-
ciled to her, she should be full Of remorse for
ever.
You will come home tomorrow, all of YOU
repeated Mr.. GOldfnG. land mind, Amy, you
do not go away again."
.But-if the children should be too much for
You, father,''
when they are, I'll tell you" he said, with
touch OF the former grufneSs. '.The Old
house is large enough"
He went out; and found his way to the shops
open to the last on Christmas eve in the old
toWn-lOoking for Christmas gifts. New work
for hiIn-bUt he entered into Ii earnestly. Per-
amDulatinS the streets like bewlldered Santa
Claus he went home laden with books and toys,
and Jewels, and bon-b0ns. Mrs. OSgood lifted
her hands, and thought the end OF the world
must be coming.
"Iielp me to put these things away, Osgood
Don't stare as if you were moonstruck. And
LOOK here-therell be company to dinner to-
morrow. Mind you send In a good one"
''The best that ever was seen on q table
master-if it's for them / think it may be for"
"Wen. 1t Is; Miss A1ny'S coming home again. y
Heaven be praised, sir. The house has been
but d duh one since she left IT."
AEe they came. Amy and Amy's husband
and the pretty boys were there and best OF all
the sweet little girl with the golden hair; sitting
next 10 grandpa. Ii was too happy party for
loud mirth. And among them Joseph Golding
saw, or tancied he saw, another face, oyei
which, almost thirty years ago, he had watched
the grave sod piled-a face wistful no longer
bat bright with q strange glory. Close over De
EOEd him she seemed to Stand and he heard, or
1ancied that he heard, whisper from her
parted lips, though il might have come only
from his own heart.
..Peace on earth and good Will toward men -