The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-25
MABEI's CHRISTMAS GIFT.
BY JUDGE CLARK.

,is'm A merry Christmas, Miss Mabel "
,il It was the first time Mabel had
heard the words that day. From
early dawn she had toiled at her
needle.
The bells were Ginning eleven and
Mabel stood, dripping and shivering,
OH the threshold Of the wretched ten
ement, one of whose poorest apart
ments constituted her home. The
night was dark and stormy, and she
had had long walk, through the
driving rain and sleet, from the FASH
jonable quarter In which her rich en-
ployer dwelt, to the humber one that
contained her own miserable abode.
f, ! "a merry Christmas, Miss Mabel
and here's Christmas gift for you"
said little dumpy old gentleman,
touching her arm US she was about to
ascend the steps, and thrustlng a
crumpled slip Of paper into her hand.
M What sharp eyes the little old gen.
tleman must have had to recognize
her In that dim and shadOwy light,
for II took the second glauce OF Ma
. ble's, young and keen as they were,
to make out the jolly features OF Mr.;
Wentworth, who had once employed
OIL her to copy some papers, for which he
. had paid her literally.
81 "Mabel would have said "Thank
YOU" for the gift, whatever 1t was
but before she had time to do so, the
little old gentleman was of.
NV No wonder Mabel started when she
had lit her lamp and inspected her
/, present. Such are seldom made out
sideof story-books. II vds a check
toIbeurer, on ono Of the city banks, foT
fue hundred dollars!
tIllWhat q muniticent gift to come
from one almost stranger! And
q how opportunity 1t came to! She
would be able to pay Oft the arrear-
=, age OF rent now, that had given her
so much trouble.
Z Mabel went to sleep with her treas
.ure under her pillow; and while she
Is dreaming happy dreams, In which
a face she has strlven hard to Danish
of late Is constantly coming up, let
us tell the reader who she Is.
Mable Gleason's father-she had
lost her mother In early Infancy
was a wealthy merchant, whose study
. Il had been to lavish on his daughter
and only child, every possible indulg'
ence. aud to adorn her with every at,
+ tainable accomplishment. 1t Is moi
too much to say he idolized her; and
had her heart been less true, or her
head less steady, she must have been
totally spoiled.
A financial crisis came, culminat-
ing In crush, among the victims Of
which was Mabel's father. Crushed
and broken In spirit, his health gave
way, and the end Of few months
saw Mabel an orphan and penniless,
for nothing had been saved from the
wreck of her fathers fortune.
Feeling she could better bear her
altered condition among strangers,
d she had left her native city, and
sought a home and employment In
the metropolis. The result we have
already seen.
E Mr.. Wentworth's check was duly
honored-it would have been good for
an hundred-foId rs much. Mabel,
keeping out no more than sutticed for
present needs, deposited the balance
In a savings bank. She took n tidy
room in a respectable street, which
she was fortunate enough to secure
o on moderate terms, and straightway
D advertised for pupils In French and
! music. ".
, Fortune seemed to smile on Mabel
!. at last She rendered so complete sat
nisfaction to the first few pupils that