The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-12-25
A CHRISTMAS STORY
OR. TIE FRUITS OF SELFISlINESS
AND RESERVE.
~ ANNIE ROBERTSON NoXoN.
CFrom ihe g. Loul. RepnblIcan.l

Is prom the 81, Louis Republican,
" Christmas eve, with swirs and clouds O
. snow lumbling down on fences, churcl
spires, grimy house tops, hedges, dismal al
q leys and palace steps IN such unusually hi!
flakes that even heather would hav
known instantly that this was no ordinary
everyday affair but a regular Northwestern
, ordered by old ST. Nicholas that the wheels
! Of his chariot might not be heard on thu
, stony Streets nor hls reindeers hoois as
they pranced away over mansard roofs from
one end Of the city to the other
Christmas eve, with the pulse OF the
throbbing town beating in muilicd way us
the hearts of the slccpers shall beat, while
happy dreams race and frohc through each
BRAIN Tor strange and pitiful though it is
ontcasts, without home or prospects, turn
into princes, and then, clothed in Damascus
silks, roam through the musky gardens of
the Old BaSdad Of llaroun Al Raschid
fame, happy as Gents with q glare of the
lamp, and thousand years to live.
The stars were nowhere to be seen in the
snowy sky, as they had all been invited to
the wedding of the paIid little moon with
the ice king, whose bridal present was a
whole world composed OF diamonds and
pearlsa sad old world for all that to those
who would have barterad all the pearls for
bread on this Christmas eve.
Ina solid gray stone house where great
big fire crackelled and roared up the wide,
old chimney, whose Christmas histories
would fill large volume, Gman walked up
and down with hii hands behind him and
cloud Of anxiety on his face, Once he
drew aside the heavy red curtains and look.
ed cut into tho aimy darkness. The callers
in the aycane were wearing their crminc
robes right royally, while deeper and deep
er lay the snow beneath.
\ long time h. stool watching faint
Ugh: in the distance, while his thoughts
travelled back over the last ten years of his |
life, as our thoughts will do on Christmas
eve, and as he turned from the window, the |
b;rhcn logs with rush and roar fell be.
tween the black and irons, making pic
,1rc which burned itself into his brain.
Ten years ago, on just such Christmas
eve he brought his beautiful young wife
bone - the old home behind thos, ances-
tr-l i. trees, bending them rs now under
iaa.; weight OF snow. In another wing of
the old house long sine; closed up he had
.;ooi with her under the holly and mistle-
-oe, -Gd while looking in her soft brown
-Tus had thought himself richer than an
emperor. a pang rsn through his heart to-
-igI: as he remembered her beauty, her
youth, he! inexpcrielce, the sudden loss of
her mother, and many other circumstances
which should have made her dcarer
han life, and he knew that the old
house had been haven and refuge to her
Ic argued that Marie had not done by him
'xlctly as she should She was wayward,
liga spirited, hard TO restrain and some. ,,
imes almost indifferent long before the end
.ame She had been reared in different
.imo-phere-had been INDUCED in gage
ie' and friyoIity and true 10 her lineage, ,
md her passionate foreign nature, looked
Ipon life US butterfly dance. His hard, /
PRACTICAL nature could not assimilate with
Ter light and volatile one, ana they drifted 4
way from each other. Us two rushes will in
stream, though borne along by the same Il
uTen, lie loved her mad!y. and longed a
thousand times to take her in his arms and c
make her love Elm again with that old fer. +
or which had somehow almost died out. d
But IN iron pride withheld him, and a
laric sought other society then and filled h
he old house with young company, and
'hlle he sat modify thinking Of his un- h
lppness alone he could hear her childish h
'ughIer ringing through the house, or the
lad, merry songs she sang to drown his "
DID, hard words, still sounding in her ears. II
Once as he sat so, with his head bowed Ii
II his clcnchcd hands, she stole in, bring. c
lg m odor Of heiotropc in her light silk b
VIII you not come down, Leonard, | Il
houId like so much to have your" "
Then why do you always fill the house a
WITH people neither know nor care fori" b
She drew her hand away.
You remember that you absented your Ii
eli from me first. What was to DOR b
You drove me to it. | have NJ longer 81
ny home or wife. Your rooms and your /
Inc are taken up 10y the world which YOU p
houId not have left, AS you care more for il il
han your husband"
He had never before thought her heart /
must have ached at those cruel words. =
u beg your pardon. am sorry find II
'oG IN so bad n mood. did not come to y
laarrel with you, dear, and shall 90 now, y
IS our usual ending seems inevitable. Does
our head acheI Shall l bind it up for your" =