The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-25
ONE MANS CHRISTMAS.
BY OLIVE HARPER.

BY OLIVE HARPER.
"Papa, let me keep him-please do: he
looks SO lonesome, just as if his mother
had died, too; and he looks so hungry, and
shivers so in the cold. Please do, papa. See
as if he wanted you to see his poor leg. and to
make you understand how cold and hungry
he is. Why, papa, I don't believe he ever
had enough to eat in his life:" and the quiv-
ering little voice died out altogether in sobs,as
he took the poor little starved dog into his
arms and held him agaist his breast.
The father, a stern looking man, whose hat
was circled with band of Grape, looked
down with smile of rare tenderness as he
said:
''Why, Harry, don't cry about it; you shall
certainly looks anything but pretty play.
thing. Come, now: we will go home. You
can call your pew friend along"
"Oh, thank you, papa!" said the little boy;
and his violent eyes danced with delight, and
his transparent cheeks flushed bright Grim
son with pleasure, while the little dog limped
along afterihim, encouraged by his childish
voice, sometimes raised with delight at the
new acquisition, again to fall with infinite
pity for the starved little dog.
When they reached home they were met by
the housekeeper, with torrent of excuses
and objections to feeping the dog, till little
Harry said with flashing eyes: "Mrs. Per-
kins,} were you ever hungry and cold and sick,
without any home to go to Or any one to love
your
All OF sudden the housekeeper's pale face
flushed, and tears came into her eyes as she
turned hastily away and busted herself with
other affairs for a moment. Then she turned
and came back, saying: "Well. dear, shall we
take him down to the kitchen and see what
We can do for him?"
"Yes,"said Harry. "for guess he needs
something, and that pretty soon. Come
dogge."
They went out, leaving the father alone,
and he threw himself into an easy chair be-
fore the fire and clasped his hands before his
eyes saying: Gle is like her, 80 like and so
frail Who but he would want to take that
position to do so too: the more wretched the
case the mores Interest she took in it. My God!
how his look went to my heart when he plead
ed so. 1t was like hers when she lay dying
and begged of me with almost her last breath
to forgive my poor sister, who ran off with
that wretch who died drunkard. l always
said | never would forgive her nor speak to
her, but if could find her now she would al
ways live with me. Well, Harry" This to
Harry, who stood by his fathers chair, with
his face flushed and eager.
70, papa, If you could only see the little
doggie now. Mrs. Perkins has washed him
all over, and put salve on his poor leg, and
she says it was broken and she fed him. he
wouldn't eat until he got up on his back legs
and walked along little, and then made
6oW-you have no idea what gentleman he
Is, only he isn't very handsome, you know"
The father took his little motherless boy in
to his lap. and when there he gave long
sigh, and lay YEARLY down on his fathers
breast saying, 81 am very tired, papa, what
makes me get tired SO easy now? didn't use
something jump so in here (placing his hand
over his heart that l can't hardly breathe,
and don't care about playing ball any more
and never rida my rocking horse now"
=. 20! my God" said the father with his white
lips, as he all at once saw the frail boy was
pale and thin even to emaciation. Why, he
asked himself, had he not seen it before. It was
all plain now and the sight of the colorless
cheeks and listless air made him remember
other things, fits of almost frantic excitement
followed by Frustrating weariness nights
when the childish form was never still, toss
ing and startling; days when the delicate ap-
petite failed ana the weary eyes seemed to
turn with loathing from the tempting food;
hours while the child lay about on the rug at
ms feet, or On sofa, and when asked why he
simply, ppm tired"
Re saw it all now too plainly. He saw that
all through that FIRST summer of bereavement,
WINE ne had given up to grief for his lovely
young wife, his child had been fading with
the summer, decaying with the autumn, and
he now felt, was dying with the winter. :g~.s8.e
Harry lay on his fathers breast till at last
ne Tell fast asleep. Then laying him tenderly
down on the sofa, the startled man went out
called Mrs. Perkins, and pointed to the Sleep
ing child, whose face was as pale as a calla
Lily, and with lips like the lilac bloss0ms,
said: lis he dying, Mrs. Perkins, Ii his
mother?"
ooh, don't, Mr.. Edward" said She, with a
gush of silent tears. -
You have seen il, then?" said he.
II not sure. and I cOuldn ,t boar IN d;o
tress you; hut fear it is So"
Stay with him, / will fetch DIR. Bennett,n
and the str,ken father hurried out while the
good old housekeeper sat down and looked
a. the child through her fast falling tears
She thought: "The lamb! knew it was no use,
Ter no one can cure heart disease; but if he
has had any eyes he must have seen that
Kept the lamb from excitement, and have
taken all the care could of him, and done
Tor him as did for his mother; but he never
thought it POSSIBLE. All well! we all have to
wake to trouble some time,"
Soon the doctor, accompanied BY the father,
came In, and the old man, who had been not
only physician but friend and adviser to the
dead young mother all her life, sat down BY
the still sleeping boy, and watched his pal