The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-12-26

net 70 starve or freeze, on twelve dol
lars week, and Mats overcoat and my
cloak could both be turned, and--somc-
body was coming home soon.
Widow Winterpippin--God bless her,
proved an angel Of goodness during
our trouble, coming 10 sit with Nat her
self. when his arm was at the worst; Il
had 70 60 70 the store, after the first
few days. or the salary would have
ceased though, they did, fora wonder,
give me an extra half-hour at noon
when went home 10 lunch), sending
Mamie TO wait on him when he Was
getting better, and making all sorts Of
nice dishes to tempt his appetite, and
lending him all the incest books, and
keeping the room bright with beautiful
flowers. hut il wasn't this kindness
that made Nat fall in love with her.
Oh. no! for he had fallen in love with
her long before, and was on the point
Of telling her so when that cruel ma
chinery grasped his arm.
"But l must give her up now, Susie"
he said to me-we had no secrets from
each other" though love her more
than ever. 'Twould have been no
match, in = worldly sense, for her be-
fore - printer with only what he
earned from week to week, and a pretty,
young widow, owning houses and lands
sufficient to give her an income Of q
thousand year--but now ii is simply
impossible. Disabled for life, l must
make up my mind to be burden on
you, and see her marry"
A.. Nafh sal
cried l. "What has come over you?
IL seems TO me that the people who are
the jolliest when they are jolly are the
bluest when they are blue. One would
think you'd lost both arms and legs to
hear you talk. DO you forget your ia
voritc motto. Nil dcsperadum,' to say
nothing Of up, guards, and at emf
But Nat continued very low in his
spirits, all could do or say. And this
Is how affairs stood in our house the
Christmas Eve before that Christmas
Day.
The kettle had just began to boil next
morning, and had just called out
q Merry Christmas =" to Nat. hearing
him stir in his own room, when Widow
Winterpippin's blue-eyed little maid
knocked at the door, with q Merry
Christmas" giggle, and note from
her mistress. The note read
"Winifred Winterpippin sends her
love TO Susie and Nathaniel Bracket, and
bcgs that they will, as a great favor, give
her their company in her rooms this
evening at O'Clock"
" And I've got note for every body
IN the house, and there's to be supper,
miss. So don't cook no dinner, miss"
said the little maid, laughing outright.
(This little maid was almost always
in which respect she much
rcsemblcd her black-eyed mistress.)
" Say wen come, with pleasure, Nan
nic," said |. 8 Yes, miss" and away
she flew.
And at precisely, the invited guests
were assembled in the widows pretty
parlor. Dear me. How pretty II was.
Christmas green's were festooned all
around the walls, and anchors, and
wrcaths, and hearts, and crosses were
hung wherever they could be hung, and
above the mantel, merry Christmas
in large dark green letters, frightened
by crimson berries, greeted us a we en-
tered the door. And there were stands
filed with love geraniums and begonias,
and lilies in each window, and splen-
did fire in the CRATE and most charming
of all there was the widow herself in a
/ ca-l-gray silk with scarlet ribbons al
her throat and scarlet flowers in her
hair.
When NathaRicl-poor fellow, how
his empty sleeve annoyed him-and |
arrived, Mrs. McChilly and her grand
children were already there-the old
lady in the easiest chair in the room,
nearest the fire, with glass Of lem
onade, Of which she was very fond chow
did Widow Winterpippin manage to
find out every body's little weaknesses
in the way Of eating and drinking?), on
. small round table by her side, and the
grandson and his wife looking over the
photograph album In coy corner.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rose and the three Rose
buds, As we called the children, wee,
darling, authenticated girls, came in at
the same time we did, and Mr.. and Mrs. |
Summer, he looking worn and haggard
and she with traces Of tears around
her beautiful cy es--and the baby made
their appearance few moments later.
s'And now that we are almost all
here" said Widow wintcrpippin--we
wondered who else was 10 come-s.we'll
hxvc dance TO begin with. You will
play, Mrs. SUMMER Mamie can hold
the baby"
hut Mrs. Summer blushcd and said
she never played, now
ssBut you can" insisted the widow in
her geniai way. "You surely have not
forgotten. used 70 hear you playing
80 much and 50 well when you first
moved here, and Mr. Summer sang
then, too. Many happy hour have |
passed listening toyou both And Mr..
summer, with a conscious contritc look
in his face, put his arm around his wife