Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-31

showed her that no cooking had
been done that day; nor was like
ly to be. The husband sat by the
window looking out, while she
was sewing near a very small,
carefully-built fire.
Both responded politely To her
greeting, but they looked pale
and sad.
The artist hurried back to her
room and wrote a friendly little
note inviting them to share her
Christmas dinner, because her
other friends were not comm G,
and she did not like to dine alone.
But they returned delicately
worded, friendly refusal, on the
ground of their preferring TO
spend their holidays with each
other only.
The kind little woman sighed,
but went en- with her preparations
for dinner, while her children en-
joyed the pretty gifts that had
made them happy since morning.
By-and-by she wrote another note,
which read:
"Don't be annoyed, dear Mrs.
Wilson, if beg you to accept one
little dish from my table since you
prefer to remain at home, because
/ am dreadfully superstitions, and
i believe in the old Saxon pro-
verb: The family whose Christ
mas dinner is unshared, will be
unlucky all the year So please
to taste morsel, just to save me
from misfortune.
Yours truly,
Kate Lencx.n
Then on china platter she ar
ranged a most appetizing little
filer, tender and brown and juicy,
f1anked by sliced potatoes brown
in gravy, amber-like bits of car
rot, tender as jelly, sippets of toast,
and over the whole a gravy that
would have compelled the praise
of a Frenchman. All around these
she placed tender heart leaves of
lettuce, and put the dish on apret-
ty tea-tray with saucer of cram
berry jelley beside it and her lit
tie note edgeWise between them,
and gently opened the door and
looked out.
No one in the hall, so Mrs.
Lenox noiselessly put the tray
close at her neighbours door, rap
ped loudly, and instantly darted
swiftly back to her own room,
softly shutting herself in. Then
with her children she enjoyed just
such a dinner as she had given
her neighbor. There came no
sound from the adjoining room,
for tho walls were thick enough to
muffle ordinary noises, and Mrs.
Lenox did not know if the VIII
sons were pleased or not, but
solaced herself with saying: mo
news is good news" and took her
children out for walk.
That evening when the little
ones were asleep, and the artist in
her pretty studio reclined on the
SOFA enjoying a book, she heard a
timid rap, and Mrs. Wilson came
quietly in. She tried to speak,
but could not; her cheeks grew
crimson and her earnest eyes
sparkled with moisture; then as
Kate Lenox rose to receive her
neighbor with pleasant smile of
welcome, the young wife fell into
her arms sobbing.
"Oh, you angel, God bless YOU"
Tho pfiSt fnIf hnr Axxyvr nxyoe,
grow dim, but endeavored to
speak lightly as she drew her
guest to sit by her on the sofa say
ing:
"You are very good not to be
vexed with me for wanting you
to taste my fillet. Do you know /
rather pride myself on my cook
ing?"
"Ah! God bless you! You saw
ed us. We were hungry 70
Hungry" cried Kate Lenox,
Mortified, Hungry on Christmas
day!"
Mrs. Wilson could only nod
reply, for her sobs came faster.
The two ladies sat clasping each
each other, and Kate Lenox kiss
ed her neighbor and comforted her
by repeating holy words of prom
Use; while her own tears fell fast
and her heart stopped beating for
a moment at the thought, "What
if my own darlings should ever be
hungry ?"
Mrs. Wilson was not a weak
young woman-only unnerved
just then by excitement; she COM
posed herself soon and explained.
eyes" she said in low thrilling
tones, 1--WE had only loafof bread
and a bit of cheese all yesterday,
and to-day only few biscuits,
until you placed that delicious
dinner at our door. Oh! it was
like the heavenly mama. When