The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-12-21

Long after the children We're asleep,
long after the last remnant had died
away in the stove, Ellen Gale sat think
ing, thinking, The room grew colder
and colder, the wind whistled and
shrieked as if in anger, and the sleet
continued to beat fiercely against the
window pane. 1t was n wild, bitter
night, but the rich and happy, in homes
| full of festal cheer, laughed at lis fury.
Five wears before Ellen Gale had been
a happy wife. Her husband, young,
handsome and prosperous, was very
proud of his beautiful wife and their
two lovely children. Walter Gale was
the trusted, confidential clerk of a large
commercial house. He was on the high
road TO fortune, for his employers had
promised 10 make him partner Of the
| firm, when, one day II was discovered
that two thousand dollars belonging to
the firm was missing, Circumstances
pointed to Walter Gale, the trusted
| clerk, as the criminal, and though
there was not sufficient evidence to
/ convict him. he was dismissed from the
establishment with stain upon his
name. The night following his dis
charge Walter Gale left his home, leay-
inc a note addressed TO his wife, assur-
ing her of his innocence, and declaring
his intention never TO come back 10 L
again until he was able to replace the
money he was suspected Of having
stolen. This trouble fell Ike a thunder
bolt on the fond young wife and moth
er, who had never known care or Sor-
row. She lived-she was obliged to
live for her children, the youngest a
baby of two years. She sold her jewell
~, Walters gifts, and most of her fur
niture, removed from herpretty cottage
TO two rooms in tenement house, and
went to work sewing for the shops. She
heard no word, no tidings of her hus-
band, but two years after his departure
his innocence was proved beyond
doubt The junior partner OF the house
in which Walter had been employed
absconded with all the available funds
of the company. He was followed, cap
tured, and imprisoned for the crime.
He committed suicide in prison, but be-
fore he died he performed one act OF
justice. He wrote a confession declar-
ing Walter Gales innocence Of the
crime of which he was suspected, and
admitted that he had been the real
criminal, The particulars of this mans
arrest, imprisonment, confession and
suicide were published in the newspa-
pers far and near. Surely, if Walter
Gale were living they must have reach
ed him. But three years had passed
since then and no tidings had been
heard Of him, and the inference was
that he was dead. Mrs. Gale and her
family were known to be in great pow
erty, still there were few who were
aware that they ever suffered from act
ual want, for Ellen was very proud-too
proud to complain, much less to beg
Alas for the poor and proud And,
indeed, when she could obtain work,
her nimble fingers earned enough to
supply herself and children with food
and clothing-iust that and no more.
For the past month, however. it had
been impossible for her to obtain work,
and tonight there is nothing in the
house but half loaf Of bread, and half
a dozen potatoes, little meal and
few handfuls Of coal. And the next
day is Christmas-the day Of plenty, and
happy family reunions, and happy chill
dren.
Ellen Gale sits shivering in the cold.
bare room, while outside the wind
bowls, and the rain beats against the
windows. Her thoughts 90 back to the
past-to the merry Christmas times she
has spent in her fathers house, the dear
old farm house up among the hills OF
New Hampshire. She thinks Of those
who gathered around that festal board
father, mother, sisters and brothers.
They are all gone-all except one broth
er, who has removed to the far West.
This memory recalls to her that happiest
Christmas of all, her wedding day, when
she stood up in the old fashioned parlor
Of the same old farm house, with her
handsome young lover, and the words
were spoken by the gray-haired man Of
God, which made her his wife, Oh!
the happy days and years that followed.
How tender, how true, how noble he
was-that husband of hers. How he
had loved her. Then the children had
come. How proud he had been Of them.
What future he had planned for them.
And now they were suffering from want,
from hunger and from cold. She rose
and walked to their bed side, There
they lay fast asleep, looking 50 fair, so
angelic, but, oh: so thin and pale, No
Christmas toys and pleasures for them
no pleasant surprise in the morning
to gladden. their hearts and make home
happy.
on God she cried, i cannot, oh! |
cannot endure that they should suffer,
my dear ones, his and mine. Oh! Wal
ter, Walter, come back to them, to me
Many and many Il time in the past
four years has that cry, Walter, come
back to me-" been wrung from the
depths Of her agonized heart. She had
well nigh despaired Of that prayer even
being answered But as the sound OF
her voice dies away upon the air, she
hears a loud rap upon the door She IL
not afraid, as many women would have
been, for it is past ten O'Clock. She
goes to the door and opens it, A man
stands before her cnyeloped in heavy
overcoat, buttoned up to the chin. HC
is bearded and bronzed, and it is nc
wonder she does not recognize him