The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-12-16


shrek for help failed to rouse her daugh-
ter. Inconsistencies is blessing oft
entimes and SO it proved now.
With the return of consciousness came
memory. 20 mamma, the schooner
was the Merry Bell, and all aboard
dead. frozenl He was to come home on
it! o, what shall / do?" The blessed
tears came now and caused the shrewd
doctor to nod his head wisely and whis-
per to Mrs. Bell, She'll be all right
now" and quietly made his exit. When
in his buggy he confided to it or his
horse, Humph! A lover at the bottom
of this; young Culbertson, too. l sup
pose; he is part owner of the schooner.
Good fellow; sorry if he is gone; miser-
able way of dying. too; and that pretty
girli Well, welll Get up, there, Dolly;
what are you about?' Then the good
doctor logged on to another patient and
forgot all about it
That morning, soon after breakfast,
little Jack Bell, an ubiquitous youngster
that would some day make his fortune
as reporter for a Chicago daily, ran in
briskly, skates in hand, nose and cheeks
red with cold and absolutely bullying
with news:
"Say, Sis, schooner out there stuck
in the ice; men sticking to the masts.
Folks say it's the Merry Ben and, by
George, Sis, shouldn't wonder if Mr..
Culbertson was one of 'em. Hope he
amt, though, for he promised me a new
sled if 1 would say nothing about the
day l caught him kissing you"
"Jackr' sternly interposed his moth
er's voice
"Where is it, Jack; quick, tell meP"
said Rose in a voice of trembling anx-
iety.
'tOut there; from behind Dick Matt
lands house you can see her."
Then she had slipped away to see the
ground there was for her fears.
All day she moaned ana grieved and
would not be comforted, for handsome
Fred Culbertson was her promised hus-
band, and she had given all her heart
into his keeping. When he babe her
goodbye few weeks before he had
called back at the last, 'TD be home
for Christmasr' He was part owner Of
The Merry Bell" and had intended
coming back on this her last trip for the
season.
The cold continued to increase. The
sky wore dull, leaden look-nature
itself seemed dead. Rose lay looking
out, and thought of other hearts sad
dened as hers was; other homes where
the LIGHT had gone out and made them
dreary and dark.
Mrs. Bell remained during the night
with her daughter, petting, soothing,
and comforting. and as the sleepless
hours wore away mother and daughter
grew nearer together than they had
ever been before. Mrs. Bell talked of
the early days of her married life; then
of the day when her husband had left
her bright and well in the morning, and
at evening had been brought to her
still and dead. Rose realized as she
had never done before what her mother
had suffered. Poor mamma, how sad
and lonely you have been," she MUIR
INJURED as she dropped into tired sleep.
The next day was Thursday, the day
before Christmas. Rose opened her
ewes to find the maid setting her break
fast on a table at her bedside.
Look, look, Miss Rose, see on the
window. Sure it's the cars intirely!
Sure it's the witches, it is, and Miss
Rose, dear, sure it's good luck it'll
bring. Mr. Calbertson I'll COON yet, or
we'll know itr'
Frightened by the girls words and
forgetting TO be offended at the freely
expressed opinion. Rose jumped up to
see the wonder of frost work. ''Sure
enough, it's veritable train, locomo-
tive and all How stranger
81 don't know what kind that is,
Miss Rose, but it's cars, it is"
"Get my wrapper, Ann, and bring
nv breakfast to the fire, I'll get up"
said Rose, cheered she scarcely knew
why. --..
- Will your ma have the tree, Miss
Rose. It's the childers is on their heads
about it.
81 forgot it." answered Rose, her face
clouding. " Ask mamma to come up as
soon as she is through her breakfast.
+" It's been over this hour! I'll GO
tell her, and shall bring up some more
coffee?'
mo, Just tell mammal
"And here she is herself" answered
Ann, as she opened the door, and Mrs.
Bell came in.
up, Rose?"
- Yes, and oh, mamma, look at the
window, Ann says it is good luck"
Il hope it is, am sure, it is certainly
a strange freak of Jack Frost. Ihave a
telegram from Mr. Culbertson, Rose.
He got off at Milwaukee, and is well
and safe"
Then a hearty cry came to wash sway
the last remnants of pent-up sorrow
and Rose was soon bright and happy
and busy talking of the evening and the
promised tree So surrounded by love
and happiness thatshe forgot the homes
which death had darkened, or where
grim want stared at the empty hearth.
where Christmas was the saddest dav OF
all the year; forgot everything but hap
piness.
Christmas Eve great party of chill
dren and older people almost as bright
as the children were gathered in Mrs.
Bells front parlor. Presently the gas
was lowered and the sliding-doors drawn
back, displaying scene of fairy-like
beauty. At the farther end of the room
was tree lit with tapers and laden
with things of beauty. and in the back
ground of greens and flowers were scat
tered the things too large for the tree,
among them Jacks sled. How the
children screamed when old Santa with
snowy beard and hair crept from out
the green plants about the chimney,
muttering in low voice, From Ger
many l come; as l walk l jingle, jingle,
and the hnrS coll me old Kris Krinnle y