The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-07
HOLLY.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

And the holly.boughs whispered each to each,
ts Fhe world may talk and the world may
4 - preach,
But the grandest labor in lie we say
Is, mid sunshine, frosts and vapors grey,
Preparing to shine on Christmas day.
It's Christmas Eve, and only the fire.
light reveals Il girlish figure leaning
back in a chair, the while she stead
fastly hides her face with her thin white
hands. The door opens, and another
figure, gliding in. kneels down by the
first, and playfllly withdrawing these
same hands, says, "Elizabeth, darling,
you will come down. For my sake,
dear"
II hardly know"
You shall come down the back
stairs with me, love, and go into the
back drawing. room by the door at the
end of the corridor. Nobody need see
you. or know you are there-nobody
but. John. and darling, it is cruel to dis
appoint him"
g Very WE'LL" and then Elizabeth
rises to do even as the other has said.
But the other lights the candles on
the table first, anc gives just q little
tender touch here and there to Eliza
beth's dress and hair-the former is
black lace with scarf let bow or two.
and the latter lies in tiny soft rings all
over Elizabeth's head. Time was when
she would have never dreamt of looking
= like this, and then she leans forward to
take strangely earnest gaze at the face
which the dressing-glass reveals-a
face, thin, dark, and disfgured, but
which was once fair and bright as low
ing eyes could wish. Tears, great pas
sionate tears, drop on 10 her dress as
she turns away, for the girl believes
she has a lifelong burden laid upon her.
Darling, you will break my heart" !"
"No," Pauline, not that, and you
must forgive me. Besides, It's Christ
mas. too, and we must try to be happy"
And she laughs little, for all her tears
of minute before.
Then they 60 down stairs together,
and Pauline takes Elizabeth to the
back drawing-room as she had said,
where she stirs the fire to q brighter
blaze, lights the branches, and then goes
away. for she has some little order to
giver cspecting tea, which is TO be served
somewhat differently to the usual way
tonight. And Elizabeth sees, when
she is gone, that the door between the
two drawing-rooms is slightly ajar;
obeying u sudden impulse, she therefore
deadcns the fire by beating it little to-
gether; then, putting out the lights,
crosses over all tremblingly to the door,
which she opens wider still; so wide
indeed, that, sitting in the dark corner
opposite, where the fire light cannot
-
whole space beyond. Pauline has not
yet returned, only the ladies are there,
and tnese,dO not interest Elizabeth; and
as she sits and waits her thoughts travel
back into the months which have come
and gone.
1t seems but rs yesterday when she
stood in the sweet spring sunlight, with
the lindens whispering above and the
myrtles signing below, while the old
postman assorted his letters, arranging
them after his own slow fashion before
giving into her hands the one which
had hidden her come to this home, this
home in which she was so much priced
and beloved. For they-Pauline and
she '"cre orphans. They had lived,
to till the former married one Of the
fashionable English visitors who fire.
ouented the place in Germany where
they were, with relations who loved
them none too fondly. Therefore it was
arranged that so soon rs Pauline had
settled down in her English home, Eliza
beth should be sent for to share with her
theSsunshine of Eer new, fair life. And
glad, free. and loving, she had come.
No matter what bright dreams had in
p, terwovens themselves into the summer
months-Elizabe b hurries past them,
on to what she believes has changed her
whole life-current from its course. In
some way, toward the end of these
same bright months, smallpox became
rife in the village, and Elizabeth's maid
who had come with her from the father
land, was among the first to sicken of
he complaint. Sne was very i'll. and
craved for Elizabeth the whole time
through; therefore, for very love, al
though trained and proficient nurse
was from the first procured, Elizabeth
came and went continually from her own
room to that of the sick girl. She would
hold intercourse with none of the Others
she even begged them to go and leave
her., but all bravely stayed on; and,
strange to say none took the infection save
Elizabeth only. The maid died but he1
mistress soothed her to the last; then she
herself sickened, but knowing what was
upon her, she had strictly enjoined fo1
Pauline not to come near her, which
order the nurse had carried out-for ii
it spread further. where mi ght it moi
endP Then she, the girl whose Christian
love had been her guide, arose from hel
: bed, her beauty gone, and in her weak
ness she now, as then, questions the
wherefore of the whole matter. They
had taken her away to the sea as soor
she was anywise to fit to be removed
Now, however, they had come back fol
Christ mas, for all, even Elizabeth, ,cravet
for the sweet home peace Of their OWL
place And there was yet another reason
why Elizabeth longed to come-for tn
swee: dream Of her life must be pu