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

ROSE BELLS CHRISTMAS.
Dainty lace hangings, rivaling the
frostwork that would be on the window
by morning, framed in the fair face of a
girl, who stood tapping drearilv on the
window-pane and looking at the storm
and the people hurrying by outside.
Her face was clouded and her gray eyes
had grown a shade darker with trouble.
There was snow everywhere-under
foot, overhead and all around, hurrying
and scurrying into peoples faces and
lodging in the folds of every garment.
The traditional old woman must have
been plucking an extra quantity of
geese-for the feathery flakes were fly
ing hither and thither, hiding all the
ugliness of the street under their dainty
coverings; making beds of down of the
freshly-raked piles of dirt still on the
street; spreading a snowy sheet over
sidewalk and giving ermine like edges
to door-frames and acknowledges; pat
tering softly against the glass in the
prettiest and most provoking way to
the girl trying to look through them. Il
was a sudden storm, stealing swiftly at
the heels of Indian-summer-like wealth
er that had made every one quote the
old saw: =" A green Christmas makes a
full graveyard" and no one was ready
for it. With thoughts miles away, the
girl stood looking sadly and dreamily
out, noting everything, from the old
woman bending under a load of wood
on her back, which she had literally
fshed out of the lake and which caused
the girl, enshrined amidst comfort and
plenty. to SILVER and whisper, "God
pity the poor this wretched night!'
The poor old creature with the burden
on her weary back and burden in
heart that would never in this life grow
brighter, passed out of sight. A portly,
warmly-clad business man, briskly fol-
lowed, wrapped in fur coat and gloves,
his heart, perchance, colder than the
shiyering form of the tiny blue-veined
child that iostled his footsteps as it
was hurrying through the blind
ing snow, vainly drawing the
thread-bare shawl closer. Weary
eyed working women. tired bust
mess men, sleek-loOking young Ameri-
ca, and naughty danes, hurried along
in the gathering dusk; milkmen whipped
their horses, glad that the DAVIS work
was over, and snOw-cOvered police left
the city to take care of itself and sought
the warmth of q bar-rOom fire. Night
closed in, the lamplighter was running
about with his ladder and presently the
lights began to CLEAN like stars in the
darkness. 1t was growing colder, but
still Rose Bell stood peering out on the
night. Presently couple under an
umbrella sauntered slowly along, and
as they passed in the light of the lamp,
she saw the tall form of the man with
beard so full of snow that he looked a
veritable Santa Claus. bend toward the
girl leaning on his arm, and though the
girls face was merry, and her answer
a laughing one, Rose knew that they
were lovers, scarce conscious of the
snow or the cold. or of anything but
that they were together, hidden as it
were by the storm, and all the nearer
for it. The sight made Rose draw the
curtains and sigh as she turned away,
shivering. to the fire, throwing herself
down on the rug and burying her face
in her arms.
=
Out on the lake the storm was fiercer
than on the land, and a cold, cutting
wind was blowing. The cold waters of
the lake heaved dark and merciless, as
a disabled schooner drifted helplessly
about. every now and then the floating
ice grating against her hull and making
the fainting hearts of her crew quake
with fear. Every hour the cold became
more intense, and the ice was getting
closer and thicker near the shore. The
crew were freezing almost in sight of
home. What dreams of warm tiresides,
of loving, faithful hearts waiting their
coming, must have filled the hours of
the dreary night-watch. What a night
il was to cling to rigging as the schooner
became wedged and half sank between
the ice the stilled voices will never tell.
The next morning the snow had ceased
TO fall, and the helpless schooner, with
its crew still clinging to the rigging,
could be seen from land. AS soon as
possible a sturdy tug was got under
way and went putting fiercely, but slow
ly cutting its way through the ice. In
tense as was the cold. a crowd soon gath
cred on the shore. watching with eager
interest. No answering shout was heard
TO the cheerful halloo of the men on the
tug. Everything about the schooner was
still and motionless. The crowd stood
awestruck. What anage itseemed until
the tug steamed slowly back. Then the
crowd rushed toward it and as suddenly
fell back. while the awful whisper
passed from one to another, ats the
Merry Bell and every one on board
stark dead, frozen to the rigging"
The schooner was only charnel-houSe
and the people had been expanding
their sympathy upon creatures who had
been for hours beyond it. Among the
crowd waiting ON the shore Rose Bell
had stood closely yelled. There had
been tears and screams from waiting
wives and mothers. but she turned