The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-01-08
MY CHRISTMAS GIFT.

DelnS DdcnelOf, IN independent cir
cumstances, and able to return such ci-
Whites, in kind, l have usually been SO
fortunate as to receive large number of
Christmas presents, the response to
which has cost me SO much mental and
pecuniary wear and tear at different
times, that freely confess that would,
at any period, have been willing to come
to an understanding with my friends,
and agreed to stop both giving and tax
ing, If such proposition could have
been ventured by civilized man in the
nineteenth century. And upon my word
think should have had the best of it );
for the numbers of useless and trouble
some articles which have accumulated
in my chambers at each successive re-
turn Of the Christmas season have, I
fear, put many nail into the coffin of
my patient servant, and added several
wrinkles to the brow of certain gentle
man who rather prides himself upon
his youthful appearance in spite of his
thirty-two years.
With this preamble 1 come to the
point. was seated in my comfortable
sitting-room one Christmas Eve, mostly
smothered beneath the rolls of tissue pa
per that had been resignedly removing
from the various little mementoes. la.
beled with the sender's name and in
scribed with appropriate sentiments,
when another parcel was brought in. 1t
had a thin paper over it, and felt cold
and hard. "Good heavens!" men
tally calculated, "not another paper
weight" for | was already the happy
possessor OF sixteen; but my apprehen-
sion had proved correct, and | beheld
on opening the parcel duplicate of
seven that were already adjoining nv
apartments. being one of those heavy
glass ores with a picture slipped in the
bottom. l read the card enclosed.
From your loving little niece, and
was laying it down on the table near by.
without having had the spirit to exam
Inc it carefully, when l became con-
sclous that through the crystal glass in
my. hand the bonniest little face
had ever beheld was looking
straight into my eyes. / hastily slipped
the photograph out and looked on the
PACK. The picture had been done in
Naples, and was little rubbed at the
corners, and had the appearance of be-
ing Old. Who, in the name of all that
was delicious, could this little darling
be-? Possibly fancy sketch-but not
probably. She looked too real to me
Tor that, and as stood entranced at the
sweetness of the infantine cheeks and
lips, the rumpled blonde hair, the tiny
ears and big ear-drops, the bewildering
great eyes and the piquant little nose,
! forgot that had half score of press
ing matters to attend to that night. and
rushed Off to the home of the little
niece who had given the paper-weieht to
me, to inquire about the original Of the
picture it contained. But keen disan-
pontment awaited me, for the child
could give me no satisfaction whatever.
The photograph had been given her a
year ago by guest who was stayinp in
the house, and who was now TRAVELLING
beyond their knowledce'
and so she could not be communicates
with. Little Bessie informed me. how
ever that she had meant to have her
own photograph done for the paper
weight, but she had been too i'll to 90
out in the cold, and so thought she'd |
Just put this one in, though it had been |
IN her oaby-house for year, and was |
not very fresh, and she promised me.
py-and-by, to have hers done for me. /
and could then take that out. I am
proud to say, managed to answer the
child civilly, but at the same time I REQ. /
stered VOW that if necessary / would |
present Bessie with an original Vandvke.
I it cost one-half I was worth. sooner
han part with my little treasure. Well.
got good many pretty things that
christmas, but not the very handsomest
among them gave me half the pleasure
got 1rom this little picture. I was
positively in love with it, and | thanked
my lucky stars that had never married
Is long as the world contained such
'heruh as this. You will say all this is
cry silly of me, and if it's any comfort
o you to know it, l assure you that /
'ntlrely agree with you.
A year rolled by; the anniversary Of
ny making the acquaintance of NV MIC
ure came around, and in the meantime
had been altogether loyal and was
lore enamored of my little charmer ,
nan had been at the first: but She
ad come to be little less real to me
nd l had about made up my mind that I
should have to be content with the