, 1880-12-31
p,RSOy SOULBRIDGE'S CHRISTMAS
SERMON.
RY MRS, II. G. ko" T.

rrumbled Miss Mchitahle, as she pinned
her best bonnet strings. before the look
;nr.class. in the back-parlor Of the par
sonage Wearing his eyes and health
ont writing sermons that nobody Will
take the trouble to listen to. For my
part" pulling ont the bows with a DIS
coptented air, Il don't see the least use
in his toiling and moiling over Her
sermon every Christmas, when he might
lust as well preach the same one every
wear, and nobody be any the wiser, Yes;
N a minute" as she heard her brother
voice in the hall: and when, answering
his summons, she looked into his peace.
Fn1 Thought illuminated face, flush OF
momentarv shame oyerspread her own
at the remembrance of those angry ques'
tionings moment before.
His own soul is watercd by these
hours of patient, pray yertul toll, she
thought, humhly; and II nobody listens
to his sermon hut himself and his foolish
old sister, it has not been written III
vain.
And yet, when she was snugy seated
and at liberty to take quiet survey OF
the sparsely filled peHs, a lingering spice
of the "old Adam" sent thrill of lndig-
nant surprise to her sisterly heart, as she
noted how many of the seats usually oc-
cupied by the richer and more Influential
portion of the congregation were empty
ContemptuOAsly empty - she mentally
styled it, with not solitary representa-
tive to soften the neglectful look of their
impressed cushions and staidly-arranged
hymn books.
There would be crowd around the
Christmas tree in the vestry that evening
no danger of anybody staying away
from that and the gift of q gypsy hooded
cologne-bottle or doll pen-wiper would
be received with more expressions of
pleasure and qualification than the re-
membrance of that divine gift Of a Re-
deemer had ever had power to awaken
in their benumbed and stupefied souls.
But the church was not entirely empty,
after all, in spite of the dissatisfied spin
ster's first survey.
There were three pews filed with "or-
phans," Christmas was kept as a holiday,
OF course, at the asylum; then there was
old Father Griffin, with his ear-trumpet
attentively elevated; and pale faced
seamstress, who leaned back in the
neutrality-suspicious. pew of which she
was the sole occupant, with such q look
of restful satisfaction upon her worn,
tired face, that Miss Mehitable inwardly
congratulated herself upon having been
the first to suggest the re-upholstering Of
the church, that had been so successfully
accomplished during the past year. Two
of the deacons, the third had Just mar
ried n wife and couldn't come, and a
miscellaneous sprinkling of dull-looking
old ladies, green boys and pert-faced
girls made up the congregation. But
no, the door opens once more, and Miss
Mehitable drew herself up with little
sigh Of intense satisfaction as, heralded
and attended by the soft rustic OF her
silken garments, as she passed with state
ly step up the broad aisle, came the most
wealthy and admired lady in the parish,
the orphan-heiress of its most liberal
friend and patron.
1t was an admiration almost bordering
on reverence that the gratified spinster
watched the proud, fair face, shaded by
nodding plumes and costly laces, the
small, red mouth that, in spite of its
accompanying dimples and curves, had
about it a certain inherited hardness that
contrasted strangely with the clear, blue,
sunny eyes-proud eyes they were, as
beseemed her beauty and station, and
yet, looking into them, the hnmblest
forgot his own significance in admiring
wonder as; in gazing up into the marvel
lous blue of summer sky, we forget
sometimes to marvel at its immensity in
the perfect delight and satisfaction that
its beauty alone yields us. But as Miss
Mehitable looked, she wondered-check-
ed herself, and then-wondered again,
il Miss Thornleigh ever did think of that
poor girl whose name for six long years
had never been spoken by any mem Der
of her family; whose claim upon his par
entail love and care was not even acknowl-
edged by the stern old squire on his
death bed, as the will, drawn up and
signed at thai time, proved, wherein all
his vast possessions were left unreserv.
edly to his youngest daughter, Miss
Helen Tnornleigh.
Everybody that knew them says they
were as devoted a paie of sisters as ever
lived, before that wretch came between
them, unused the good woman, with an
involuntary glance at the object of her
meditations, who, having moved slightly
in her seat, brought within range of the
spinster'seye the white, sharply-outlined
profile of the stranger seamstress, and
catching her breath suddenly behind
her hymn-book, she cast another, this
time half-frightened look toward the two.
But the passing resemblance, real or
fancied, was gone, and the faded, weary
face bore no closer resemblance to the
proudly serene countenance of the beau
tlful heiress than withered, frost -nipped
leaf does to the stately lily to whose feet
some careles breeze has whirled it.
The choir sang that grand old anthem,
Peace on earth, good will to men," and
as the organ solemnly pealed forth its
stately accompaniment, and the we'll