The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-01-03

1
had to 90 to the store after the first few
days, or the salary would have ceased
though they did, for wonder, give MI
an extra half-hour at noon when wen
home to understanding Mamie to wal
on him when he was getting better, anc
making all sorts of nice dishes to temp
his appetite, and lending him all the
incest books and keeping the room
bright with beautiful flowers. But I
wasn't this kindness that made Nat TAI
in love with her. o, no! for he had
fallen in love with her long before, anc
was on the point of telling her so when
that cruel machinery grasped his arm.
:" But must give her up now, Susie, =
| he said to me-we had no secrets
from each other" though | love he1
more than ever. 'Twould have been
no match, in worldly sense, for her,
before-a printer with only what he
earned from week to week, and a pref
ty young widow, owning houses and
lands sufficient to give her an income OF
a thousand a year. But now it is SIM
ply impossible. Disabled for life,
must make up my mind to be burden
on you, and see her marry"
You'll do no such thing, Nathan
iel," cried l.. What has come over
youP 1t seems to me that the people
who are the jolliest when they are jolly
are the bluest when they are blue. One
would think you'd lost both arms and
legs to hear you talk. DO you forget
your favorite motto, Nil desperan-
dunn, to say nothing of up guards,
and at emp"
But Nat continued very low in his
spirits, all could do or say. And this
is how affairs stood at our house the
Christmas Eve before that Christmas
day.
The kettle had just began to boil
next morning, and l had just called out
merry Christmas to Nat, hearing
him stir in his own room, when Widow
Winterpippin's blue-eyed little maid
knocked at the door, with Merry
Christmas" giggle, and note from
her mistress. The note read:
"Winifred Winterpippin sends her
love to Susie and Nathaniel Bracket,
and begs that they will, as great
favor, give her their company in her
rooms this evening at seven O clock"
"And I've got note for everybody
in the house, and there's to be a
supper, MISS" said the little maid,
laughing outright. (This little maid
was almost always laughing, in which
respect she much resembled her black
eyed mistress.) "Say we'll come
with pleasure, Nannie," said L. Eyes,
miss" and away she flew.
And at seven precisely, the invited
guests were assembled in the widows
pretty parlor. Dear me! How pretty
it was. Christmas greens were fes-
TONED all around the walls, and
anchors, and wreaths, and hearts, and
crosses, were hung wherever they
could be hung, and above the mantle,
Merry Christmas" in large dark
green letters, frightened by crimson
berries greeted us as we entered the
door. And there were stands filled with
lovely geraniums and begonias, and
lilies in each window, and a splendid
fire in the CRATE and most charming of
all there was the widow herself in a
pearl-gray silk with scarlet ribbons at
her throat and scarlet flowers in her
hair.
When Nathaniel-poor fellow, how
his empty sleeve annoyed him and 1
arrived, Mrs. McChilly and her grand
children were already there-the old
lady in the easiest chair in the room,
nearest the fire, with glass of lemon
AIDE, OF which she was very fond chow
did Widow Winterpippin manage to
find out everybody's little weaknesses
in this way of eating and drinkingp) on
a small round table by her side, and
the grandson and his wife looking over
the photograph album in a cosy corner.
Mr.and Mrs. R ose and the three rose
buds, as we called the children, wee,
darling, authenticated girls, came
in at the same time we did, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Summer, he looking worn
and haggard and she with traces of
tears around her beautiful eyes-and
the baby-made their appearance a few
moments later.
"And now that we are almost all
here" SAID Widow Winterpippin-we
wondered who else was to come
"we'll have dance to begin with.
You will play, Mrs. Summer Mamie
can hold the baby"
But Mrs. Summer blushed and said
she "never played, now"
"But you can," insisted the widow
in her genial way. "You surely have
not forgotten. l used to hear you play
ing so much and so well when you first
moved here. and Mr.. Summer sang
then, too. Many happy hour have
passed listening to you both" And
Mr.. Summer, with conscious contrite
look in his face, put his arm around his
wife and led her to the piano.
Then Nathaniel took the widow, and
Mr.. Summer Mrs. McChilly's grand
daughter by marriage, and Mrs. Nc
Chilly's grandson Mrs. Rose, and Mr..
Rose me, and we had an old-fashioned
quadrille dance in the old-fashioned
way-and jig 10 end with. And Mrs.
McChilly declared it made her feel like
dancing herself, and she would have
danced, too, believe, if it hadn't been
for her rheumatic foot. AS it was, she
beat time to the jig tune with her cane
until her arm was so tired she couldn't
beat any longer, and Mamie and the
baby took it and beat away, utterly re-
CARELESS of time, until all the ladies
had made their final courtseys to their