Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-23
AN ANGEL IN AN ULSTER.
BY WARRINGTON GLADDEN..

swell. sir, am sorry; but I've done the
best could for you"
It is the conductor of the night express
on the Eastern Railroad who is speaking;
aud the passenger, to whom his remark is
addressed, stands with watch in hand,
near the door of the car, as the train draws
into the Boston station.
81 do not doubt it." is the answer.
"You cannot be blamed for the delay
Undoubtedly; the time is past. and
they always start on time.''
''And there ID no train that connects
through to Cincinnati before tomorrow
morning."
"No!''
swell. that settles it. Thank you.''
MI. Halliburton Todd steps down from
the platform Of the car, and walks slowly
past the row of reckoning and shouting
hackmen. He is too good a philosopher to
be angry with the freshet that delayed tho
train, but there is shade OF dlsappoint-
ment on his face, and trace Of moisture
In his eye. He is wholesome. looking man
Of forty five, with grayish hair and beard.
blue eyes, and rudy countenance. Prob
ably he is never much given to grlnning,
but Just now his face is unusually grave;
I nevertheless, it is kind face; under its
sober mask there is world of good nature.
In short, he is just the sort Of man that a
shrewd girl Of twelve would pick out for
an uncle. If any one thinks that is not
nigh praise, 1 should like to have him try
his hand at communication.
There are, indeed, quite a number OF
boys and girls to whom Uncle Hal is both
| q saint and hero. At that Christmas
party, in the homo Of his sister in the
Western city to which he has been hurry.
ing. these boys and girls are to be assem-
| Died. All the married brothers and sist-
ers, with their families, will be there. But
it is of no use now for him to try to join
hem. The feast will be ended, and the
circle will be broken, before he can reach
Cincinnati. So he strolls out of the sta
ton and up the street. No, he will not
take hack nor horse-car; happy people
nay consent to b. carried; those whose
minds are troubled would BITTER 60 afoot.
He will walk off his disappointment.
He trudges along the narrow streets;
The drays and the express wagons. laden
with all sorts of boxes and parcels, and
Gathering to aud fro porters. large and
small, are running with bundles, big and
little; the shops are crowded with eager
customers. Mr.. Halliburton Todd is too
good man to be dismal long in the midst
Of scene like this 'What hosts of peo-
pie." he says to himself, ''are thinking and
working with all their might to-day to
make other people happy tomorrow! And
how happy they all are themselves, to-day!
We always say that Christmas is the hap
piest day in the year; but is its Isn't it
the day before -Christmas?"
So thinking, he pauses at the win dow of
small print-shop, when his attention is
caught by the voices of two children,
stand in the hall at the foot of the stairs
leading to the stories above. On the sign
beside the doorway he reads, "Jackman &
Company, Manufacturers of Ladies' I'm
derwear."
Tho children are girl of twelve and a
boy Of ten, neatly but plainly dressed; =
troubled look is Gu their bright faces.
"How much. Ruby?" asks the boy.
"Only seven dollars answers the girl,
choking back sob. "There were four
dozen Of the night-drssses, you know, and
the price was two dollars dozen; but the
/ man said some of them were not well
made, so he kept back dollar"
1.-THE man lied," says Ben, land I'll go
up and tell him sou
"Oh, no. answers Ruby; that wouldn't
do any good. He wouldn't mind you, and
! he might not give us any mora work. But
the work avas we'll done, if we did help; for
you run the machine beautifully. and
| Mamma says that my button-holes are
every bit as good as hers. just think Of
it'll. Only seven dollars for two weeks
1 hard work Of all three Of us!"
"We can't have the turkey" says Ben
sadly.
''Oh, no. found nice young one down
at the corner store that we could get for 4