New-York tribune., 1881-12-25

year-old Jean. and n wooden doll for the baby
these jacques had fetched from the village tneh
red apple atop in every wO0llen leg and the fatner
| and mother rubbed their hands and congratuat9u
each other in rapid Freneh. LIah watched IL All
he had question TO ask. but not yet he, however
| asked another of jacques. 49,. =, .
"Sayl why don't We allus talk French, if 'Hs that
| you're atalkn' now; seems to come signO edSioi
| to ye than Yankee"
at is that the French is my born tongue,
| friend; but for the children it is; sometme we
shall move down. when the forest burns away,
when do stop the coal job; it IS then rue ehluren
must speke Ingleesh for to school; you seer
'Liah nodded; he was q man Keen enough 10
perceive issues and draw conclusions in hls busl
ness he was not dull now but stared with GER
tain panied wonder at these poor ignorant people
with their tender parental feelng.-he did not un-
derstaud 1t. Pretty soon Jeanne sal down by the
fire and surveyed her work jacques went OUT 10
feed his goat and tie it for the night. Liam sezed
the opportunity. -
Say. Mis- Dupont, what do ye MAKE all this luSs
for about Chris mas p
Jeanne started. c.,
En- Z" said she. For why and does not Sir also
keep holiday at the house =
"IY no marm ! want tetcned up 10 no sech
COINS on; what's it for, anyway ~ -.
All do vou not know, poor friend I Why, II is
that the good God dd come tonight, on many, very
many long years ago. He was to the poor born
leetCl poor one it Is in hay of tie mahScT WheI9
beasts eat that they laId Him; OH, the good g01d
Go ! to die that cross he came Tor men lie
gave-ves Himself lie did give, and It is to-day lie
was lcetel child, 50 we give To the chds hOu see
" But you hey tc work real hard TO get tHem
UlNSS ana JACK HIS 10 lOOI ~ i"iib o.'N'N'' ~
fetcn EN-; cf twas to give TO MISSIONARIES how'
why 'twould look reasonable"
~ know not those. | have my children an
should to them give hearts blood 80 not TO forget
their little Jesus the gOod Gods child Him III tue
mauger 80 poor we, trout led. and die on the
cross that Son of God As Paul is lny son; ah 10
is not much. but it Is dearV
And Jeannes homes; face gowed with such tender
devotion such earnest love- that Liah tell back on
his nj low aWcd. lie slept little that night; the
message Of Betnlehcm had found MIN literally a
sheep los in the wilderness yes, the ohepheFu nau
left the rest and gone out upon the mountains seek
lbere in the dull glow of the ilying fire he recalled
his heaItlr,s fatherhood, MS loyeles7 home his Sls
of omission that wOcKed She outward cold uPilsht-
urs, Ot hi, lite: before him IN TINS nook Ol the
forest werr piety and affection, the IKE OF Which
never biossDued out OF MS money ana anus heio
were children who iHyed thor parents; here
father ana mother ready to gave mp all thiHgS ana
do alI thing, for the happiness OF their children;
what had uo ever done for his AiueI had gone
out from him soon as Ae possibly Coulu' aui
made his own home; Nctty had stayed, and ne had
made her wrelched. Poor NctJy! her hrst innocent
request cruelty denied and sCOrned. IL was not a
merry Christmas Eve lor Liam noI even lno JOY @ i,i
shout OF t.c i've children next morning ao Jury
rlsd Their stockings, caused more than "a transient
smile on ms rugged face but h" had set that lace
Iu new direction st last, even toward f6tnIehel'
and thr New Song WAS creeping note by note
family vet surely into his hgat; even 1o the ueTaiu
angels saug il above that lo"ly maAser cradiIhg
Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men.
Yes. Eliah flosaIns was an old scholar buU he
learned his lesson at last not IN GaNs oI weeks or
months; nav not IL all his life did H. learn IL lulIy,
or without struggle but when at length he rose up
from that cot bed aud left the shanty Ia 20 home,
he wondered at himself that t WAS - easy, even 30
plra,tut tor him 10 O7rr pay jacques dupont lot MS
cate and shelter; and SJl more he wondered to una
hpay his lips guIyesed whrE ne tried to say good
hv to Jeanne aud the children. Nejty was uhIelen1
cdly glad to ser him, and oary placid a. usual, dld
not refuse slow 7mlic as he came 10 ms own uoor'
Il is true she con .ded I'd Nctty ulonIuS a'tJr'
/ tLuught Pa was struck with death cerJln,
when ne come home; he was real IaDby anu
meccuin lcr u spell; and to my mind he hant
never been himself seuCeW
lie never had 4: the old things had passed away
from Iah hut he sand nothing; IKE al ms JflOe
hc had speech tor the best ana deepest feelings oi
hs soul He Changcu IN All MS ways, ho"eEeI'
slowly aud securely. Netty was never permitted 10
teach the school at Sable onf Corners and she ana
her mother were both welt supplied with 1000 ana
r1mcut even in their opinion. thereafter.
The baro ulgpardly aspect OF tine house also solt-
rutd by degrees, and at NcttF m,tlgatoh' AphrI,
too was asked 10 let his wife and child come meme
10 spend the summer; and sgm'tiutS Wheh ne
drove over to Sc them that grave young rector
came TOO; not altogether to Ian satlsl1ctl0h'
who did not like the prospect, but TO ms cleIit nc
it saiG. spoke no word of objection, and ana hs
best To be gracious.
And when Christmas drew near again. Netty had
rccarncq her father that without rear OF heSl'A
ticu ,he said once more: ,,.
Can't We keep Christmas this year. Father I"
i. CeIin, Ccrtin. child only want ye to fix up
hON OF things for them folks 40 on the GoallHE VINO
took >cch care of me last winter. iH'Ts ) uNe
children. they II like most any Lblug, ana Ielch
"a Gown from lIayerford Tor Mis- Dupont, and guess
m get him 70 oyercoat. The rest you must TX TO
suit yc Nctty. III pay the bills.
Never in I'm, lif. had 'Liah received such n heart
felt hug and kiss: ne turned away without word
and ST ,rrl out oi thc window; the old barn stood
there still, but he was moved!
" do wonder what made Father change his NINA
50 w said Nctty to eruother after JOY iuuy reporting
her success: but neither of them ever knew; nor
that God had changed his heart too, m th4t coal
ne by the power OF Ills ilIc,
love and death, who came to us ~ the sacred
CArlsuuaa-tlGe.