The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-12-24

VI NeAh eyes loOh1uS up InJO nerS.
how long it had been since she had seer
them. Flushed and trembling she ran
down the stairs and hurried to the car
rlage with CELEBRITY that greatly sur
prised Mrs. Dean.
If [ could only make some nnfortu-
nate happy, think [ could be happy
myself" she thought, nervously. +"
am so selfish and egotistical in my sor-
SOW, no wonder / never have any rest OF
comfort. Ali" as a sudden idea crossed
her, know. I will go and see Mrs.
Hull. Poor old lady, she will be lone
some too day."
/ And SO while the late dinner was in
/ preparation, and the children in the
nursery perfectly carried away by some
wild play she silently attired herself in
heavy cloak, and went down into the
Kitchen and filled basket with chicken
4 and Jelly and grapes and everything
which she thought would be likely to
tempt the appetite; and took her way
through the wet gray day to little cot
tage mile or two away where dwelt
Mrs. Hull, childless widow, destitute
and alone in her helpless old age. She
found her, patient and accomplishing,
laid up with a bad attack of rheuma-
tlsm-the fire almost out in the clean
little room.
The withered old face frightened up
when Beryl came in. 81 have come to
stay an hour or two with you, Mrs.
Hull, she said, taking off her water
proof and frightening up the little fire
until it blazed and f1ickered In the cheer
lest manner.
''And here is your Christmas, wrap
pelng thick wooden shawl about her,
and putting pretty white cap and
handkerchief on her own pretty self,
and laughing and dimpling in the most
delightful manner at her little surprise.
I" And you and l are to have luncheon
together; l couldn't wait to have it at
home, so | brought it with me. [ hope
you'll excuse my unceremoniOus entry
with my bundles. l dare say mamma
will be scandalized when / tell her about
our picnic" and Beryl laughed one of
her pretty merry laughs, not caring to
see the tears in the old eyes.
"This is like the larks we used to
have at school. A whole year since I
was school girl, with a heavy sign.
81 haven't enjoyed life half SO much
since" Glrl-hke forgetting the sum-
mer that was fairer than any poetic idyl
10 her young heart; forgetting the bright
autumn days that were happy and dream
ful and filed with delicious peace; only
remembering the sad winter days that
had come in with storm and tears and
misunderstanding.
She put fresh coverings on the bed,
lifting the pain-twisted form tenderly in
her strong young arms; she bathed the
hands and face, and combed the gray
hair gently, and hushed the grateful
words that were her portion, by drawing
little table to the bed and covering it
with the contents of her basket, keeping
up a running stream of gay girlish
chatter. Then she propped the old lady
up with pillows, and drew the one chair
20 the table for herself, poured out cup
Of hot fragrant tea which she had made
for Mrs. Hull, and waited on her much
more assiduously than she would have
done for any of her mothers elegant
friends.
"Mamma will be anxious about me, -
she said, at last. 81 am afraid [ must
step into Mrs. Dunns and tell her to
send Maggie over for an hour or two, so
you won't be lonesome, and I'll come
again In a day or two. l think you'll be
around all right, soon. The fogness,
as my little sister Jessie says, is very
bad for the rheumatism.
She bent over the little white b ed and
and kissed the wrinkled forhead gently.
"God bless you, DEAR" the old lady
said. "You have made this a happy
Christmas for me"
And out in the wet street Berry, was
wondering how Mrs. Hull could be re-
signed to her poverty and loneliness, and
happy as well as content. Then she
scolded herself heartily for her restless
ness and the sore place in her heart.
90 [ know it makes mamma sad to see
me so disconsolate. [ must certainly
reform. III begin this very minute. -
! She ran up the steps blithely.
4" How long before dinner" she call.
ed to Nora.
"Half an hour, miss"
''Can I dress in half an hour?" she
queried to herself. 81 must" reso
lutely.
She flew to her own room.
81 have taken no interest III my APP
pearance at all lately; one would think
was a perfect beauty to judge by M
nonchalent attire, and could afford t.
slight the arts Of the toilet Christina
night! | must reform.
Surely, no fairer Christmas vision
gladdened any eyes in all the wide cit.
that night than the slim girl-form tina
ran down the broad stairs into the bril-
liantly lighted parlors half an hour later
Trailing robes of gauzy black, whit
arms and shoulders shining through
vivid scarlet blossoms at the rounde'
throat and in the shining hair.
Bright fires glowed in the CRATES
beautiful odorous flowers trailed owe
the table and mantel and bracket; an'
as she turned to a long mirror to see tn
" effect of her train" the dinner-b bel
sent its silvery summons through TIL
house.
Mrs. Dean came into the drawing
room, her gray silk rustling softly, look
, ing pleased as she noted the pretty pic
ture her child made. Mr. Dean, silen
and little distracted, followed, and th
children came down the long stairs wit
: laughter and merry nonsense.
Beryl was bright and animated as SD
, had not been for weeks, and even til
servants below smiled at the gay burst
, OF mirth that hoated down OCCASIONAL
} from the dining-room.
: But after an hour or two, when th
children had gone upstairs again, an
| mother and father had gone to th
: library, memory, which is never still
| awoke In her heart again.
She had drawn a low easy chair to th
crate, the work had fallen from her id
, 6and. and the dark eyes were watchin
the Pickering freight steadily.
How many pictures it showed her