Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-12-22

tween them,-these are the beautiful
and mysterious gifts.
"Who brought them, Mammal" they
cry, with one voice.
"Your friend, Mr.. Todd. lie had
two packages concealed under his coat,
when he came for you last night; and
when he rose to go / found them on
the floor beside his chair, one was
marked, For the GIRL and the other,
For the boyP"
"What makes him do such things?"
asked Ben, solemnly.
"Good-will,' l think" answers his
mother. ale seems to be one of those
men of goodwill of whom the angel
sang"
Anyhow, d like to hug him."
says the impetuous Ben. "Did he say
he would come and see us again?"
"Perhaps he will, in the course Of
the day. He said he should not return
to Maine until the evening train"
Suddenly Ruby drops her treasures
and filings her arms again about her
mothers neck. "You blessed Mamma"
she cries, tenderly, "you'vegot nothing
at ALL Why didn't some of the good
willers think of you?"
"Perhaps they will, before night" an
swers the mother, speaking cheerfully,
and smiling family. "But whether
they do or not, it makes the day a great
deal happier to me that my children
have found so good friend"
1t is a merry morning with Ruby
and Ben. The inspection of their box
es, and the examination of their books,
make the time pass quickly,
somebody's moving into the next
roOm," says Ben, coming in from an
errand. 81 saw a man carrying a table
and some chairs. Queer time tomOve,
| should think"
"They are going to keep Christmas
at any rate" said Ruby; "for | saw
them, a little while ago bringing up a
great pile of green's
"P'Taps they've hired the reindeer
team to move their goods" says Ben.
"Then," answers his mother, "they
ought to have come down the chimney
instead of up the stairs"
So they have their little jokes about
their new neighbors; but the children
have moved once themselves, and they
are too polite to make use of the oppOr-
tunity afforded by moving-day to take
an inventory of neigbbor's goods.
They are to have a late dinner. The
turkey, hankered after by Ben, is not
for them to-day; but a nice chicken is
roasting in the oven, and few oranges
ana nuts will give them an unwonted
dessert. While they wait for dinner,
the children beseech their mother to
read to them the Christmas story in ST.
Nicholas. at means so much more
when you read" says Ben, "than it
does when | read"
$50 they gather by the window; the
mother in the armchair, on one arm
OF which Ben rOOsts, with his cheek
against his mother's-Ruby sitting Op-
pOsite, 1t is pretty group, and the
face of many passer-by lights up with
pleasure as his eye chances to fall upon
r it. 1t is now little past one O'clock,
{ and Mr.. Halliburton Todd, sauntering
forth from his comfortable quarters at
Parker's, making his way along Tre-
} mont street, in the direction of Court.
, He is going nowhere in particular, but
he thinks that a little walk will sharpen
5 his appetite for dinner. When he ap,
prOaChes Scollay's Square, his eyes
: lights on man standing uncertainty
upon a corner, and looking wistfully up
and down the streets. The face has a
familiar look, and as he draws little
l nearer Mr.. Todd makes a sudden rush
for the puzzled wayfarer.
"Hello, Bradr he shouts, grasping
, the man by the shoulders.
r "IIellol" the other answers, cody,
drawing back little; then, rushing
forward; "Bless my eyesl Is this Hal
Todd2"
! "Nobody else, old fellow But how
on earth did l know you? Come to
4 look you over, you're not yourself at all
|, Fifteen years, isn't it, since we met?''
/, "All of that says the stranger.
e LETS see: you've been in the sea
: faring line, haven't you?' says Mr.
S Todd.
|, "Yes, l have, bad luck to me" an.
Il swerS his friend, with sigh.
+ "Oh, WELL" says the hearty lumber.
man, the folks on shore haven't all been
S fortunate. Where's your home, now? ?'
e Just what Pm trying to find out.
t "What do you mean?"
y 'My dear fellow" says the stranger
L in quavering voice, "my ship was
wrecked year and a half ago on the
/" west coast of Africa; l reached the
shore, only to fall sick of a fever
6 through which my cabin-boy nursed
p me; for a long time | was too weak tC
move; finally, by slow stages we made
J, our way to Benguela; there we waited
IS months for vessel, and, to make Q
IS long story short, reached Boston this
morning. went to the house that
v was mine two years ago, and found il
:; occupied by another family-sold un
n der mortgage, they said. They coult
not tell me where l should find my
d wife and children. went to thu
b, neighbors who knew them; some o.
'r them had moved away, others wert
d out of town on their Christmas vaca
l tion. OF course, l shall find them af
p. ter a little; but just where to look a
Is this moment don't know"
:, Mr.. Todd had listened to this stor,
)! with changing expression of coun
IL tenance. When his friend first men
~ ~ toned the shipwreck, q sudden ligh
~ a. of intelligence sprang into his eye, ant
a, his lips opened, but he quickly shu
- - them again. He is greatly interested ii
10 10 what he hears, but he is not great,
- % panied by it. His friend wonder
III whether Hal Todd has lost some o
the old manly tenderness of the acad
lie emy days.
T. "Well, Brad Johnson" he cries
N drawing long breath, after the shor
e. recital is finished, "this is a strang
lie story. But, as you say, this family o
yours can be found and shall be. Com
IN with me- There is police statio
u, 1T down this way"
T The two men walked on, arm.in-arn