The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-12-29
Bachelor BrIndIe's
Christmas.
Hatte whitney IN pemorests MonihIy.
BE merry now, be merry now,


Hattie Whitney IN Demoresfs Monthly.
@Be merry now, be merry now,
With joy bring In the holly bough;
With song and feast and smiling brow
Bachelor Brindle gives the haf-burned lot
in the fireplace kick that sends the red
sparks flying, and wonders crustily where that
bit Of rhyme strung on half-forgotten frag-
m@t Of melody, comes from, and how it hap
mems to chant itself to him so persistently to-
night, 1t is dismal night Outside, a high
cart wind shrieks and squeals, skirmishes
around corners and echoes away dolefully in
every stray cavernous retreat and nook.
Within bursts of tawny and scarlet fame light
up Bachelor Brindle's favorite apartment, big,
low-ceiled and comfortable, yet wearing the
air Of careless disorder peculiar to bachelors
apartments.
And Bachelor Brindle, listening to the winds
boisterous whistlings and plaintiye minor
chords, becomes cross-grained, and even mis-
anthropical.
@Song and feast" he mutters grumbly,
@holly, etc. Humphl Gammonl Where's
any holly, and who'd go dragging round in
this elush and sleet to bring it in? What's set
me to thinking Of
christmas eve," chants the tea-kettle,
swinging briskly over the blaze.
@Crickey!" is Bachelor Brindle's reprenensi-
bic exclamation, ESQ it is. like to have for
got it"
AS if sprtnkled with some subtle, magic
powder, the freight Pickering, quivering,
dancing, suddenly lights path across the
floor, through the cottage walls, beyond the
murk and mist, far into the past where
CHEEKY Christmas fire Is burning; there are
busy hands and hurrying feet and merry
voices; there is an intoxicating flavor of hoi-
day cheer; there is song and gladness; there
are bright-eyed cousins, troops Of relatives
and friends, and radiant among all, a romping
black-eyed girl with turned up nose, who
wore scarlet jacket
"And temper enough for two" grunts Bach
elor Brindle, There is dim spot in the path
of light. "Half your fault" sings the tea-ket-
tie cheerfully. "More than half" snorts the
wind belhgerently, coming in a puff down the
chimney to back the tea-kettle. "Twas, twas,
twas"
A momentRy lulling Of the aggressive wind,
and soft sputtering in the red Goals brings
Bachelor Brindles mind back to his present
lot
"snow," he mutters with shudder. @Time
was when the idea brought only foolishly
bright visions of sleigh-rides with her, of
frolics and fun, and-oh, what's the use?
They're all gone, she among the rest, and I'm
forlorn old soul with no one to so much as
cook a Christmas dinner for me-unless I
could coax Aunt Nancy over Christmas eve!
bless us. What an old wretch was to for
get it"
Bachelor Brindle gives the fore stick dis
contented poke, and turns to light the tall
lamp on the shelf, then brings forth his old
fashioned brown bible, and once more follows
the sweet story of the beautiful Babe and the
first Christmas morning, while without the
wind losses and whirls it's feecy white burden
about at it's own erratic will
"Ughl what depressingly un-C Christmas
evening, Christmas eve!"
Nab Lacy caught her breath, and clutched
at her veil with both hands, as the rampant
gale changed with millions Of sleety needles
swooped around the corner and nearly blew
her off the steps of the grim, tall, narrow
the bit Of white paper tackled against it's door
bearing the faded notice FURNISHED Rooms
for Rent, revealing it's nature and character
istics
shelter is shelter, such night as this, if it
is the waste and desert gloom of Malone's es-
Enlistment with its mackerel scented halls
and roachy corners, !" she continued, plunging
into the shadows Of the long, dim hall, and
feeling in the dark for her door knob; "with
all it's faults it is haven of refuge from
Mercy, Peggy! What are you tumbling my
furniture about and stopping up my oil-cloth
for? And whose is this big barn of q trunk?"
The stout maid of all work, on her knees by
the desolate little box stove, arose with red
flannel foor-cloth in one shand, and bar of
yellow soap in the other, eyed Nab doubtfully,
tried to scratch her eye with her elbow, and
failing, gave her broom-like head a random
rub with the soap, and answered:
New Teller comm tomorrow; and Miss Ma
lone sayed as how you hadn't paid yer rent
this week, an bein' gentlemen preferred
cause they don't muss things up a-cookin' in
their rooms, an not wantin' to lose shore
payin roomer, an'-an'--"
@But, Peggy. to-morrow's Christmas |" Nab
sat down on the strange trunk, clasping her
damp, gloved hands in helpless bewilder-
ment
That's what know, said Peggy rubbing
her ear with the soap, %but Miss Malone she
says how the rent amt paid am"
@But was going to pay it next week, and
would have last week If | hadn't been sick and
not able to work, as told her"
That's so. But reckon the amt no use
in raisin' a FUSS" said Peggy, philosophically,
she's done paid her months rent, and she's
tuck it. She sayed anyhow, she reckoned you
was more Of lady'n to want to stay wher' YOU
weren't wanted. But he won't come till morn
in, you can stay tonight"
But what am going to do then?"
Room rentin' agency down yander," SAID
Peggy, indicating the direction by flirt of the
fioor~cloth. EtE# THYFfF t%
Nab opened her fat little pocket book and
shook its contents into her lap. peggy" said
che, chow many rooms could rent for a dol,
lar and half?"
Dunno" answered Peggy, with easy vague
ness as she picked up her bucket of suds and
departed.
"Nor care" added Nab to herself, leaning
her head against the cold, white wall Of her
little bedroom, neither does any one else in
the world How different from the old
Christmas ewes in the country, when royal
fires roared on every hearth, and everybody
them died, or left the dear, peaceful, stupid
old Hollow-and among them And now
there is scarcely one left who would know me
only Aunt Nancy Dawson, who would have
been my aunt really now, if Ben and l could
have kept our tempers till the wedding day
All well n6 Has lOIBOtton me, Dub AunG Nancy
might be glad to see me, and-yes, a dollar
and a half will take me to the Hollo I'll 60
The room is mine night, and sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof. I will trust in the
! Father of the fatherless, who leads us on by
paths we know not Of"
aAunt Nancy--Aunt Na-an-cy!"
"Dear sakes! don't shrek a body all in
| pieces, you Ben Brindlel What you after?"
The door of the little deep kitchen
few open, letting out scent of boiling coffee
into the clear December air; blue linsey skirt
cleared the open passage-way, and Aunt
Nancy Dawson popped into the sitting room,
armed with a broom which she at once pro-
ceeded to devote to the obliterahon of the string
of powdery tracks, left by her nephew across
the striped carpet @Knowed there'd be tracks
wherever Their was a man," observed the little
woman, whisking away briskly, @what y out
so early ferY"
"We-el," said the old bachelor rather dolor-
ously, "you see the long and short of it is, I'm
lonesome, Aunt Nancy-awful lonesome"
"Jest what you Orto be-" returned Aunt
Nancy, with blunt Oandor; "y'r own fault I've
told you to get married forty times, amt I?'
"But-there amt any one left to. marry round
here as know of"
Fiddle amt Their the wilder Barley?"
"Y-es, there's the wilder Barley said Mr.
Brindle. doubtfully. shut you know she does
weigh most three hundred, and is kind of curl