The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-12-23
BACHELOR BRINDLE's CHRISTMAS.
BE merry now, be merry now,


BE merry now, be merry now,
With joy bring in the holl y bough;
With song, an feast, and smiling brow"
Bachelor Brindle gives the half
burned log in the fireplace kick that
sends the red sparks flying, and Won
ders crustily where that bit of rhyme,
strung on half-forgotten fragment of
melody, comes from, and how it hap
pens tochant itself to him SO persist
emily tonight. 1t is dismal night.
Outside, high east wind shrieks and
squeals, skirmishes around corners and
echoes away dolefully in every stray
cavernous retreat and nook. Within
bursts of tawny and scarlet flame light
up Bachelor Brindle's favorite apart
ment, big, low-ceiled and comfortable.
yet wearing the air of careless disorder
peculiar to bachelors apartments.
And Bachelor Brindle, listening to the
wind boisterous whistlings and plant
i've minor chords, becomes cross
grained, and even misanthrop:ca
"Song and feast" he mutters,
grumbly, holly etc! Humph. Gam
mon! Where's any holly, and who'd
90 dragging round in this slush and
sleet to bring it in? What's set me to
thinking Of"
christmas Eve," chants the tea
kettle, swinging briskly over the blaze
"Cricky" is Bachelor Brindle's rep
rehensible exclamation, $50 it is.
like to have forgot it..
As if sprinlled with some subtle,
magic powder, the freight, tlickering,
quivering, dancing, suddenly lights a
| L a.. th,.o,,..l, thN not
tage walls, beyond the murk and mist,
far into the past, where CHEEKY Christ
mas fire is burning; there are busy
hands and hurrying feet and merry
voices; there is an intoxicating flavor
of holiday cheer; there is song and
| gladness; there are bright-eyed cousins,
troops of relatives and friends, and ra-
diant among all, a romping, black-eyed
girl with turned up nose, who wore
a scarlet jacket.
"And had temper CROUCH for two
grunts Bachelor Brindle. There is {
dim spot in the path of light. "Halt
your fault" sings the tea-kettle, cheer
fully. More than half" snorts the
wind, belligerently, coming in put
down the chimney to back the tea-ket
tie. Twas, twas, twas"
A momentary lulling of the aggres
sive wind, and soft sputterlng in thu
red Goals brings Bachelor Brindle'
mind back to his present lot.
"Snow," he mutters, with shudder
thine was when the idea brought only
foolishly bright visions of sleigh-ride
with her, of frolics and fun, and-oh
what the usep They're all gone, sh'
among the rest, and I'm a forlorn ole
soul with no one to so much as cook
Christmas dinner for me-unless coult
coax Aunt Nancy over. Christmas Eve
bless us. What an old wretch was tt
for ct it.
Bachelor Brindle gives the fore-sticl
disconnected poke, and turns to ligh
the tall lamp on the shelf, then bring
forth his old-fashioned brown Bible, an
once more follows the sweet story G
the beautiful Babe and the first Christ
mas morning, while without the win
losses and whirls its fleecy white burde
about at its own cratic will.
"Ughl what a depressingly an
Christmas evening, Christmas Ever'
? Nab Lacy caught her breath, an
clutched at her veil with both hands, 9
the rampant gale charged with million
of sleety needles swooped around
: corner and nearly blew her off the steE
of the grim, tall, narrow-chested hous
with its gray-green shutters, the bit {
4 white paper tackled against its door bea
ing the faded notice Furnished Room
9 for Rent" revealing its nature an
q characteristics.
"Shelter is shelter, such night ,
this, if it is the waste and desert glool
of Malone's establishment, with i
, mackeral-scented halls and roach
= corners" she continued. plunging I'M
a the shadows of the long, dim hall, an
n feeling in the dark for her door-knol
with all its faults it is haven
, refuge from-Mercy, Peggy! What a
|. you tumbling my furniture about an
stopping up my oil-cloth forp Ar
whose is this big barn of trunkp'
The stout maid f-all-work, on h
knees by the desolate little box-stov
arose with a red flannel tloor-cloth
one hand, and a bar of yellow soap
g the other. eyed Nab doubtfully. trie
Q to scratch her eye with her elbow, an
failing, gave her broom-like head
random rub with. the soap, and a
/. swered:
a New teller comm tomorrow; an
n Miss Malone sayed as how you hadn
paid yer rent this week. an bein' ge
1t tlemen preferred they don
q muss things ~ acookin' ia their room