Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-12-14
ONE CHRIS TMAS.

l did not expect any company for
Christmas, yet could lot allow the day
to pass without some slight observance.
such as decking so my servant and
myself had decked the rooms with ever
green's, and were busily engaged max
ing mince pies, crulleTs. and other in
digestible delicacies, when little Ben
Shafer rushed into the kitchen ex-
claiming:
"Miss Bronson. I bin down to post
office for pap, and Miss Lippincott give
me this letter for you cause she thort
it might be from some of yer folks
who're commin' to Christmas with
yer He threw the letter across the
table and ran out again in the same
breathlesS way.
1t was from my sister. Mrs. Elwood,
who wrote to inform me that her
self, her daughter Lucy, and Mr.. May
hew, the gentleman to whom Lucy
was engaged, would spend Christmas
with me- l had not seen my niece
since she had grown to womanhood,
and Mr.. Mayhem was an entire
stranger, consequently after reading
the letter l was thrown into a furry of
excitement at this threatened invasion
of my quiet home.
Mary" / said, addressing my serv-
ant, "three visitors are coming to
spend Christmas with us"
"Yes'm," was the laconic answer.
al really believeif / should announce
the expected arrival of Queen Victoria
you would answer yes'm in the same
indifferent Tone" I observed in a
slightly irritated voice. for her cool re-
ception of the. to me, exciting news
annoyed me. Her face flushed for a
moment, but she made no further com
ments.
Mary was a comely-looking young
woman, with large, soft brown eyes
and an abundance of brown hair
slightly tinged with red. She was re-
markably neat in appearance, reserved
and ladylike in manner. She had been
with me nearly three years, and during
that period had never seen even the
shadow Of a smile on her face yet
she was by no means sullen-only very
sad. When she first came to live with
me her melancholy demeanor had
most depressing effect upon my spirits.
Her predecessor had been a rollickng
Irish girl, who made the whole house
ring with her merry laughter; there
fore found it difficult to accustom
myself to Mary's sad ways.
Once l spoke to her about her de-
jected air, telling her she should al
ways try to look at the bright side Of
life. She answered in a voice CULVER
ing with suppressed sobs.
Life has no bright side for me,
Miss Bronson. All the brightness
died out Of it years ago"
You are too young to be so utterly
hopeless. Life should hold many at
fractions for you still"
She shook her head sadly.
81 am twenty.six, but so much
numbing, heart-breaking sorrow has
been crowded into the past few years
that it seems as If had lived a whole
century. Before that / was, oh. so
happy-so happy" She uttered the
words in a wailing sort of way. and
raised her eyes heavenward as if ap-
pealing for aid TO endure her burd "A
of sorrow, then, clasping her hands
convulsively over her forehead. she
stood for a moment like marble
image Of despair. "Oh, God. help
me to bear it PATIENTLY" she sobbed.
and hurrying out into the garden she
walked for an hour or more up and
down the graveled path.
When she returned to the house her
violent agitation had subsidized and her
4ace assumed its expression of intense
sadness. Her strange actions terri
fed me, and ever after | carefully
avoided referring to the grief which
had overshadOwed her life. Certain
days in the year she would appear
more detected than usual. These
days, soon learned. were anniversa-
ries Of some dead joy or overwhelm-
ing affliction. / finally grew accus-
toned to her peculiar ways, and find
ing her 50 thoroughly good and faith
fuI. treated her like companion or
friend rather than a servant.
When my guests arrived everything
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