The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-12-23

AA1AONAJ3 'SbAAIS 44b4u dttI
I'm how it happens TO chant it
EJgey self to him 80 persistently
! tonight. 1t is a dismal
night. Outside high east wind shrieks
and squeals, slirmishes around corners
and echoes away dolefuily in every stray
cavernous retreat and nook. Within
bursts of tawny and scarlet fame light
ND bachelor Brindle's favorite apartment,
big, low-ceiled, and comfortable, yet
wearing the air of careless disorder pc
culiar to q bachelors apartments.
And bachelor Brindle, listening to the
winds buisterous whistlings and plain
tive minor chords, becomes cross-grained
and even misautrophical.
"Song and feast" he mutters Erumbly,
''holly etc! Humph. Cannon !
Where's any holly, and who'd so drag
Cling 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.
"Crickey, I" is bachelor Brindle's rep
rehensible exclamation, $50 ii is like
to have forgot it."
AS if sprinkled with some subtle
magic powder, the freight, Pickering
quivering, dancing, suddenly lights a
path across the floor, through the cottage
walls, beyond the murk and mist, far in
to the past, where a CHEEKY Christmas
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 rela-
tives and friends, and radiant among
all, romping, blaok-eyed girl with q
turned up nose, who wore scarlet
Jacket.
"And had temper enough for two"
grunts bachelor Brindle. There is dim
spot in the path of light. "Half your
fault" sings the tea-kettle cheerfully,
More than half" snorts the wind bellig-
erently, coming in aputf down the chin
ney to back the tea kettle. "'Twas,
twas, twas"
a momentary lulling of the aggressive
wind, and a soft sputtering in the red
GOALS brings bachelor Brindle's mind back
to his present lot.
Snow" he mutters with a shudder.
thine was when the idea brought only
foolishly bright visions of sleigh-rides
with her, of frolios and fun, and oh,
what's the use2 They're all gone, she
among the rest, and Pm a forlorn old
soul with no one to so much as cook a
Christmas dinner for me-unless ! could
coax Aunt Nancy over. Christmas eve
bless US. What an old wretch / was to
forget it."
Bachelor Brindle gives the fore stick a
discontinued 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 beau.
tiful Babe and the first Christmas morn,
ing, while without, the wind losses and
whirls its feeey white burden about al
its own erratic will.
n
"Ugh! what depressingly un-Ghrist.
mas evening, Christmas eve"
Nab Lacy caught her breath, ane
elutched at her veil with both hands, al
the rampant gale charged with millions
of sleety needles swooped around q cor
ner and nearly blew her off the steps O
the grim, tall, narrow-chested house
with its gray green shutters, the bit o
white paper tackled against its door bear
ing the faded notice Furnished Rooms
for Rent" revealing its nature ant
characteristics.
shelter is,shelter such a night as this
fit is the waste and desert gloom of Ma
lone's establishment with its maekeral
scented halls and roachy corners" sht
continued, plunging into the shadows Q
the long, dim hall, and feeling in the darl
for her door knob; with all its faults j
is haven of refuge from-Mercy
Peggy! What are you tunbling my
furniture about and stopping my oil
cloth up for? And whose is this big barn
of q trunk"
The stout nsid-of-all-work, on he
knees by the desolate little box-stove
arose with red flannel foor-cloth il
one hand, and a bar of yellow soap in thu
other, eyed Nab doubtfully, tried Il
scratch her eye with her elbow, and fail
ing, gave her broom-like head random
rub with the soap and answered:
Anew Teller comm to morrow; anS
Miss Malone sayed as how you hadn'
paid yer rent this week, an bein' gentle
man preferred cause they don't mus
things up acookin' in their rooms, an
not wantin' to lose shore payin roomer
an'-an'-p
'iBut, Peggy, to7norrow's Christmas
Nab sat down on the strange trunk
olasping her damp, gloved handsdn help
less bewilderment.
"Ihat's what i know said Peggy rub
hing her ear with the soap, Nbut Mis-
Malone she says how the rent amt PAX
am
'fBut was going to pay it next week
and would have last week il ! hadn'
been sick and not able to work, a. toll
herr