Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

OF its existence sometimes ii half bash.
fully Stunned notice, and sometimes it
rushed eagerly by as if intent upon and
glad OF Its being, but it always seemed to
De there. have seen fresh interest dawn
nke surprise between friends who had
driited, drifted throughout the year /
nave seen another generosity thrown like
the shadow OF silver wing across the face
OF children who brought gifts for one an
other IN their hands have seen the hus.
band survey his wife as though her touch
again had lightly pressed his heart, and
watched her turn toward him with the old
love made like garment into new l have
been in alIey-ways and off-shoots of streets.
but still every eye looked the sentiment
and every place had an attempt at the fla.
vor OF holidays. During the year have
been in asylums where l thought the chill
dren had better care and better treatment
than many children outside their walls.
But when | come to make my Christmas
observations, l said if it wasn't much of
mother and if it wasn't much OF home, it
was better to have both or either than to
be an orphan in an asylum where some-
how something is missing on such days as
Christmas, which seems preferable to the
best care and the best treatment any insti-
tuition can possibly offer.
1t was last year before the holidays when
family owed into our neighborhood,
who, by all the signs and tokens that be-
speak such struggle. endeavored, each
day with renewed effort, to keep them
selves in such decent poverty that pity
should pass them by unnoticed. They were
large family, and extended
ALL THE WAY DOWN
From the married son to the baby couple
of years old. The husband and father had
been out of employment and out of health
for year, but had finally obtained work
by going to Nevada, where he had been for
six months. OLe day, as often had done
before, beguiled the baby to me at the
gate. My papa's tummin, she said with
happy Importance. "He's over to China
City," l should have known he was COM
ing long beforehand by the general
signs about the house, but when the
time was really near it had "papa's
tummin' written all over it as
plainly as the number on the door.
| was looking out of the window when he
came-a little, plain, sickly man with a
satchel in his hand and battered cap on.
| watched him breathlessly as he walked
along hunting home. and then one of the
grown girls came INA sort OF happen to
their window. l actually heard her
scream, He's come { he's here and
something like flame passed across his
face as he saw her. The door opened for
him quietly as ne went up the steps, and
then shut him in and shut me out. Then
! began to call them silently "The happy
family" The fragrance OF something
sayory for breakfast, for lunch and for din
ner, commenced that very day to haunt
the back yard, and of evenings there was
laughter, music, hum of talk, fire in the
parlor, by the way the light danced on
the shutters games before the children's
bedtime, by the shouts; and once l
scented coffee in the evening. What
designations "The happy family" were
INDUCING in On Christmas night the fun
was uproarious. l judged they were
dancing at any rate they were jumping
about, and the children were shrieking
with much laughter and clipping their
hands, and the best of it was they thought
they we're keeping it all to themselves,
while all the time there wasn't house in
the block but knew it and shone the
brighter for it. ave wish you all happy
New Year p they gang, and the chorus
foated to the sidewalk with its burden of
hoarse boy voices and shrill g1rlish trebles,
and the solemn boom of bass from the
married son and the mothtr's older voice
with slight crack in it here and there,
and l have always thought it was the
daughter-in-law singing second. Every
body looked at the house and wished it
well, and it was
FULLY TWELVE O'CLOCK
Before they put their lights out and went
to bed. A happy family, indeed Well,
the time rolled round for the father to 90
back to work. 1 saw him go, with his cap
down over his eyes, and his shoulders bear
ing back bravely, bat trying to keep its
own counsel still, the family stayed indoors
and every shutter was tightly closed. The
baby came out by aud by, and once more
1 beguiled her. "My papa's don'!" she
said, gravely. Yet still I remember them
as the happy family, because at least they
have the memory of that time with them.