Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-29
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
How Ioue's Father Raised tho sugar TO
Celebrate the Holiday.


Cold, damp, cherries was that
Christmas eve in Chicago. The street
lamps burned low. the night air was
murky, aud an oppressive stiffness
had thrown its somber mantle over
the great city. II was on the Christ
mas eve that u prominent citizen of
Chicago entered his regal home, His
beautiful aud only daughter, lone,
met him in the hall. She was superbly
grand in a robe of pale blue velvet,
aud rs she twined her shapely arms
about her fathers neck and kissed
him again and again, the man thought
he had never before seen his child so
radiantly beautiful. "rell me, dear
papa snid lone, twill Santa Claus
come tonight will he be good and
generous to your precious little girl"
a look ot pain Shoe athwart the
proud fathers handsome face, IL was
with the greatest difficulty that he
gasped reply.
"Oh, myIdarling, said,he, chow can
/ tell you the bitter truth That last
deal in pork has eat IN my resources--l
am q ruined man2'
lone uttered shrill cry and totterod
against the hat-rack
"And am then TO have no Christ
mas?n she moaned. 30 father, father,
has it indeed come TO this that your
daughter proud and beautiful
| Ione-is TO awaken on Christmas morn
and find her stocking dcsolate, forlorn,
! neglected. How shalt ever survive
| the humiliation! Alas, that | should
| have lived 10 have thue been overtaken
by the bitter pill of adversityW
And with wild sob the beautiful
| girl sank to the iluor. The pale,
trembling father dropped nervelessly
into chair.
II have not Il penny he said
hoarsely; my once prtnccly fortune
is no more. What shall do-oh, IN
spire me, kind heaven, what shall
| do?n
Thus walled the broken man, while
his lovely child made no answer save
in sobs and means But at last an In
SEPARATION seemed TO dawn upon lone,
A strange light came into her beauli-
full orbs, and her cheeks suddenly
flushed with commingled joy and
hone. "Father dear father" she
cried. springing TO her feet and seizing
the uuivering man by the arn, come
with me-we may yet be saved She
dragged him through the elegant par
lors into the library
Look up,p said lone; "can you not
see the means of our salvation hang
ing on yonder wal2 Take IL and do
with IL what you used TO do, aud what
our naughty ancestry did before US,
and rullness aui plenty may yet be
ours ere the Christmas chimes streak
the pale air with melodies OF JOY"
The doting futher looked from ms
daughter 20 the object on the wall, and
then upon his daughter once more.
Conflicting emotions seemed surglng
through his bosom but family PRIDE
md parental affection finally FRI
umphed.
"Hand IL me down" he said quietly.
Ten minutes later he emerged from
the house.
Vixen he returned the gladsome
chimes were ringing out at u merry
/ Christmas. lone was awaiting ms
coming. o,,
0What bring you, dear father"
cried the beautiful girl.
"Diamonds aud watches and jewel
nv. and this bag of gold replied the
man. gleefully, ms he displayed u
wealth of these treasures to her gaze.
"Oh, what merry Christmas we
shall hayen' exclaimed lone In Joyful
.Rut let us not forget" said her
father. solemnly, THAT it might have
been very different but for this faith
! f,l aaudlap ~