The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-20
MINNIE OSBORNE CHRISTMAS
 EVE
Mirror and ! ar,ler.

Mirror and Farmer.
 ,x o'clock in the evening of Saturday
 ese.nber ,4. 1881, young woman. clad
 .arments which afforded but little pro-
 .:1lon against the searching gusts of the
 ,.s eas, wind. which was blowing sharp
 ., keen. stepped from the door of one
 ne large dry goods stores on Wash
 -,.on street. and made one of the thou sanGs who were hurrying toward their .oges. She shivered and tried to draw .ei .hread-bare cloak closer 10 her form. 1s .he chilling wind pierced her through .n,. through.
 70: few moments she walked quite ..skiy. but she was so weary from the
 a..s of the day ,ha, she was obliged 10 9 more slowly. The past week had .een a busy one, and srea, crowds of
 eap.e had :hronged the store. buying .,;.cles for their own use. or presents for aeir friends, while she, thinking of her 'sn meager salary. had waited 1pon senl with a sad heart.
 Two years before Minnie Osborne had -eser known what poverty or work meant.
 ~ knew that there were such words
 ]. now she knew full well, and with d edge derived from a bitter expe- 1enee. Her father had been counted 4zons Bos,on's wealthy and successful merchants. but Tn aa evii hour listened 2 ne advices of so-called friends and embarked in stock speculation. He was sc,cessful al first. and ela,ed with that ,.ccess, became reckless. and ai ,as; 4aac himself. as many others have. s.Elpped of all his wealth.
 The elegant home on Commonwealth a.eaae had been deedad 10 his wife. SO ;sa. of course. was saved. His losses
 segaed heavily upon him, and he soon
 is-. ato a decline from which he never i-..ed. The house was sold to pay the espenses of his illness and death. and l!s. Osborne, with Minnie, who was aen l9. and the two younger children. 1aale and Maud, saGly gave up the old 'ome and found refuge n ] ,enemen, souse a, the Nor,hend. Here they were s:oVy opens.
 Mrs. Osborne had been in delicate rea.,h for years. and he death oi her l-s5and, together with the loss of he -Nlries to which she had been all her iie accustomed, prostrated her com ole,ely. She had wealthy friends. II IS rue. but she also had pride, and that sep, her from asking help of them None of her old acquaintances knew of Ter whereabouts. and si.e was safe from 1iscovery in the wreiched stree, n which she lived. She had brother a year o.der than herself. who mad gone ;c AEs'ralia some fifteen years before her aasoands death. In the days before her aarrage they had been all m ali 10 each ether. being the only ones lief, oi ;he.r arni.y. and for inc first ten years after ais departure they had corresponded 'egllarly. But his letters suddenly eased, and as she had no ,idings rom him since then, she mourned him is dead.
 With her feeble hands she of course as unable to do anything toward ,he s-pport of the family, and the whole arden was thus thrown upon Minnie Although unaccus,omed 10 work of any and, Minnie proved herself equal 10 the emergency, and found emp!oymen, as saieswom an in the store of which we have l spoken. The little she made there barely s-lced 10 pay the ren, and keep them in '-el; but Iamie, who still wen, to school. sold papers morning and evening. and shat he thss earned kept " the wolf from 'se door, Bu, Jamie was now il. for. aaving bu, little clothing to pro,ec, him nom ,he chl,. winds. ne had ,aSen q seyere cold, and mad been indoors for a Eeek past.
 Minnie had dreaded ;he .ong. cold s.n,er. and had hoped 70 ge; an increase d salary. bu, was disappointed. and was snos,,in despair. Tonight was Christ nas eve, and she hated 70 50 nome, >he mus, get something nourlshing for aes mother and Jamie and Maud had 10 shoes, but she must wait another seek.
 Minnie had money enough to pay the 'en, and get a few baskets of coal, and Soald then have few cents left. The only way she could get she 'little things which her mother and Jamie craved and azlf his rent that week, and perhaps lanie would be out next week and could sarH enough to make t up- And, bought she, if il comes to the worst on pawn my ring"
 The ring was her betroshai ring, and lad been placed on her finger two months before her fathers downfall, by one whom she loved dearly, bu, to whom sne was too proud to make known her sui. krings, or even to have him know thai she vas in the city.
 Frank Johnson was a young man oi Seyiing qualities and had risen from an sfce boy to the position of junior pzrt. aer in the firm for which he had worked He had known Minnie for a long time