Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-27
AFTER CHRIS TMAS.


busy for long time before Christmas
Day. Jack would not let any one como
inside the door of his workshop, at the
| top ofthehuuse, and when he went out
he carried the key in his pocket. 1t was
sometimes inconvenient, fol the way to
The outside of the Ioof lay through that
room, and once, when some workman
came to mend the states, and Jack was
nowhere to be found, they had to go
down stairs again, with all their states
and tools, and beg an entrance through
the next house. Jack was very sorry
when his father represented the trouble
he had caused and the loss of time; but
he kept the door locked afterward all
the same, though he tried not to forget
20 give the key to his grandmother, as
solemn trust, when he was going to
school in the morning, or away with
some of his cronies for the whole of the
afternoon.
AS for Annie, she spent great deal
of time out of the house, for her work
could not be attended to in public, any
more than Jacks, and she had little
afghan at the house of one friend, and
white shawl at another place. which she
was crocheting for her father and grand
mother respectively. She spent an af
ternoon or an evening over these, when
ha aAn1A hnt cho did 1ilyn fn
shut herself up in her own room at
her home. Her father said one day, un-
easily, that Annie seemed to be out
good deal; but her mother only laugh
ed, and said they would be sure to see
more of her little later in the season.
There were various treasures hidden
away in the least visited closets and the
bureau-drawers; and, altogether, there
were more secret undertakings known
to the members of this Thomas family
than there had ever ueen before. Jack
declared that he was afraid to speak, for
| fear he should either tell some of his
own secrets or somebody s else.
The two Young people were looking
with great eagerness for the coming of
their favOrite aunt, whom they always
welcomed with perfect delight. Jack
said she was just as good as another
| fellow, and Annie wOuldd rather have
walk or talk with Aunt Grace than
with any girl she knew. Somehow Miss
Elliston had way of winning the con-
idence and love of great many people
and you always felt better and happier
for being with her.
1t was late in The afternoon of Christ
mas Day, and the presents had all been
given and taken, and the surprises were
all over with, and our friends had been
to church in the morning and had some
how or other contrived to see almost
everybody they knew to say MERRY
Christmas" and to compare notes about
the gifts and the plans of the day. The
Christmas dinner had been an early one,
and even that was over, and the ser
wants had gone to keep the rest of the
holiday with their own peOple-all ex-
cept old Ellen, who had been the nurse
and whose friends lived far up in the
country.
1t was very cold afternoon and the
city streets were almost empty. Jack
and Annie were going to Christmas
party that evening, at the house OF one
of their cousins; but, in the last hours
of the afternoon, there did not seem to
be much to do.
Our friends were sitting in their aunt's
room, one at each front window, and
Miss Eiliston was lying on the couch
that had been pulled before the open
wood-lire. 1t was very comfortable
corner, and she had three or four books
beside her, that lad been among her
presents; but it was too dark in the
room TO rreadiag. though the daylight
had only just begun to fade little out
of doors.
ut seems SO funny to have had dinner
at one o'clock" said Jack. 1t makes me
lose my reckoning. If weren't so lazy,
| would go out for little while" and
he gave desperate yawn, so that Tat
ters, the dog. who had been lying in front
of the fire, got up and came to look at
him with an air of doep anxiety, at