Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-22
TESSIE'S MERRY CHRISTMAS.

By Lille Deveraux Blake, in Dio Lewis's
Monthly.
The December afternoon was cold
and gloomy everywhere, but in the
wide, handsome city streets the
neat sidewalks and the fine houses
had look at least of wealth and
comfort. Here on the top of high
hill, where were crowded cluster
of wretched novels, the misery and
cheerlessness of the scene were in
tensified by the dull sky and the
chilling wind.
The squatter houses were huddled
one against another as if so they
might keep each other up, some of
them, despite this friendly support,
leaned over at an alarming angle.
The old snow was trodden to mud
in devious paths that crossed the
hill in irregular directions. On one of
the bits of fence which surrounded
some of the more ambitious habita-
tions were hung wretched articles
of clothing. A miserable goat was
regarding some of these as if won
dering whether any of them would
serve for meal. The only way to
reach this curious hamlet was by a
path which led OBVIOUSLY up the
rocks from the street below. These
rocks, indeed, formed the reason of
the existence of this refuge for pow
erty They rose in a jagged pile
thirty feet above the regular grade
of the city, and thus had made the
lots on which they stood, for the
present, undesirable property by
reason of the cost of building there.
So that, although in the midst of a
closely built neighborhood, this
block was as yet unimprOved.
The path leading upwards, al
ways rough and difficult, was wet
and slippery now, and the little girl
who was climbing it found it slow
and laboriOus work. She was bit
of a child, not more than seven
years old, shabbily dressed in a
crimson cashmere tr0ck of Unequal
ity and delicate make, and wearing
a battered straw hat. From under
this looked out a sweet, delicate face,
with gentle blue eyes and soft fair
hair, a face of unmistakable refine
ment, despite the fact that it was
stained and soiled and had a woful-
ly pinched and hungry look. Over
her arm she carried basket. which
was carefully covered, and which
she guarded from any harm in her
upward scramble, even falling down
herself rather than permit her pre-
cious burden to drop.
AS the little thing, painting with
her struggle, reached the top OF the
hill, she was suddenly confronted
by the goat, who finding no nutri-
ment in the forlorn rags he had
been shifting, was strolling about in
search of other amusement. He
had long felt grudge against the
child because of her red dress. He
never saw it without becoming en-
ragged, and now, as he caught sight
of the frightened little face and the
crimson frock, he squared himself
and dropped his head with dam
gerous look in his unreasoning black
eyes.
AS soon as she saw her old-time
foe, the little girl began to cry.
Clutching the basket more tightly
than ever, she said,
$50 away, naughty BilIyv and
then, as the creature took a step
nearer to her, she Shrieked in ter
rOr,
"Ellen Ellen !"
AT the point she had reached
there was large rough rock which
shelved over somewhat on one side,
and, just as the goat rose in the air
and butted ahead dangerously, the
child by a sudden spring crouched
under this, crying more than ever,
and calling, whenever she could get
breath, "Ellen! Ellen ~ in pitiful,
half-stified tones. 1t was very damp
and muddy where she crOuched,
her clothes were getting Wetter
every moment, and she was shiver-
ing with cold and terror. But amid
all her distress she huggued the
basket closely to her, seeming to
derive some feeling of comfort from
its contact.
The goats hoOfs could be heard
crunching about on the rock above
for some minutes, but after awhile
they jumped down and trotted
away. The little girl cautiously
pCCpCd OuE. anu
enemy had disappeared, she scram-
bled out of her hiding place and
began to move toward one of the
novels. But the goat had only gone
a short distance, and before she
could reach any shelter he came
running towards her with awkward
and belligerent leaps. Seeing now
no chance of escape, panic of ter
ror overcame the poor little girl,
and she uttered shrek after shrek,
even in this extremity, however,
putting her basket on the side away
from the goat. Her cries were not
unheard, and, just as the goat had
almost reached her, stout girl OF
fourteen came running out from
behind a near house She was arm
ed with large stick. which she