The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-12-25
THE ELEVENTH CON-
MANDMENT.
p1rs. NJ. L. Rayne in Detroit Free Press

NAlC WOA1A VI 4ACA1tCCt0AC tAAlQ lltC WOEIQ Vi
humanity, a great splendid residence upor
one corner and a poor, shiftless. tumble
/ down dwelling ON the other, which the
law protected from the covetous eyes Of
| the rich Speculation, and reserved for minor
heirs. Meanwhile it was rented, for what
it would bring. to a class of people who
were always either moving in or out and
in the summer time, when the windows
! of the great mansion were open, and the
hilarities as these would be tobacco-wafted
through the India null curtains
"Whack de fidell Pass the cratur this
way, an don't be kapin' the bottle idle.
Shure yees hey had mor'n's good for
yez now. :"
"Sthand oop and foight like mani
: g Murtherl don't interrupt whilst I'm in
ioyin' meself!"
And similar dialogues of domestic
character
But for some months preceding Christ
mas there had been a new family in the
old house-two young people who lived
alone and were out of sorts. The man
had nothing to do. He was a slim, pale
sickly-looking young fellow and some ons
had found out that he was a southerner,
well educated and of good family. but
poor as poverty itself and likely to starve
to death, as ne was proud as well as poor
Every day he went out looking for work
in the aimless way a man gets into when
his overcoat is gone and he has to button
his other coat to the chin. and every day
he came back empty handed or with
something that had been acquired on the
border-land between responsibility and
vagabondage-a turkey won at rattle or
a measure of potatoes that he had acquired
at guessing match.
Life was at this low ebb when Christmas
Christmas, bringing cheer and
light, music, warmth, presents, hope and
jollity to nearly everybody, but certainly
not to the poor family in the tumble down
house on one corner, nor to the patrician
people who lived in splendid misery on
the other.
What was the matter with them? Ev-
erything. In the first place there were
only two people in the great house; they
had neither chick nor child nor bird, nor
any living thing about them, except their
own two dry-as dust selves, and they got
mighty tired of each other sometimes
Then they both had indigestion, and lived
on diet of hot water and graham toast.
Next, their servants robbed and deceived
them Systematically, and finally their chill
dren-happy little ones-were all dead.
Their young lives had been smothered out
under the cap-frills and embroidered
stomachers, and they had gone to a place
where there were no velvet carpets, or if
there were, they were not too good to play
on.
This Christmas morning when the
millionaire got up he looked out of his
plate glass window and cast an envious
glance at the corner opposite. Jack Frost
had been playings tricks there He had
sent a soft white fall of snow, which had
wrapped its benefcent arms about the
unsightly pile and it was now trans
figured in the silver flood The frost
king had made each tiny pane of glass
Respondent with castle and turret and
feathery palms, and the rich man acknowI-
edged 10 himself grudgingly that it was
a pretty sight; he wanted to buy that
spot, tear the old house down and do what
he chose with the lot; his neighbor had
bought one next 10 him for play ground
for his children. But heaven had given
his own little ores play ground on which
he had no title or pre-emption While
ne stood looking his family physician,
wealthy man, who had almost retired from
the profession, came out of the old house.
He was walking briskly past, when Mr..
Markham thew open the window and
called to him.
Good morning. DR.. Farnham, Merry
Christmas if you can find one, hal hal
Returned to practice, see, with a con-
temptuous glance at the old corner.
Yes, said the physician, gravely, at
q
and nothing to put in them However,
the same God who sent the ravens to feed
Elijah lives to-daJ.
doctor said Mrs Markham crowd
ing lace breakfast-capped head out be-
side her husbands, @come in and eat
breakfast with Us. Ny appetite is worse
and l want prescription
Dyspepsia be blowedl" growled the
doctor. who was as gentle as woman in
the sickroom- II you want to be cured
of all the ills Of life, observe the eleventh
commandment
Eleventh commandment Why. there
isn't any. Doctor, you must go to school
Isn't there any said the doctor,
gruffiy. l thought you didn't know IT.
4 merry Christmas to you both, and no
dyspepsia. if you do your whole duty.
Peace = on earth--go od-will-to-
mani" chimed the bells.
There was a confusion of tongues over
in the house on the corner. When the |
good doctor had announced to the young |
husband in real Christmas phrase. aJJnto !
you a son is born, the news had been re-
ceived at first with natural spasm of de |
light, and then the detected query, What |
on earth am / going to do with him?"
But wien later the doctor went to him. |
with his face beaming with mischief, aud |
said, Unto you two sons are born, the |
CONSERVATION he caused would have been |
if it had not been so real There
was gloomy outlook for the pale young |
mother and her beautiful babes. even |
though the good doctor had left some |
temporary relief.
VIII she liver
Yes; care and nourishment are all she
needs; now can leave her in your hands,
Mrs Markham The nurse understands |
the case, and is trustworthy.
Mrs Markham. the millionaires wife.
sat by the sick bed and held one babe in
her silken lap 1t wore her baby's dresses
and was wrapped in soft blankets = A
wicker cradle lined with white muslin,
and tied with blue. ribbons had come
down from the dust of the mansard roof
to hold the two babies. There were light I
and warmth and comfort in the old house.
When late at night Mrs. Markham re
turned from late visit, prior to retiring,
she found her husband standing pom
pously before the open fire on the tiled
hearth in the library.
And how are they now2' he asked.
with more interest than he had shown in
anything for year.
Doing nicely; but, Hiram, they would
have died if I-if-we-hadn't looked
after them Two such sweet babies-they
remind me-"
And then the poor mother broke down
and cried
Mr.. Markham cleared his throat.
. A-hemi l expect we've got our hands
full, be said
He never thought Of hearts; but that
was just what it meant, With neither
children nor grandchildren of his own, he
has two pairs of stockings to fill every
Christmas, and this year he makes the
same objection to filing them that he did
last year. They win not hold half he
wants to put in them. and he win not di-
vide, either with his wife. or the good
doctor, that annual pleasure. There is a
shining path worn to the old house. and
now when the rich mans covetous eyes
watch it. there is no commercial value in
its remodeled walls; he is looking for v hat
gold cannot buy-the smiling faces of swo
happy Christmas children, who love Aim
just as much as if he wasn't rich.