Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-12-24
MINNlEE'S CHRISTMAS EVE.

Six o'clock in the evening of Satur-
urday, December "a, 1881, young
woman, clad in garments which afforded
but little protection against the search
ing gusts of the raw east wind, which
was blowing sharp and keen, stepped
from the door of one of the large dry
goods stores on Sixth Avenue, and made
one of the thousands who were hurrying
towards their homes. She shivered and
tried 10 draw her threadbare cloak close
60 her form, as the chilling wind pierced
her through and through.
For few moments she walked cutie
briskly, but she was so weary from the
tolls of the day that she was obliged
90 go more slowly. The past week had
been busy one, and great crowds of
people had thronged the store, buying
articles for their own use Or presents
for their friends, while she, thinking of
her own meagre salary, had waited upon
them with g. sad heart.
Two years before Minnie Osborne
mad never known what poverty or work
meant; only knew that there were such
words. But now she knew full well,
and with a knowledge derived from bit
Ser experience. Her father had been
counted among New York's wealthy
and successful merchants, but in an
evil hour he listened to the advice Of
So-called friends and embarked in
stock speculation. He was successful
at first, and, elated with that success,
became reckless and at last found him.
self, as many others have, stripped of
all his wealth.
The elegant home on Madison Avenue
had been decided to his wife, so that, of
course, was saved His losses weighed
heavily upon him and he soon fell into
a decline from which he never rallied.
The house was sold TO pay the expenses
of his funeral and death, and Mrs. o.
borne, with her daughter Minnie, who
Tas then nineteen, and two younger
children, Jamie and Maud, sadly gave
Up the old home and found refuge in a.
tenament house on the east side. Here
they were living, or rather existing, at
the time our story opens. e
Mrs. Osborne had been In delicat
health for years, and the death of he
husband, together with the loss of the
luxuries to which she had been all her
life accustomed, FRUSTRATED her COM
pletely. She had wealthy friends, it is
true, but she also had pride, and that
Kept her from them. None of her old
acCualntances knew of her whereabouts,
and she was safe from discovery in the
wre5ched street IN which she lived. She
had 3 brother a year older than herself,
who had gone to Australia some fifteen
years before her husbands death. In
the days before her marriage they had
been all in all to each other, being the
only ones left of their family, and for
the first ten years after his departure
6hey had correspondent regularly. But
his letters suddenly ceased, and, as she
mad no tidings from him since then, she
mourned him as dead.
With her feeble hands she, of course,
was unable to do anything toward the
support of the family, and the whole.
burden was Ghus thrown upon Minnie.
Although unaccustomed TO work of any
kind, Minnie proved herself equal to
the emergency and found employment
as saleswoman IN the store of which we
have spoken. The little she made there
barely suficed to pay the rent and keep
them In fuel; but jamie, who still went
to school, sold papers morning and
evening, and what he thus earned kept
@the wolf from the door," But jamie
was now i'll, for, having but little cloth
ing to protect him from the chill wind,
he had taken severe cold, and had
been indoors for week past.
Minnie had dreaded the long, cold
winter, and had hoped to get an in
crease of salary, but was disappointed
and was almost in despair. Tonight
was Christmas Eve, and she hated to go