Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-21

nef ulilp eu lace bHOine0 In the depths
Il her poke bonnet as fresh and pink and
sweet as blossom. Each time he glanced
/ Al her he caught her dark eyes fixed visit
I fully on bis face. but she sang the carols
! and anthems as though sorrow had never
touched her. Her rich. sweet voice, rev.
I cling in its own melody. seemed to soar
/ n the very gates # heaven, and 10 be
flung back 10 earth with something Of
angelic rapture in IFS strains.
Allen Wingate lingered Somewhat foes
/ Christmas greeting. hut a group OF frieANs
surrounded Lily, and he turned to his
own dwelling, which wore as much of
holiday aspect as an ancient tomb. Never
theless there was a sumptuOus dinner
spread in the great dining-rOOm. to which
ne repaired in solitary state to partake
Of it. AS he sank into his seat at that
diismal board, and contemplated the gilt
tering array Of silver and glass, and satin
damask. and the delicate viands before
him his soul sickened within MIN. He
dismissed the waiter, whose presence
was oppressive and bowed his head upon
his clasped hands. He could not touch
| morsel. Vas this the Christmas feast,
this spread table with no friend to sit
with him at its bounty? Was this to be
the end Oft all, that he should finish his
days apart from his kind, and die at
last hating and hated: Even the Outcasts
were less fricndless than he,
for there is community in vaga-
bondage. In every household in every
land TO-DAY the bonds of family love were
strengthened and sealedanew. Through
all the world joyful feet fastened TO some
Christmas board and hearth where love
awaited and expected them. Somewhere
there was room in the household mrth
for the stranger guest-eXcept for him;
no human being spared him one thought
or throb OF sympathy from his store.
Z Once it had not been thus, but he had for
feited the right TO the peace and goodwill
which sanctified happy homes with It's
| benedictiOn. Dared he call down a
| gracious blessing on bin and his. Long
| he sat with his hands pressed against his
! burning eyes; he did not hear the remote
peal OF the door bell nor movement in
the next room. He did not stir
| even when the folding doors
/ were nOiselessly swung back and
a girlish figure stood on the threshold.
| The attitude of utter detection, Of hopeless
misery, sent pang IN the womanly heart
Of the spectator. Father" she called.
! and sprlnging across the room she drew
! his gray head to her shoulder and laid
1 her teaT-wet cheek AGAINST il. Father,
! ! am here tOo,' and a stalwart. bearded
| figure rushed behind his chair and threw
two strong arms about the bent form.
( Then Allen WIngate rose up trembling
/ and white as ashes. '.What does this
mean: Who are you:' But he did not
/ need to ask twice; he tell back in his seat
/ s0hbing, My bOy-my dear bOy!' When
the first rush Of ecstacy subsidized Howard
and Lily began explaining things in a
/ confusing duet. THE best part Of the
affair is you have gained a son and daugh-
/ ter at one s'rO6e; yOn see, | am Mrs.
| Howard Wingate, If you please"
4 Nor Devil erment on the part Of Mr.
! WIngate, senior.
but now Is it-when? I can't under
/ stand; are you not Lily Sterling?"
/ "Shp was until about three hours ago."
/ bogan Howard. hut Lily chimed in regard
/ less OfpOlIte prOpriety:
/ We were married this morning at St.
/ LUke's just before service. Howard only
/ came last night. and / did want to tell
/ YOU so much. but | was half afraid, and,
/ then, I wanted % surprise you with every
/ firg at once. And now / am your real
/ daughter. Don't you know l said / would
/ not bear YOUR name until l had a right to
/ il: And we are the people who are going
/ to live in the cottage where | took you the
/ Oth day. Isn'tItall too delightful to con-
/ template seriously - and Lily's c0unte-
| nance struggled with miles and bushes
unuil il was as bright as quIverinS sun
beam.
But if is like a dream that my son.
my hoy Howard, who left me a beardless
youth. and whom have mOurned as dead
these long years, should come to life like
this" and the glad old man gazed anew
into the sunburned, whiskered face Of the
young fellow who stood head and Shout
ders above him and shook him like an
atfectiOnate young bear.
1t was a glorious Christmas dinner at
last-suCh a reunion as comes to few men
in one lifetime. Mrs. Wingate threw
aside her bonnet and took her seat at the
head of the table With matrOnly grace
bewitchingly becoming. And the long
story came out by piecemeal, Howard
nuttng his fragments together and
Lily assisting him out with
her version. and both sometimes
coming together in the narration in
breathless chorus. And Mr.. Wingate
heard how his sons adventurous spirit
/ led him in the first bitterness OF his
Punishment TO the far West; how in an
Indian fight he had been lett by his
| scouting party among the dead that with
| the assistance of a friendly Indian he was
| revived and his wounds attended to, and
! how after several weeks he struggled
back to his camp. How he went into the
mines after that and dug and delved,
! proving to himself a good share Of pluck
and grit as we'll as bone and sinew; how
| he had never relinquished the
memory of his childish playmate,
| and when he had forced Fortune to
| smile a little upon him he determined
| to return to the scenes of his bOyhOOd and
| make his future stand if Lily would only
| help to hold him up. And then that young
person told how she had discovered How
ards father and had found vacant nook
in his heart and had crept into it, some
| what for Towards sake at first, but at
/ last for his own, and that she feared to
tell him of Towards existence or her own
! interest in him, lest the father should be
still unfOrgiving and sternly withdraw
| hot oh mt
| his secret sorrow and remOrse that day at
the cottage and saw her way clear, and
that they intended to enter as selt-invited
! guests to his Christmas board, and when
she stood in the doorway and saw reveal
ed his lonely wretchedness it went to her
heart like the stroke of dagger.
"And, please God" she said, coming
behind his chair and putting her soft
arms about his neck, while she laid her
bright face on his gray head, 'you shall
never sit down to another tOrlQrn Christ
mas dinner while there are two people
living to make a joyful feast for you,
You have two children now, and it is as
tonlshing," she continued. sententOusly,
show much comforting affection can be
evolved out of one human heart when
you rub the right spot, and when you put
two hearts together the arithmetic of the
matter is vastly increased"
Upon one point the young Wingates
were memorable; they could not be in
duced to take up their abode in the great,
grim house, but held staunchly to their
cottage. So there was nothing to do but
to hang out big placard "tO let' ON the
front wall, and the elder Wingate was
installed in the cottage. Mrs.
Flanagan, upon hearing the
turn affairs had taken, went to bed
outright, and her rheumatism returning
| with terrific violence, she assuaged its
pangs with so many drops of peppermint
that she shouted and howled until it be-
came evident that all her cousins had
\ come to see her at once and were holding
one last high carnival together; indeed,
the whole neighborhood became con-
WINGED that Mrs. Flannigan's wake was
being celebrated with all the accessories.
AS for the lofty and elegant stag dog,
the thought of coming down in the social
scale from an aristocratic establishment
where he had held a high head above all
the rest of the brute creation to living in
a cottage, appeared to break him all up,
and as he took it so to heart, and being
proud and sensitive spirit, he was thrown
in with the furniture and was let to
fashionable family altogether congenial
to his nature.
$50 in somewise all things wear round be-
times
And wind up WELL"