Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-28
failure. Eyerrthing was swamped in

failure. Everything was swamped IN
the general maelstrOm.
They were simply penniess. FOR
time old merchants, feeling for the once
! proud man, secretly sent aid to the iamIly
| for the master OF the wreck was far
I too proud TO accept charity; but AFTER
while the world grew cold.
The spirit OF the great Vanderplank
was broken. He wandered day after day
around the haunts where men were won't
to touch their hats To him. They saw
him not. But it was the same TO MIN.
he moved as In a dream.
Poverty stared the little family IN the
face.
.'Never mind, father, DEAR" spoke pref
ty Evelyn. Don't give way. | am young
and strong. 1 will take care that we are
independent. And, after all, father, what
is grander than laborY Is not one OF the
worlds noble workers more precious
in the sight Of God than all the fashiOna-
bic butterflies that ever steppedI | am a
born worker, and Pam proud Of it,"
"Bravo, little girl! Bravely spoken"
cried old Uncle Zach as he patted her
proudly on the head; you're one OF the
right stock"
Work was hard to get, but after many
trials and disappointments the once
queenly Evelyn thought herself fortunate
in securing the poorly raid but honOra-
BILE position of saleslady in large retail
dry goods store.
She was assigned to the ribbon counter,
and there. day after day, she saw and
waited upon ladies whose equals she had
once been, but who knew her not now.
Yet her modesty, her grace and her evil
dent refinement won all hearts.
GAS ladylike as Miss Evelyn" was the
comparative degree at Bingham & TwilPs.
Yet she was often weary, and as time
wore on the fatigue Of constant stand
ing. and the mOnOtOn0us routine of show
ing and measuring ribbons for naughty
and eXacting customers stole the bloom
from her cheek, aud began to line her fair
face with burrows.
She had been hard at work all this
Christmas week. Late and early had
she toiled TO fill the Golfers OF utterly I'M
sympathetic men who cared not whether
she dropped in her place provided she
sold ribbons enough. Christmas eve had
come, and as she wendell her way YEARLY
hOmeward to the humble fiat which her
hard work had enabled her to rent she
looked up at the beautiful moon which
seemed to tell of love and glory far away,
and sighed YEARLY. A year had rolled
since she heard from Philip. Since the
family reverses had come his letters had
ceased altogether. Never, for a moment,
had she doubted his love or cOnstancy,
but it seemed hard. Could he, too, have
changed like all the world? And she
leaned her head upon a tree at the very
spot where four years before she had felt
his kiss upon her lips, and wept.
"But they are waiting for me-" she
thought. "my poor old father watches for
my coming. Duty, Evelyn duty. God
cbastens us for His own good purpose. II
is sinful to repine."
"You are late, my daughter" queru-
lousy murmured Vanderplank pore, as
he kissed his daughter affeetionately, and
babe her sit down to her simple supper of
tea and mullins.
''Tbis is Christmas, you know father"
said Evelyn. ''If mother and you will
hang up your stockings dear old Santa
wont forget YOU"
"There was a time, my child, when
Santa Claus brought jewels and laces, but
now"
"Come, come, father, cheer up. See, l
have brought you a cigar that / know
you will like, anda bottle OF something
TO warm your good old heart"
That night ere she laid her wearied head
to rest she prayed that Providence might
shed ray Of brightness upon the hOnored
heads Of those she loved, now rapidly
turning white, and she prayed for MIN to
whom she had given the love of her young
heart and brightest years.
And the stars twinkled merrily, and the
moon shone full upon her pale yet beautl-
full face, and the clock licked upon the
mantelpiece, and she hung up her stock
ing and slept.
Christmas morning Merry bells; cheer
ily, cheerily wakes the world. For one
day in 1865 let there be no sorrow, no sigh
ing.
What found Evelyn in her stocking? A
letter. dear familiar hand. a Christmas
box indeed, and thus it read: