The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-02-28
A CHRISTMAS COMEDY.
In Two Monologues, a Half-Mono-
logue and a Brief Dialogue.

'st IN Two MOnOlOguoS, a Halt-MOnO-
logue and Brief Dialogue.
Miss Eleanor Slinglander sat in her
crimson boudoir on Christmas morn
ing. regarding with a scornful express
sion little bronze figure which she
held in her hand-the figure of a pretty
G peasant girl, in cloak and hood, carry
ing covered basket on her arm. And
scornful expression, though rather
a and in rare instances very becoming to
some girlish faces, was not in the least
Becoming to Miss Slinglander. 1t
, wrinkled and shortened her nose, Wild
ened her nostrils and pouted her full
red lips. All of which, as her nose was
already trihe too short, her nostrils
trifle too wide and her lips trife too
prominent, tended to seriously detract
from the beauty of her face.
~safs "The idean' said Miss Slinglander,
s.as the scornful expression giving place to
frown, which brought her much too
near eyebrows so close together that
they seemed like one straight, heavy
hnes t'of Spencer Royal sending me
this thing for Christmas present
z ~ Why, l expected something splendid
from him with an offer of marriage
Heaven knows he's been dangling after
me long enough-half year nearly
and I'm sure his mother and sisters
.zss have set their hearts on the match. OF
course they have, and with good rea-
son, too, for with the help of my mon
ey Spence could carry on the business
i1i a much more princely manner than
it was carried on during his fathers
lifetime, and the returns would be much
more princely in proportion. And I've
been agreeable, for they're a decidedly
e. aristocratic family, and Spence is by
all odds the handsomest fellow [ know
and has very taking way with him,
though Jack Raynor is a hundred
times jollier and three times as rich
But I'm not going to stand this shilly-
shallying any longer. I've been wait
ing for him to speak for the last three
months, and not a word on the subject
has he said. Something he dropped
last night led me to believe the pro-
s4posal was coming this morning. But
INSTEAD comes this thing-pretty
enough in its way and artistic, l sup
pose, but l don't want it. The house
Us full of peasant boys and girls
and shepherds and shepherdesses,
and cupids, and all the rest of them
now. What shall do with it? Why,
j declare, it looks like Ella Mellis.
1ll send it to her. She's been sewing
>s~forsqs for the last six months and no
doubt she'n expect Christmas gift
S-~t that kind of people always do-and I
don't feel like spending any money on
her, so off this goes. She'll be de-
lighted with it, and can keep her an
@ hour or two beyond her work hours,
sometime when L m needing dress in
a hurry, on the strength of it. And,
Mr.. Spencer Royall if Jack Raynor
comes accounting me to-day, my money
will never help you and your family to
greater magnifcence. A bronze peas
ant girl, indeed, when | expected at
eleast an elegant solitaire"
= An hour later Ella Mellis sat in the
plainly-furnished room which served
her and her widowed mother for sew
ing room, dining room and parlor,
holding the bronze figure in her little
fright hand-on the second finger of
which was a well-worn silver thimble
land viewing it with look of de-
lighted admiration that added wonder
fully to the attractiveness of her deli
cately featured face, lending as it did a
charming light to her soft, tired brown
eyes and flush to her pale cheeks 81
never dreamed he would think of me at
Call" she said, in sweet voice, tremu-
lous with Joy, land he has not only
thought.o of me, but sent me this beau
'tiful Christmas present. Why, we have
never metbut half dozen times since
became a sewing girl, and then always
in the presence of Miss Slinglander,
with the exception of that night when
! slipped on the ice in front of her door
she had kept me very late helping
her dress for ball-and he, happen
ing to be near, helped me to my feet
land insisted on accompanying me
home, saying SO kindly, 1T is too late
for any young lady to be out alone
and came in and talked to mamma for
an hour afterward. Poor mamma!
how glad she was to meet some one
whose father had known and loved
~ papa"
''Dear me! how happy Miss Sling
lander will be-for of course, he is GO
ing to marry her-though, for my part,
I'd like a lover little more lover-like.
I've actually caught him yaWning when
she was talking to him-and | don t
wonder, for she does run on so about
lsstyle' and 'fashion'-and I've never
seen him look at her in an adoring
way. In fact really think he-looks
-kinder-at-me. But among wealthy