Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-24
NUGGET.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

Miss Hanford's little village shor
looked unusually festal just before
Christmas, with its strings of cheap,
but brightly painted tin toys, its gay
cards. its wonderful display of worsted
work, to say nothing of the evergreen
bush that adorned the window, hung
with a variety of tinsel ornaments that
glittered like silver and gold whenever
the sun struck them. To-day however,
no flattering sunbeams danced that
way, for old Sol had hidden his face
beneath heavy gray veil and a thick
snow is falling quietly but steadily, as
though it meant business, rand Miss
Hanford's face is almost as gloomy as
the sky overhead, while she matches
crewels, and selects needles for pretty
Mrs. Pulsifer, the Doctors wife" 1t
will be a white Christmas, after all, >
says that CHEEKY little woman, while
the materials to complete herhusband's
slipper-case are being tied up, (which,
they do say, is bad for the doctors. -
Eyes; "A green Christmas makes a
fat churchyard;' and no mistake, y sghs
Miss Hanford.
ANY sort of Christmas makes fat
pocketbook for you, suppose" laughs
Mrs. Pulsifer Not this year. The
new shop with plate-glass windows,
up the street, has cut into my trade
sadly; but thank the Lord, Tom Tucker
and don't need much" and Miss Han
ford patted a big black and white cat
doing on one end of the counter. 'It
is sort o. lonesome, though, livin' all
alone, specially about Christmas.
Sometimes | git dreadful blue and
down in the mouth" mo wonder,
poor thing" rejoins Mrs Pulsifer SYM
pathetically. You ought to have my
three young rogues; you'd never have
time to be dull, then. But, goodbye;
l mustn't chatter another minute; all
the oddments for the stockings are to
be bought yet"
''That's it!' exclaimed Miss Hanford,
as the shop-door shut with slam.
''That's jest it! I'm an old maid and
ought to be used to livin' alone, dear
knows! but Christmas seems to stir up
all the sociable feelins in my nature,
and I'd almost be willin' to give the
trade them plate-glass windows hev
left ME, to hev leetle critter to cuddle
up, and make just such a Christmas
for, as Cy and [ used to hev when we
were youngsters, in the old red farm
house. Tom Tucker, why amt you
baby!" to which pussy only responded
by blink of his green eyes, and purred
harder than ever.
"Tinkle-tinklem rang the shop-bell,
and two eyes appeared on level with
the counter, surmounted by shock of
shaggy hair, and shrill voice piped,
please, Miss Hanford Ma sent me
over for three-cent loaf, and wants to
know if you will trust her few days
longer" The little country store was
very mixed in its contents, and kept
bread and cake as we'll as TOYS and
worsteds.
Hey is that you, Patsy Bait. Tell
me Patsy, my child, how's your poor,
sick pa to-day?"
Every bad Ma, she's been up with
him all night, and most cried her eyes
out"
Then you won't hev much of a
Christmas to your house, tomorrow
mo; ma says, Santa Claus sent word
he couldn't come this year." and a
big sob choked the child's utterance.
Poor little crittersn muttered Miss
Hanford, under whose rather stiff ex-
terror beat the kindest heart in the
world. There, you take this seed
cake over to your ma with my compli-
ments," and as the tiny girl opened
her mouth to express her thanks, she
popped in a sugar plum, and laughed
heartily at the amazed face that nodded
goodbye, and disappeared across the
road.
Its mighty curious, how queer
things are arranged in this world!'' So
liloquized Miss Hanford; Not, that |
want to question the ways of Prov-
dence; but there is Mrs Bait, with
four youngsters, and not so much as a
peppermint drop to putin their stock
ings; and here am with a lot of knick-
knacks gittin stale onmy hands (thanks
to them plate glass windows,) and
pinin to make Christmas for some
body, and not y kith nor kin belongin'
to Inc, that | know of, for if brother
Cy. had been in the flesh, he'd turned
up like bad penny, long before this,
surely! It's mystery, and no mis-
take?'
AT that moment her eyes fell upon a
card lying on the top of pile of paste
board souvenirs, and she took itup. 1t