Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-12-19
IORIGIEAL.l
ROY'S LAST CH HIS rMAS.
BY N. O.

1
many eyes, and yet, 1t held much that
stamped home on its liutels. A tidy
room, almost cosy, with white and
green blended In, maybe unconscious
harmony, still suggestive Of touches
are enough to make one look twice and
carry away q breath of something
beyond the tenement
row of which 1t formed part.
But it surely lacked brightness, for
the longer one looked. longer grew the
sense of loss, since no hint of red could
be found, never o glimmer or spark |
to warm the senses or kindle glow in |
the heat; and grandma, too, must
have felt It SO this afternoon, for q |
little ruffle of longing swept across the |
Q lm waves OF her face as she looked |
about her and said:
"Hanuah, 1T esms to me. I'm kind OF |
looking for something red to make IL
hvelier for the children at Christmas
time. II WAS only az home to-day
know j1sJ where tue black alder and
spicewood are Banding down with
berries, Aud the clirnin' ptaff- trae is M
among the hare branches like fire." and
grandma looked homeward, which
seemed very near now rs the radiance
str. AIMED upward from the western
bars, and Gun , broadcast and brightest
at its sitting, made q halo of glory
around the patient face that was
only waiting at the gateway. SO
" and ma has gone back lover the
hills and far away" to the home OF her
c lildhood. Dear heart, she has 70 got
cherished old woods, with Its gnarled
oaks, love-carved, beeches, tanRlee of
green. brier and terraces Of Laurel has,
long ago. been swept down before the
onslaught of improvement, Ii improve
ment 1t be. TO rob a thing OF beauty OF
| its birthright, to transform beautiful
forest into an ugly town of ugly houses
AS similar a. p sas In q pod; ones own
10 much like all mis- naighbors
not enough little differences by which
to steer home. We will leave grandma
lin the woods with bright berries that
withered, bright days that clouded, and
bright dreams that faded in the real
mornings OF long ago. Alb, pilgrim,
lioo would SO backward, for an home.
lsick for the woods of lang syne." Lot
me loiter by the sunny stream that
winter Is vainly trying 10 bridge, and
by the brookside marvel at the frail
beauty of the frost weavers let me lie
down ON the ruby dotted carpeting OF
!, the partridge. berry; let me gather gar
Hands of ground-pine, and great sheaves
/. of evergreen, fern, " never seer and
let Iae stand by the old eedgy swamps.
the home of the woodland prophets, aud
where, IL one will "bide a wee" and
a listen, will issue that sweetest ougle,
call of springtime-" knee deep, ano
i1USps-. -.
o, brilliant holly, dainty. .raiinl
crow foot, o. 10y winters green ones
: touch falls lighter, ones tones mort
, = caressing as the face bonds lower Il
Whisper above your beauty All, surtl,
-Iye are sentient things But L mus
U hasten back to HANNAH, whom we lief
standing with grandma, with tired
4 eyes and weary hands, solving some
ever-recurring problem OF household
: economy. It is q little irksome, you
know, OF perchaDce, happily, you don =
tknow-well, scores of tried Hannah
4 could tell you the threadbare story bu
Q lour Hannah, however, opens her mouth
!, aud ont flies q sigh-Some hearts are
!, y sort of rookery for signs, and they trJ
Il their wings on all occasions, and nov
j. che wishes for a better Christmas.
D. "If the mill had not shut down, aut
= John been out of work, l might hav
ii get them half what they are fopin!
It for. / half wish they were old enough
% to disbelieve some of she foolish tale
LII told them" and q fully fed ged sigl
Invent into the beyond. No. no, mothe
= Hannah, don't dare break any images
= for time will shatter them, alas to-
d soon. Let Santa's footprints be on tt
d. hearth. stone let little ears listen TO
~ the melody of silver throated sledg
8 bells and buRles, and pause for tn
echo of reindeer hoofs upon the roo
= IChildish faith is such sparkling, tee
= ing thing, like morning dew, that en-
s; learns to SORROW over Its vanishe
Sc brightness, and would fain recall tn
4 charm that hung around the res
or legends in the days OF yore.
81 want a sled, and mittens, an
: boots O sled that runs both ways an
la red, ;" says brave little Ned. az wal
y a new d'ess and q mother baby lik
mama's," is Eppie's wish. Yes, she
lEppie; somebody must have bee
81 reading about Silas Manners QUAR-
waif; anyhow, she 10 dear little WI
man as she SITS huggingaa soiled, angr
= liar doll to her bosom, with the hol
IT, CLEANS of motherhood already in h,
s.: eyes, and the go to sleep lullaby in h
tnelyoice. Hannah goes oveS to the corn
-lof the room, as she is reminded anew
LIE the +" mother" baby and unfolds "de'
VS.. little, dainty darling that ne'er 50
m lChristmas yet" Among 30 many yo
may nave been q bit unwelcome, tin
,}ILucy, but like all the rest, brought lo'
( sadly need more love. And as the chi
~ ldren gather around the baby and wish
e run riot, Lucy only regards her ham
4 with a wondering gaze; prophec
. lmay be, of the look she may fasten
Them in the days to come, as they
:, Iempty folded, or blotted with som
thing that will NO more wash of til,
the stain from Lady Macbeth's. ~
lpatient mother listens to the sum TOT
Iof wsnts-Ned, Eppie, Bonuie and ~
land wisely concludes to 90 the 0e
abe can and let the balance be added
1.-THE column Of honest failure viii
r lfoots no the same rs honest success
! the last count. The old, old story, ev
u new, as it is waited ACROSS the cent
lries, accompanied by the music OF
md spheres; the wondrous story OF
lStar of bethlehem should unlock
AZ az lshut-up hearts to put gifts into litl
hands as we are reminded OF the goi
,oo Ifrankincense and myrrh rendered
az. the wise men to the child Christ. Sin
II back of the gift stands the giving
May the good will. rs it floats do'
the ages, awaken response in the nv
ERI of men to whom the herald Is ever I
legacy. x.H ..r
; full. and where most little outstretch
lila. palms are waiting the overladen "a
and goes by, and to him that hath more
ron, , M likely to bs given. An unmarried
avs tor once received. from the admir-