The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-12-23
THE HAPPIEST MOMENT.
now IT CAME TO THE GUESTS OF A CHRIST
MAS PARTY.

consists OF ten mean little houses. Aunt Mar
Raret was the daughter of the rector of Bray
leigh, and Honor was her sisters child. The
sister had married an artist, and she and her
husband both died when Honor was a mere
baby. Her aunt and grandfather had edu-
Gated her. Soon after the rectors death the
two ladies were impoverished by the failure
of the bank which contained their little store
of wealth. So the school was opened, and
they got on fairly well, enjoying their indie
pendence, although not in receipt OF a very
promising income.
Honor had an uncle-her fathers brother
the rich Mr.. Bryson, who, although he gave
them no financial aid, always invited his
niece and her aunt to spend the holidays at
his house As the Christmas Of 1872 drew
near the two impoverished gentlewomen be-
gan to fix over their bits Of finery in the ex-
pectation of the usual visit to Uncle Bryson's
Instead of the anticipated invitation they re-
ceived very polite note from Uncle B. say
in" Chat 'the coming so far must have always
been tax upon them" and therefore he
"would not again press the invitation" He
softened the blow with check for 800, his
best wishes and the compliments of the sea-
son.
There was a reason for this beyond what
the two disappointed ladies could dream of.
The Brysons had a manageable daughter,
and there was a certain Sir Edward Dusart
who they thought was about to propose to
her, and Aunt Bryson had discovered that
Honor was much too handsome and attractive
20 have around when such an important pos
sibility was pending; and Sir Edward was to
be a Christmas guest. Aunt Margaret had
fondly dreamed that Sir Edward cared for
Honor, whom he had met more than once at
bncle Bryson's. But when she heard that he
was about to propose to Uncle Bryson's
daughter Amelia she hoped that Honor did
not care for him.
The first impulse of Aunt Margaret and
Honor on receiving Uncle Bryson's check was
to send it back Second thought persuaded
them to keep it and use every penny of it in
giving Christmas party themselves-not
party for the rich and prosperous, nor even
for their financial equals; but party for the
good and kind among their neighbors, the in
6abitants of Paradise Row, humble souls, to
whom all pleasures were rare.
They took Mr. Redmond, the incumbent Of
the new church in their district into their
confidence, and he was greatly interested in
the plan and promised to help them all he
could. He was the only friend the two ladies
had made since they went to Paradise row
to whom they could say anything about their
past lives. He often looked in upon them
after their days work was DONE and it seemed
plain to Aunt Margaret that he took great in
tereSt in Honor. Sometimes Aunt Margaret
Said to herself that the match would not be
20 undesirable, although he was a widower,
with grown-up daughter, and a little too
old for Honor.
They had a busy time preparing for the
feast. They felt in duty bound to spend every
penny of the money. In addition to the sup
per, every guest was to have present, and
several sick ones were to have presents sent
them. ThegfEslled in "Old Mamie" to help
the maid of all work get the feast ready, and,
In her language, the house soon "snelt as
good as a cook shop" Old Mamie was to be
one Of the guests of the Christmas party. She
had been in charge Of the guardians of the
poor; but had managed to have her GLOW
ances" sent to her lowly lodgings, and never
got into the dreaded "house," where the poor
are taken in the last extremity.
Among the other important guests were
the "little tailor and his wife, "Sallys grand
mother" "Johnny and his mother" and the
@poor lodger." Sally's grandmother was in
the receipt Of parish relief. The 'poor
lodger," as the neighbors called him, was a |
young man about whom no one knew any
more than that he did not appear to have a
friend in the world, and that he had been in |
desperate need, having just struggled through |
long illness in an attic of a house where |
lodged Johnny and his mother. The latter,
q sailors widow, only just contriyed to keep 1
body and soul together by working for the |
city warehouses; and the little tailor and his /
wife got their living by patching and botch-
ing for people as poor as themselves.
Although every one else jested about the |
little tailor and his wife clinging to the belief
that they would again see their son, who had |
gone abroad to seek his fortune, and had not |
been heard of for years, Honor did not The /
belief helped them to bear their privations
better than they might otherwise have done,
she thought
And there was Grace Fairlie, the national |
school mistress, a gentlewoman, who had been
quite alone in the world since her mothers
death; and poor little Annie, the drunken
cobbler's daughter, and the good natured old
soldier, with the bullet in his leg, who helped
everybody. The ladies were almost afraid
they would be obliged to send separate in
vitation to the bullet, it was such an impor-
tant factor in the old mans life
Then, there was Mrs Parnell, who was
Ggenteel" They were uncertain whether she
would come, for, although she had now the
recommepdation Of being poor and lonely,
abe prided herself upon having "once moved
In. different sphere" She talked of her
father having been an agent for something or
somebody and alluded to her late husbands
Savocations" in a way which, If slightly in
definite, had its effect in Paradise row. She
thought great deal about keeping up the
distinction of classes" and the proper OBJ
Servances of etiquette; and she told Aunt
Margaret that she had serious doubts as to
whether she could call upon her and Honor,
until she heard they had piano and taught
French.
Nobody refused, and by 8 o'clock on Christ
mas afternoon they had everything prepared
It was cold Christmas weather, SO the cur
tains were drawn, bright fire was burning
In every room, chairs and couches, hired for
the occasion from the broker round the |
corner, were plentiful, and Honor's piano
forte at the further end of the sitting room
opened ready for use. There was certain
fitness even in the hired furniture. The
III