Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-12-22
A Mothers Xmas Story,

!, i
Christmas night. Twenty happy years W,
had spent together almost alone, for fathe
died before knew him; and we had neve
been rich, and were perhaps a little selfish
for we loved each other so heartily that WI
could scarcely spare time from each othel
for the few of our own class whom we cam
across, who being better off than ourselves
and holding themselves rather higher, sci
dom seemed to need our help or sympathy
We had plenty of poorer neighbors whom
we loved and who loved us, but they in NJ
way interfered between us or made the hap
piness We felt in being together less com
plete. 1t was only in the last year that :
new streng interest had come into our lives
and this Harry brought; and on New Years
day he and Iwere to be married. From
the first moment when he brought nae home
to mother, having picked me up from the
muddy pavement, where had fallen bruis-
ed and helpless in the midst of a crowd,
she seemed to take him into her heart and
never from that day did she let one Jealous
feeling. come between her and me. Oi
course, she was to live with us; even Harry
could not have made a home for me with
out her, and the only thing she ever did
which for the moment we thought hard.
wss when, a week before, she had insisted
On Harry's going home for Christmas. s'Gc
to your father and mother, Harry, and leave
Janet with me-" she said. ''You and she
hope to be together all your lives; give us
old folks one more chance Of feeling you all
our own." And Harry, with a look at me
to see what thought, had agreed.
So that Christmas evening Mother and I
were alone. There had been something in
mothers manner all day which 1 could not
understand. She seemed to have something
on her mind. She was.lsving and tender to
me, so tender that l thought that no one
had ever had mother like mine, and vet
sometimes when spoke to her she scarcely
heard me. But we had quiet, happy day
I've always were happy thgether-and late
in the evening mother sat down in her chair
by the fire and said:
"Ceme and sit here, Janet, on your little
stool, and put your head OF my knee. /
have story to tell you tonight
"a story, mother dear? Oh, that is love-
| ly, like being child again?'
| sit is true story, Janet, of your life and
mine. l have never cared to tell it to YOU
before, but am not afraid now-my child
and l have loved each other all these years
mo, I am not afraid
"What could you be afraid of, dear moth
er?n -
"You shall hear and judge" she said,
putting her hands on my head, and then she
began: "When l was young, younger than
you are, was engaged to be married. MY
home was very unhappy, and when Andrew
Western came and asked me to marry him
| was ready to revere the ground he tred
upon. He had been coming backward and
forward to our house for some time on bust
ness with my father, and l believe that
from the very first day he saw my misery
We were-and to my remembrance always
had been-peor, but if had been boy my
father would have possessed thousands a
year | never wondered that he hated me,
that ray mother meurned and fretted from
morning till night; they had brought ne up
to feal guilty of crime, and did feel it
in my inmost heart. 1t was no marvel that
when Andrew asked me to marry him, l
locked upon him as an angel of deliverance.
| loved him with an intensity which amaz-
ed and frightened him. 1t was in vain he
/ tried to make me sober and reasonable. 1t
was ID vain hs told me dat sum wofsn;irr sln;r
twas wrong and foolish, ihat it gave him ne
happiness; while to me it must bring disap-
pointment. l could net listen, and at last
l waaried him. He said little about it af-
ter awhile, but he went away, and once
more my life was deselate. He said he
would come back, but he never did. He
wrote to me often, kind, tender letters, but
they chilled my heart; and then one day he
wrote to tell me that it must be all over be-
| tween US. He told me how he had strivsn
to hold fast by his old love for me, but he
could not; the mere effort panied him, the
thought of my passionate devotion filled
him with dread. He could never return
such love, he could never endure to have it
lavished upon him; once for all he would
give it a death blow, when his lotter reach
ed nae he shsuld be married.
81 had another lover then, Janet, and I
almost hated him, but before many weeks
were over l became his wife. He loved me
always, but we quarreled. Icould not pre-
tend to love him, and he grew reckless; our
home was miserable, and within a year he
died. I was too i'll to know what happened
for long time after that. Strange faces
passed before me, strange voices spoke
kindly words of pity, and once every day it
seemed to me that Andrew came and stood
by my bed. When at last awol,e to rea-
son again, you were beside me. Oh, how
loved you How passionately loved youi
You seemed to me to be all the world, and
yoa saved ray life
"My husband had not left me in poverty.
l had ne need to work, and I spent my
whole life in watching over you made no
friends, for l cared for none. forgot the
missries of nay fathers house; I forget nv
quarrsls with my husband; forgot even nay
love for Andrew, and was scarcely moved
when L heard that death had visited his
home as well as mine, and that he was in
deed desolate, for his wife had died and
left him chidless. Three happy years pass
ed away almost without a cloud. You
grew and throve. Every day seemed to my
Delighted eyes to give new charm, a new
beauty to my treasure; and then in the
midst of my Joy you fell ill. Day
and night, night and day, I watched
by your bed-nay, Janet, give me no
thanks; it was selfish love 1t was all in
vain that doctor and nurse argued with me.
| would not leave you. 1t was fever and
must run its course, they said. If you
should recover, my strength would be need
ed when you could know and call for me !;
but would not listen, and one night as I
sat beside you all the room grew dark, and
l knew no more. When I recovered could
not rise from my bed, but / implered with
passionate tears to bs taken to you. Then
some one came forward and sat down be-
side me and took my hand, and l saw that
it was Andrew. 1t gave me ne surprise to
see him there. l dimly remembered that
had seemed to see him before when I was
ill, and for. the moment his presence ealmed
me.
Mary he said, in his old, quiet tone,
If you do not do as l tell you you will die;
and, what is more. the child will die too
81 sprang up with scream and struggled
to go to you. My child, my child ? cried.
"'She is net your child-she is mins,' he
said, in that calm tone of truth which had
never failed to convince me, and which now
pierced like sword of ice into my heart
Yes, she is mine! LISTEN His quiet eyes
controlled me, his quiet words subdusd me.
when you were very i'll, dying, they
thought, my name was often on your lips,
and they discovered and sent for me. On
the same day child was born to each of US,
and my wife and your child died. "We
might have hoped for her if her baby had
lived" said the doctor; and gave my child
to you. Can you not bear what I have
borne?'
ooh, Janet, my child, his words were
healing, and the sorrow that from that hour
l tried to bear was taken from me r'
At first when mother ceased speaking,