The Somerset reporter., 1886-12-22

party and understood what was expected on
such occasions.
Honor hurriedly conducted her to the seat
OF honor, explaining that she felt il 80 kind
of her to come and help them entertain their
guests, who were for the most part people in
humble life.
Mrs Parnell looked rather disagreeably sur
prised and drew herself up n little haughtily
for a moment But she had only time 10 say
that, although she had not been accustomed
to mix with her interiors, she had no obiec-
ton TO do SO for once, and under the crcum-
stance Of being invited to assist in entertain.
ing the good people, when, after a little sf.nf
fling in the passage, the door opened, and
assisted by Il friendly push from Sally old
Mamie entered the room
To figure one OF tue guests for whom she
had helped to prepare was just at first too
much for old Nannie's philosophy. There was
certainly great contrast between Mrs Par.
nell in her faded grandeur and Mamie in her
short, scant, well worn meiino gown, her
plain muslin cap, her sleeves too short 10
cover her bony wrists and her hands bearing
witness to a life of toll. Her only prepare
lions for company seemed to have been that
of turning down her cuffs, which were usually
turned up, putting Oh an old fashioned collar
with frll reaching to her thin shoulders,
and pinned on awry, with brooch of Cam
den Town emeralds and diamonds purchased
for her by Sally in honor of the occasion.
SO far all was going on propiiiousy; and
no sooner was Mamie indurted into her com.
Portable chair by the fire n the back room,
where she sat with hand planted upon each
knee, and her eyes turned complacently to
ward the well spread table than the little
tailor and his wife-neither of them much
more than five feet high-were ushered in.
The pretty, fair haired school mistress in
deep mourning, was welcomed, and after her
came Johnny and his mother. No one seemed
to think of calling her anything but "Johnnys
mother With them came the poor
lodger," who had not been easily induced TO
accept the invitation, and who was looking
very doubtful and reserved, and on the de
fensive, so to speak, as though their motive
was as yet not quite clear TO him.
But Honors diplomatic little aside, which
had answered so well with the Others seemed
to succeed with him also; ut any rate, so far
as disarming his suspicious Went In reply he
bowed low, with few words about his est-
nation of the privilege of being allowed to
assist Miss Bryson in any way. But it was
enough to show that he was a gentleman, had
he not, evidently weak as he was, and appre-
cative of the comfortable chair assigned to
him, so couiteously endeavored to decline it
in favor of others. The threadbare clothes
which hung so loosely about his tall gaunt
frame contrasted piteously with his dis
tinguished bearing. At the same time there
was no trace in his countenance, which was
that of refined thinker, of any vice which
might have brought him so low in the social
scale as to desire to conceal himself in the
miserable attic of one of the meanest houses
in the street, where the most poverty
stricken gave him the name of the "poor
lodger."
The little tailor's aside to his wife: "Them
was swell clothes once, mother, and nothing
will get the gentleman out of them any more
than it will out of him." showed that others
thought ms did
Then came the old soldier, brisk and neat
and upright ms a soldier with bullet in his
leg could be expected to be Everything
about him, from his clear, keen gray eyes to
his carefully brushed and mendcd clothes and
well polished boots, bearing witness to Il life
of discipline. BY the hand he led Annie, the
little motherless girl, whose father the
drunken cobbler, lived in the same house
with him, He had done what he could for
her in the way of adornment brushing the
beautiful golden hair and tying it up with
piece of string into II funny little knob at the
top of her head, brightly polishing her poor,
shabby boots, and presenting her with gay
pictured pocket handkerchief to carry in her
hand; and he had paid respect to the season
by pinning few holly berries in the front of
her thin, worn frock.
As they entered the room she hung back,
1.
scared as though she expected she was going
to he beaten. Honor had some difficulty in
inducing her to loose her protectors hand end
take the stool provided for her in warm
corner near the fire. When she at length sat
down she shrank timidly against the wall, as
though only DESTROYS to escape notice.
All felt that little Annie needed sympathy
and kindness more than did any guest there,
if the soul was to be kept much longer in the
great nournfu eyes Most pitful of all was
the old look in the pinched, white face. She
seemed to regard us with kind of calm in
diligence, as grownup children playing at
life, which she had long seen the sad real
ity of.
All went well, and with music and chatting
the time was spent very happily until Q
o'clock Then, before the queer company
was seated around the table, Honor proposed
that each one relate the history of the hap
picst moment of his life.
The happiest moment! There was puz-
zled, half doubtful expression in some of the
faces AS thought Travelled back into the past;
but it presently disappeared, and there was a
smile more or less expansive upon every ones
face, Even the poor lodger had reticent
smile upon his lips as he turned his eyes med
itatively toward the fire.
Johnnie led of. He admitted without
shame that the happiest moment of his life
was when he had been invited to the party,
and Sally had assured him that there would
be ali the turkey, mince pie and pudding that
he could eat His mother blushed over his
very materialistic idea of happiness. Her
own story was this; II think the very hap
piest moment have ever had was when the
manager at the warehouse promised to give
me Il shilling a dozen extra for making the
shirts for, she added looking round with a
deprecatory little smile, as though to apollo
gize for the LONELINESS of the cause of her
happy moment, growing boys are almost
always hungry"
Mrs. Parnell, when called upon to relate
her story, coughed medtatively behind her
fan for moment or two and then gracious
ly said that the happiest moment of her life
was when she danced with Lord Langland at
the tenantry ball, when she was just Is.
Grace Fairlie and Honor had some difficulty
in keeping their countenances they
changed glances Even the poor ledger
was evincing some signs of having once known
how TO laugh. But the others appeared suffi-
GENTLY impressed to satisfy Mrs. Parnell, had
she had any miSgivings upon the point. She
was gazing complacently into the fire. She
had simply related n fact, and was too much
absorbed in the pleasant recollections it had
called up to notice any ones face.
Old Mamie thought the greatest amount
Of bliss she ever experienced was when she
outwitted the poor guardians and got her
allowance out stead of going into the house"
The old soldier described how feeling
that his mother was near him pulling HIM
away from a trench during a battle, gave
him his happiest moment, because Just as he
was fairly out shell burst in the trench and
he knew that he had been saved from certain
death by the watchful spirit of his dead
mother.
But why didn't you have another dream
to tell you To put Your leg out of the way
when the bullet was coming asked johnnie.
II chose To take it into the way, my lad"
somewhat abSently replied James Brooks;
besides, that did me no hurt"
mo hurt to lie shotF'