The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1886-12-25
oct wishes and the compliments OF the sea-

The Brysons had marriageable daugnper,
opi there WAS certain Sir Edward Dusart
who they thought, was about TO propose 10
her. ard Aunt Bryson had discovered that
Eonor was much too handsome and attractive
20 have around when such an important pos
sibility was pending; and Sir Edward was to
he a Christmas guest Aunt Margaret had
fondly dreamed that Sir Edward cared for
Honor whom he had Inet more than once at
Wncle Brysons But when she heard that ne
was about 20 propose 10 Uncle Brysons
daughter Amelia she hoped that Honor did
not care for him.
The first impulse Of Aunt Margaret and
Monor on receiving Uncle Bryson'5 check was
10 send it back Second thought persuaded
them to keep it and use every penny OF IL LII
giving a Christmas party themselyes-no5
party for the rich and prosperous, nor even
Tor their financial equals; but party for the
good and kind among their neighbors, the IN
habitants Of Paradise Row, humble souls, TO
whom all pleasures were rare.
They took Mr.. Redmond, the incumbent OF
.he new church in their district, into their
confidence, and he was greatly interested in
sle plan. and promised to help them ell he
could. He was the only friend the two ladies
Lad made since they went to Paradise row
to whom they could say anything about their
.ast 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
go undesirable, although be was a widower,
with a grown-up daughter, and little too
old for Honor
They had 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. They called in sold Mamie" to help
tie maid OF all work get the feast ready, and,
in her language, the house soon "smelt 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
Door: but had managed to have her GLOW
ances" sent to her lowly lodgings, and never
rot into the dreaded "house," where the poor
are taken in the last extremity.
Among the other important guests were
the Iittle tailor and his wife, "Sally's grand
mother" johnny and his mother" and the
poor ledger" Sally's grandmother was in
The receipt of parish relief The poor
lodger." as the neghbors called him, was a
Young man about whom no one knew any
more than that lie did not appear to have
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,
a sailors widow, only just contrived to keep
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
cobblers 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
"genteel" They were uncertain whether she
would come, for, although she had now the
recommendation of being poor and lonely,
she prided herself upon having "once moved
in a different sphere" She talked OF her
father having been an agent for something or
somebody, and alluded to her late husbands
@avocations" in way which, if slightly in
definite. had its effect in Paradise row. She
thought a 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 o'clock on Christ
mas afternoon they had everything prepared.
Il 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 HoDors piano
forte at the further end Of the sitting room
opened ready for use. There was a certain
fitness even in the hired furniture. The
small settee for the littlo tailor and his wife;
the faded, crimson easy chair-so fitting a
throne for gentility-for Mrs. Parnell the
big high shouldered one, so admirably
adapted for the poor lodger, who, rumor said,
did not like to be looked at; the pretty little
lounge full of dimples, with a stool at its
feet, for Johnnie and his mother; the old
fashioned one with the cushions for Mamie;
and the straight backed one with the arms