The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-25

in the street. where the most poverty
stricken gave him the name OF the poor
lodgrr."
The little tailor's aside to his wife: Them
was swell clothes once, mother, and nothing
VIII get the gentleman out of them any more
than it viii out of him." showed that others
thought as did.
Then came the old soldier, brisk AMI neat
and upright as 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 mended clothes and
well polished boots, bearing witness to a life
of discipline. By the hand he led ANNE, the
little motherless girl, whose father the
drunken cobbler, lived in the same house
with him. He had done what he could for
her i'll the way of adornment, brushing the
beautiful golden hair and tying ii up with
piece of string into funny little knob at the
top of her head, brightly polishing her poor,
shabby boots, and presenting her with gay
pictured pocket handkerchief 10 carry in her
hand; and he had paid respect to the season
by piuning a few holly berries IN the front of
her thin, worn frock.
As they entered the room she hung hack.
clinging ncrvously to him, and looking as
scared aS though she expected she was going
to he beaten. Honor had some difficulty in
inducing her to loose her protectors hand and
take the stool provided for her i'll warm
corner near the fire. When she at length sat
down she shrank timidly against the wall, Is
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 bc kept much longer III the
great muurnful eyes. Most pitiful Of all was
the old look in the pinched, white face. She
seemed To regard us with kind of calm in
diligence, a. grown-up children playing At
N.ii .lt haI laa SOL.
ity OF.
All went well, and with music and chatting
the time wa, spent very happily until .
o'clock. Then, before the queer company
was seated around the table, Honor proposed
that each one relate the history of the hap
riest moment nf his life.
Tn" happiost moment, There was a puz-
lied, half doubtful expression i'll some Of tho
faces as thought tray ciod back into the past:
hut il presently disappeared, and there was a.
smile more or IS expansive upon every ones
face. Even the poor l"dger had retivcnJ
smile upon hi, lips, rs he turned his eyes med
itatively toward the fire.
Johnnie led or lie admitted without
shame that the happie>t moment OF his life
was when he had been invited to the party
and Sally had assured him that there would
be all the turkey, mincc pie and pudding that
he could eat. His mother hlushcd over his
own story was this: Il think the very hap
piest moment | have ever had was when the
manager at the warehouse promised to give
me a shilling n dozen extra for making the
shirts, for, She added, looking round with
dcprecatory little smile, though to apollo
gize for the LONELINESS Of the cause of her
happy moment, growing boys are almost
always hungry"
Mrs ParncIl, when called upon 10 relate
her story, rOughed mcditatively behind her
fan for moment or two, and then gracious
ly said that the happieSt moment Of her lifc
was when She danced with Lord I4augland at
the tcnautry ball, wu Ga She was iiIst \.
Grace Fairlic and Honor had some difficulty
in Keeping their cOuntenanccS as they ex-
changed glauccs Even the "poor lodgor'
was evincing some signs of having; once known
how TO laugh. But tie others appeared sufii-
cicntly impressed to satisfy Mrs. Parncll, hal
she bad any misSivings upon the point. She
was gazing complacently into the fire She
had simply related fact, and was too much
absorbed i'll the pleasant rccollectiuns 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
ilowance out stead of going into the house"
The old soldier described how n feeling
that his mother was near him pulling him
away from a trench during n battle gave
him his hnppiest moment, because Just as he
was fairly out a 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 conIings" asked Johnnie
Il chose to take it into the way, my lad"
somewhat absently replied James Brooks;
besides, that did me no hurt"
mo hurt to be shott"
well, my boy. there's different ways of
being hurt, rs perhaps you'll find out as You
get older. I'd had my lesson, you see, and
didn't need to be taught over again"
But amt you going To tell us how you got
the bullet III your leg persisted Johnnie
You didn't have that through the drcam."
"Well, l got shot while was fetching out
young He paused, rufliing up his
scauty hair But | am no hand mt telling
them sort of things. 1t isn't for me to say
why I'm n bit proud of the bullet carry
about with me, ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps
it will be enough if l say that it brought me
this" touching the cross upon his breast, and
rather shyly adding: 1t French Off
Ger that was saved, an only son'-here
he gazed afar Off dreamily ami cut short his
story.
The poor lodger," when asked to tell his
story, begged to be excused for Ia little longer
and gave way to Sally, who, after some
stammering, said, III high delight, CHANGING
shyly round:
1T was last night, then lie met me fetch
ing the supper beer, and he said he'd got
enough saved for tidy bit of furniture. and
"a little put by for a rainy day, as well as reg
ular work. So there was no call TO wait"
Everybody congratulated Sally, and Aunt
Margaret said that he ought To have been
invited at which, amidst a merry laugh from
all, Sally, with very red face, said: "He
isn't 50 fur OFT as he couldn't be found by
supper time, if you please, ma'an He said
something about being somew here handy, TO
see if be could be of any use in bringing up
the trays ami such like
liz,