The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-12-23

ing, as granny acknowledged that was
her name: Well, mum, there's no mis-
take; and here's some groceries," % \
boy bearing q we'll filed basket entered
the room.
Granny could only utter obs " and
"ahs," and Dick stand open-eyed and
mouthed, whilst little Christmas clapped
her hands with delight as the hoy un-
loaded packages of all sorts Of groceries,
o'ertopped by huge turkey and a big
ENJOYS of all these goodies, Dick ex-
claimed:
"Oh. granny, who could have sent
them? ?"
"Santy Claws, intorse," sagely replied
little Christmas, trying to reach up 80
as to bring her nose on level with the
table; whilst Dick, calculating " Hello I"
extracted slip of paper from one of the
packages, which read:
A merry Christmas 20 Dick Stratton.
the boy who thinks of others before him.
self"
"That's So" murmered granny, wiping
her glasses, as Dick rather shame-facedly
exclaimed
"Well, somebody is the boss chap to
send all them things, anyhow!"
What jolly Christmas day that was
Why, even granny's cracked little stove
nearly drew itself up the chimney in or
der to do honor to its unusual glow and
warmth, and, as for the rickety table, it
creaked in the most approving manner at
being the upholder of 80 much good
cheer. And Tin-kettle Alley-well, it
was astonished for once.
A day or so after who should call upon
granny but the gentleman who had given
Dick the dollar, and who was so pleased
with what he had learned of him, that he
proposed, if granny were willing, to put
her boy in a better way to earn his liv-
ing.
Then suddenly the gentleman had
started up with hasty exclamation, cut
ting short granny's heartfelt thanks, as
little Chris came running into the room.
"Whose child is that p he gasped, al
most sternly, as Chris drew near, eying
him with wonderment; and then, all of a
tremble, for fear Dick might have done
wrong, granny told little Christmas's
story, and brought forth the wee dress
she wore at the time, and string of
coral and gold beads that had been about
her tiny throat, but which granny had
slowed away for fear OF the child losing
them, never dreaming, despite her power
ty, of disposing of them for, she argued,
they were the child's, not hers. And so,
thanks to granny's careful honesty, little
Chris's identity was proved without
doubt; for the gentleman recognized the
necklace, with its initials of c. H.. as one
that had belonged to his sister
1t was the child's likeness to that
sister that had caused him to interrupt
granny's grateful thanks so abruptly.
Then seating little Chris upon his knee,
who had indorsed him as nice man." he
told granny the history of that sisters
life, of how she had been left to his care
at very tender age, he being some
fifteen years her senior; of how he had
loved and delighted in her, until she,
against his will, married a man be de-
spised then he had cast her from him,
forbidding her to ever darken his door
again.
A lonely old bachelor, he lived on in
his handsome house, with never a word
from the sister he had so dearly loved.
At last, thinking to still the longing for
sight of her winsome face, he shut up his
house and went abroad. Six months later,
these words brought him back:
{" am dying. Come to me with the
child. Your loving sister,
CHRISTINA"
The letter, having to be forwarded to
England, caused that much delay, but as
fast as money could bring him, the bro
ther travelled TO his dying sister-onlv to
reach her too late.
Among other papers he found the cer-
tificate of baby girls birth, and half
finished letter, IN which she told how,
forsaken by her husband and penniless,
she had at last determined to place her
child in her brothers keeping, trusting
that the sight of her helpless babe would
reawaken his love for it's mother. He,
the brother, could only surmise that his
sister had stolen 70 his door that Christ
mas Eve, and unaware that he had gone
abroad, had placed her little one upon the
stoop, and after ringing, had hastened
away for fear of her mother-heart refus-
ing to hold to its hard task.
The reference to q child in her brief
note had puzzled him sorely, but At last
it was made clear, and he thanked God
that his sister had died believing that her
little one was safe in his loving care.
Dick at first was inclined 70 fight for
the possession of the little Christmas, but
when he learned that granny and he were
to share Chris's home there was not a
happier boy in all New York. Such
friend as Chris's uncle proved to Dick, as
day by day the boy grew to be like uni o
his own son. No more lonely Christmas
Ewes for him, with dear little girl and
brave, handsome boy to play Santa Claus
for.
And granny-well, she lived to wear
out more than one silk dress, and to sit IN
the most comfortable of rocking-chairs
that Dicks money could procure for her.
For Dick, in time, became Chris's uncle's
partner, which soon afterwards led to an
other partnership, that made . lovely
young girl his own Christmas " for aye.
mALA0lA.
twenty-five hundred dozen bottles of
Ague Conqueror ordered in one month.
1t positively eradicates all Malaria. Fever
and Ague. Bilious and Intermittent F..