The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-12-25

you is"
The suggestion struck Hetty. There
was only one person that she could think
of as being Hlonesomer" than herself-Miss
Phoebe Hays. the old maid around the
corner. Nobody liked her, for she was
toadying and deceitful; and Hetty felt sure
that she could have no Christmas invita-
ton.
She pitied the lonely woman; and now,
she thought, why should she not afford her
little pleasure by inviting her to share
her Christmas dinner?
So note was at once dispatched by
Polly, who quickly returned with the an
swer:
"Miss Hayes compliments, and she would
re pleased to accept Miss Thorne's kind
\ yitation y
otso.1hrn table was laid for two, and Miss
Thorne mace herself as genteel as possible
in the ugly and unbecoming green dress,
which: shabby as it was, was her second
best.
She dared not risk the other, where there
was turkey to be carved.
An hour passed; the turkey was done to
a turn, and Miss Thorne became impatient
for her guests arrival.
Butinstead of Miss Hayes there presently
appeared pert girl, with note from that
lady, regretting that sudden headache
deprived her of the anticipated pleasure of
dining with Miss Thorne.
81 am sorry" said Hetty. SIS her head
ache very bad9"
"Lor she amt got no headache" re-
sponded the messenger, contemptuously.
dts jest cause she's a.goin' over to the
minister's to help fix the Sunday School
Christmas tree, and stay to supper. He
met her jes' now on her way here, and
asked her to come right over. It's goin'
to be big supper"-with disparaging
glance at Hetty's table-"and I'm to 60
for her at nine o'clock, and get all want
to eat.
Mice Thorne made no reply. This was
SO like Miss PheLe Hayes Yet she felt
more lonesome than ever, since even the
people she tried to be kind to cared nothing
for her.
Perhaps it was owing to her vexation
that, as she took the turkey Il sven,
the pan was carelessly tilted, and the rich
gravy poured in an oily stream down the
front Of her dress She started with an
e4presaessSs dismay,
PoAy ssausly prompt with a towel
"Dopt yer worry yerself bout it, Miss
Hetty" she urged, with cheerful sympathy
''All 70 de bes' you knows,
Hetty, despite her yexation, could have
smiled at this odd application of the favor
ite adage. She doffed the soiled dress, and
then hesisated whether to put on her every
day dark print or the new gray merino.
But was it not Christmas Day? And per
haps she might step round to st. Stephen
church and hear the evening service and
the christmas music of the choir. So she
donned the pretty, nicely fitting gray dress
and then looking into the glass and seeing
how becoming it was, with the soft lace
about her throat, she almost regretted that
there was nobody but Polly to see how nice
she looked.
Her feelings, rufled by the accident tc
her dress and the slight put upon her by
Miss Hayes, now received an unsupported
soothing, A bright faced boy, the son Of
Southern lady, next door, presented him
self, with brimming goblet of rich egg
nogg and his mothers Christmas complI.
ments.
The little attention cheered Miss Thorne
She was not used to such beverages, but
she was tired and harrassed, and felt that
it would do her good, and she would enjoy
it. So the glass was set aside in reserve
for the dessert, and then she seated herself
at the table, though with little inclination
for the good things before her, since Tom
and lilly we're not there to enjoy them with
her,
A sudden yell and rush from Polly, and
Hetty, looking up, perceived that her cat,
Pinkey, was deliberately helping herself to
the creamy foam of the egg-nogg.
Polly's onslaught startled the thief, and
the goblet, with its contents, fell to the floor.
aReally this is too badI" said Miss
Thorne, vexed at this additional disaster.
sPut her out of the room, Polly, for pun
ishment. It is a mercy that the glass Is
not hrokeno
$50 tbs, Miss Hetty; an eff he aig- nogg
as split it's all fo' de bes', you knows" said
Polly, soothingly.
"Nons~ Sc, Polly How can it be for the
best to loose my nice glass of egg nogg?'
aWell, dunno. None on us knows
But my ole nanny always say-be sure at
de bottom we fine all fo' de bes.' Lor'
what dat?"
In the room below was clatter Of
something falling, following by a success
sion of childish shrieks.
The next moment, pale, nervous-look-
ing woman rushed up stairs.
1t was Mrs. Mullen, who kept little
millinery establishment below. She had
upset the teakettle and scalded her arm,
and would Miss Thorne please be good
enough to come down and quiet Dickey
while she ran to the druggists for some
liniment2 She would not be gone min.
ute longer than she could help.
Hetty arose from her uptasted repast
Clearly only disaster was to attend hel
Christmas dinner
Going down stairs, she quieted the terri
rifed Dickey, and entertained him by show
ing him the colored plates of a fashion
magazine.
But when a half-hour had thus passed
she grew impatient. Stepping into ths
little shop, she looked through the glass
doors out into the street,
It was becoming dusk now, and the
street-lamps were being lighted. One Of
these, just in front of the shop, suddenly
blazed out and poured its radiance full up
on the face and figure of Miss Thorne
Nobody noticed her as they hurried
past; nobody but tall man in sl6uched
hat and furred overcoat, who paused
glanced up to the sign-board overhead and
then turned to the shop door.