The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-12-24

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miserable attic of one Of the rneanest houses
in the street, where the most poverty
stricken gave him the name OF the "poor
lodger." IVA
The little tailor's aside to his wife: "Them
was swell clothes once, mother, and nothing
win get the gentleman out Of them any more
than it will out of him. showed that others
thought as / did. F H
Then came the old soldier, brisk and neat
and upright as soldier with bullet IN his
leg could be expected to he. Everything
about him, from his clear, keen gray eyes to
his carefully brushed and mended clothes and
nell polished boots, bearing witness to a life
Of discipline. BY the hand he led Annie, the
little motherless girl, whose father, the
drunken cobblcr, 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 funny little knob at the
top OF her head, brightly polishing her poor,
shabby boots, and presenting her with a gay
pictured pocket handkerchief TO carry in her
hand; and he had paid respect to the season
by pinning a few holly berries in the front Of
her thin, worn frock.
As they entered the room she hung back,
clingng nervously to him, and looking as
scared as though she expected she was going
to be beaten Honor had some difficulty in
inducing her to loose her protectors hand and
take the stool provided for her in warm
corner near the fire. When she at length sat
down she slranls timidly against the wall, as
though only DESTROYS to escape notice
An felt that little Annie needed sympathy
and kindness more than did any guest there,
If the soul was to bc kept much longer in the
great mournful 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, as grown-up children playing at
life, which she had long seen the sad real
ity of.
All went well, and with music and chatting
the tire was spent very happily until o
o'clock Then, before the queer company
was seated around the table, Honor proposed
that each one relate the history of the hap
piest moment Of his life.
The happicst moment! There was puz-
zled, half doubtful expression in some of the
faces as thought Travelled back into the past
but 1t presently disappeared, and there was a
smile more or less expansive upon every ones
face. Even the poor ledger had a reticent
sml,c upon his lips, as he turned his eyes med
ita!ively toward the fire.. 2 y A~&
Johnnie led of. He admitted without
Shame that the bappiest moment of his life
VIZ when he had been invited to the party,
and Sally had assured him that there would
be all 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: ~ think the very hap
piest moment have ever had was when the
manager at the warehouse promised to give
me shilling dozen extra for making the
shirts, for" she added, looking round with a
oeprecatory little smile, as though to apollo
gize for the LONELINESS of the cause of her
happy moment growing boys are Almost
always hungry" ttRf 80 tE
Mrs. Parnell, when called upon to relate
her story, coughed meditatively behind her
fan for moment or two, and then gracious
~ said that the happiest moment of her life
WIS when she danced with Lord Langand at
tls tenantry ball, when she was just 49,
Grace Farlie and Honor had some difficulty
i'll keeping their countenances as they ex-
changed glances. Even the "poor lodger'
wasevincing 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 a 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
"iowance ont stead of going into the house."
Tho old soldier described how feeling
that his mother was near him pulling him
away from trench during battle, gave
him his happiest moment, because just as he
was fairly out a shell burst in the trench and
he knew that he had been saved from certaih
death by the watchfu spirit of his dead
mother.
"But why didn't you have another dream
to tell you 10 put your leg out of the way
when the bullet was coming?" ASKED Johnnie
X ~ chose to take il into the way, my lad,n
somewhat absently replied James Brooks;
besides, that did me no hurt"
"No hurt to be shotg"
"Well, my boy, there's different ways of
being hurt as 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 in your legp persisted johnnie.
"You didn't have that through the dreamw
swell, got shot while / was fetching out
q young He paused, rufflng up his
scanty hair. "But 1 am no hand at telling
them sort of things. 1t isn't for me to say
why I'm bit proud of the bullet carry
about with me, ladies and gentlemen Perhaps
it will be enough il / soy that it brought me
this" touching the cross upon his breast, and
rather shyly adding: ut was French Off
Ger that was saved, an only son"-here
be gazed afar off dreamily and cut short his
story.
The "poor lodger," when asked to tell his
story, begged to be excused for a little longer,
and gave way to Sally, who after some
stammering, said, in high delight, CHANGING
shyly round: e a
at was last night, then He met me fetch
ing the supper beer, and he said he'd got
enough saved for a tidy bit of furniture, and
a little put by for 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 merry laugh from
all, Sally, with very red face, said: "He
isn't SO fur off as he couldn't be found by
supper time, il you please, maam. He said
something about being somewhere handy, to