New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30

first cracker, and subsequently placing the que
nightcap it contained upon DIS grlzAea
Of the crave below stairs, and WAS reported 70
have seen all the fine sights the world can Snow'
there he was, beam7g Ger the top OF b,I
Christmas tree, with It's lucSess little twlsuns
and melting tapers, dropping grease IN an %Es
tlons And there was the enidren gIa aUSnta'
tho SHARP. sarcastic old lady in the gold sgecH-
cles, who was won't to step her ears at f tr
voice. and turn down her lips at EthePs slang il
there she was praising AIMS tea, anu nba aIsva
rhnn aslSed for a second cup, that this could
TeaIy be the terrible old known 50 vol
bv evil report in the schooroom. ana there[
byt wbv cnumerntep One and all had had their
hest and kfndest feelings touched. and could they
look otherwise than benevolent and amianleY
Had Rogers happy face and Dorothy oown-
cast eyes ANYTHING to do with the universal senti
ment we wonder? Perhaps Perhaps littlo
bird flying about In the frosty air may have WINS.
pcred IN the ears Of parents ana n the
wind perhaps tho tell tale light which shonc
in the eyes Of the two sitting side oy sac AT
the far end Of the table may have nasneo cor
| responding illumination into the breasts OF those
"' Never mind If it did Neither Roger nor his
love cared who now divinsd TN Iner tte ones feast
and the sefshness of the first invited guests
How he resolved 10 astonish them one and all WHIP
his account Of bem hfs had twice. before they played
sn shabby a trick again How mercilessly he
reioiced in the certainty that boys and girls
would alike know what the older folks naa Gohs
They won't hear the last OF this In hurry,
chuckled he to himself
But all the same they bad unconsclousy done
The strait he had been put TO had suggested the
step which otherwise he might never, or at any
rate not for long, have summoned courage TO
take For some time he had loved fair Dorothy,
but it had been the old story, mistake, r}vsl,
jealousy, and withdrawal On sudden, light
had broken in, and then had been taken the
resolution and then-then when 1t had come
10 undong the skatestraps OF his fair, and settng
forth alone with her across the frost-bound park,
Inc had hesitated no longer, but had forthwith
10 wonder he was the head and 'front.' Of :. Je m
treasured up the little gift presented to him, as
mcmento of that happy evenlne No wonder s snaS
as they all sat round when tea was over, he nfted
up his voice, and sang song after song with note
as loud and sweet as, blackblrds-though ne
was chary enough of letting IL be heard to the
accompaniment Of the piano down stars. NO
wonder that after every one else had gone Mt last
and only Dorothy remained, obedient already to
his whispers he gathered the little ones into his
round The glowing hearth, till OverpoWered by
sleep and happiness their little eyehds closed ana
their faces sank upon his bosom, and no WONDER
then, that neither he nor Dorothy stdrred JILL
Ann. discrectly busy in the background, saw
nothing of course, but she laughed IN her hearC
all the same; and she never hlnted that IL was
anv ones bedtime, nor any ones dressing ume;
nor near any ones dinner time-but only and
that Ha in the most natural and demure manner
possible, suggested that perhaps if Mr. Roger dih
stories bv and took the lamp into the next room:
When Jcm and Molly awoke, the gong had
sounded. and g o'clock had struck. UP they
started rubbing their eyes, and at first neither one
nor the other could think into what soft, warm
cosev nest they had crept
But when they did. they assured their olg
brother in their biggest, most emphatic langua &C.
and with both their arms round his neck at once,
that it had been the very incest, happiest delight
fullest Christmas party that could possibly have
been ina gined And what do you think Roger
declared that from the bottom of his heart ne
agreed with them-and Dorothy said SO TOO
fAtalanta.