Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-12-25
"0NLY A DREAM"
A Christmas story.
BY JOSEPH D. LYNCH.

BY JOSEPH d. LYNCH.
The night was bitterly cold, and tn,
bowling winds were of the characte
known of later days as the blizzard
They roared through the narrow allie,
into which the stage entrance to New
York theater opened, as though drawr
through a funnel, gaining thus almost the
force of hurricane. The hour was
verging on midnight, when the bale
and chorus girls, who had performed theil
humble functions in brilliant spectacu
lar piece, with operetta accompaniment
fled into the street, drawing their moi
always protecting outer wraps around
them. The weather was too atrociously
bad for the usual corps of dudes to be in
attendance. One male figure could be
deserted, however, in an observant atti.
tude, and he quickly joined group com.
posed of a sprightly, alert woman, who
had evidently long passed what the Ger.
mans, in speaking of females who are
slightly passee, call "the silver dollar
and young and shrinking girl. Giving
an arm to each, the trio hurried away to
tenement house in side street some
blocks distant and mounted several
flights of stairs, entering q room the
blaze from whose cheerful fire re-
vealed neat but not costly ap-
pointments, bed upon which reposed
the form of an invalid woman, and
abundance of flowers disposed in taste
ful manner wherever they could show to
the best advantage. The source from
which these floral ornaments came was
disclosed when both the females disen-
numbered themselves of their outer
wraps and produced two fragrant bou.
quets-the spoils of the enthusiasm with
which the piece had been received by
the audience.
With light bound the girl sprang to-
wards the couch, bouquet in hand, and
was in moment clssped in the arms of
the invalid, the fragrant nosegay Nesting
on the pillow beside the pale and wasted
face.
"Oh, mamma" she exclaimed, "I hope
you have not been so very lonely"
'No, my child" was the reply, "I
have been more than comfortable, know
ing that your sweet face would soon be
here to cheer me. But what a terrible
night! You must be chilled through
And you, Mademoiseile Rosalie How
do you support this terrible cold?"
"Ze cold, Madame, ees what you call
terrible, but 20 bright FIRE he make US 20
amende." And a pair of chilled hands
were held over the blaze in the bustling
and energetic style which characterized
all the actions of Mademoiselle.
In the genial glow radiating from the
open fireplace scene was outlined
which was by no means without it's in
terest. The young girl, whom we have
accompanied from half.lighted alley
through darkling streets, and who was
enveloped in wraps that were as thorough
q disguise as could be desired, when re-.
lieved of her cumbrous raiment, stood
forth creature of dazzling beauty. She
might have been only sweet sixteen, but
possibly year or two older. Her great
masses Of golden-red hair, but partially
reclaimed from the abandon of the bal
let, and escaping from the fllet of rib
bon with which she had attempted to
.copfine It, filled the humble apartment
with a glory that had at least one appre-
ciative admirer in the person of her male
escort, a manly looking youth of per-
haps one and twenty. Her complexion
and eyes were of the traditional blonde
type, and her wealth of environing locks,
aerial figure and air of infantile inno-
cence all combined to make her look
even younger than she was. The
woman addressed as Rosalie had evil
IDENTIFY possessed charms in her day,
but they were now clearly in the sere
and yellow. What she lacked in bloom
and youth, however, she made up by an
unconquersble vivacity which clearly
proclaimed her birth in the South OF
France. The young man was no insight
ficant figure in the group. Tall and
shapely, short and lustrous curls
clustered around arched temples and a
brow whose boldness and scope clearly
proclaimed the fact that unless the fates
were unusually adverse the future held
for him capital prizes in such lines of in.
tellectual effort as he might choose for
his career.
The invalid gazed upon the group with
lapguid but pleased look and close
observer might have noticed that, as the
visitors entered her room, she had
removed a slight bandage of green from
her eyes, to admit of her doing so. This
she now replaced with an almost i'm.
perceptible sigh.
"And your eyes, mamma" said Eva
her tone becoming anxious and affection
ate. "Have they troubled you much
since we left you?"
"No. my dear, have had quite ar
easy time"
"Ze eyes of Madame must have Il
care of ze doctaire," remarked Made
moiselle Rosalie. "They must not of q
neglect suffer. But we will sing ze littl'
songs Eat Madame likes, and zen We will
to bed CO."
Mademoiselle disappeared from th'
apartment for q moment-an inter