The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-24

TSsgssSS tell them, nobody
w. eE 81 would ever know it
~ was made out Of the
~ old boat that went a.
shore in the freshet year ago."
"Backed up against the rocks" said
Clara. "With chimney constructed
out of an old stove-Hipe, and exactly two
rooms in it,
"Two rooms are enough" said Efie,
still valorously espousing the cause of the
'scottage." "What should we do with
more tina two rooms?"
''But to-be-sure the fact that we pay
no rent is great advantage" added
Clara. "Idon't think, if it came to that,
that anybody could collect rent for a
canal"
"Clara, hush!" said Efie. "And just
see how lovely those autumn leaves are
against the white curtain And doesn't
the fire blaze up beautifully And see
what lovely red trail of light the sunset
leaves against the snow"
81 could copy that, I am sure, if only
it would not fade away so quickly !''cried
Clara, her eyes kindling with all an
artists enthusiasm. "Oh, Efie!"
"There it goes!' cried Efie, dropping
her outstretched hand as if it had been
an enchanter's wand. "The sun is down
the crimson track is gone. Come,
Clara, get out the books and the diction-
ary; we must work, even though it is
Christmas Eve. Hush! there is some one
coming up the path from the river. I
can hear the grinding sound of footsteps
ou the snow"
Then came tap on the door, and
Efie Haven sprang to open it. Harvey
Darrow stood there, both arms full of
dark green, glossy leaves.
"Slistletoc! Oh, Mr.. Darrow!" cried
the girl.
II found it down in the Black Woods, !"
said the young farmer, his bright eyes
sparkling back an answer signal to the
gladncss of Effie's face. "Therc was an
old dead tree all garlanded with it, and
knew you would like some. Mother
don't think Christmas is Christmas with
out mistletoe. Her folks we're English,
you know, and she still clings to their
traditions. Here-let me hang some
over the mantle and above the doorway.
Is that right?'
'sHow thoughtful it was of him to re-
member us!" said Clara, when the door
was closed once more, and the footsteps
sounded again, crisp and hollow in the
freezing air, down the steep bank that
led to tie river.
eyes," said Effie, ousying herself with
one or two polished mistletJe leaves that
had fallen to the floor, sit is something
to be remembered on Christmas Eve!'
While Harvey Darrow kept on his
way across the steely, cleaning surface
of the hard-frozen Delaware River
through the snow-mantled gorges to
cozy little farmhouse that nestled be-
meath knot of monster maple trees,
with its easements shing red welcome.
"Here's your Christmas mistletoe,
mother" he cried, cheerfully. "Make
the most of it, for the old tree is rotten
at the heart, and I don't think it will
last many more years"
Mrs. Darrow came out of Ter kitchen,
with big pewter spoon in one ham, Snd
q spice-box in the other.
s'It amt as much as usual, is it Har-
veys" said size, critically surveying the
fragrant, black green heap. "'Pears to
me as if it was rather scarf lot"
II left little of it at the old canal
boat" said Harvey, reddening under his
mothers keen glance. ''Clara and
Euphemia, you know"
''Humph!" curtly commented Mrs.
Darrow.
eAnd they lead such a solitary, un-
fricnded life," added the young man,
''and they work so hard!"
"Humph!" again spoke the old lady.
"Girls with such white hands can't do
much hard work, guess"
"But you don't know, mother, Clara
does needlework for an art place in Bos-
ton. Such work it is! I only wish you
could see it!' be added, with enthusiasm.
"There's one landscape on black satin
lake, and trees, and swans, and yell
low sunset cleaning through tree trunks.
1t brought fifty dollars; but it was an
order, and l don't think they paid her ten
for it."
"Fifty dollars!-fo that straggly,
sprawly Kensington work! I don't be-
ieve it," said Mrs. Darrow, bluntly.
"And Effie does translation for a
bookseller. Of course they pay her q
miserable pittance, because she is merely
woman; but don't know of any one