Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-24

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now, but closely scrutinized the frayed
button as if it were the absorbing
object of her thoughts.
81 know it, Mary"
"Could-could-you let me have lit
tie money, Lionel? For the children,
you know, dear-we have never let the
day go past without something for them"
"And we must not now," he said;
"theytwill never be young but once, poor
things" He took out worn wallet
from his pocket.
81 have looked over all the old things
in search of bits to make over into gar
ments or fancy things for them" she
continued arologetically, "but every
thing is worn so close, Lionel. try to
be frugal and saving" Her eyes were
filled with tears now.
And you are, Mary. Where would
we have been had it not been for your
feful management? Will two dol
g be enough? 1t is all 1 have
lis morning. Heaven knows
FISH could make it twenty or a hum
rcd-there is no limit to the deserts of
he good wife you've been to me, Mary.
Don't cry, dear, it takes all my courage
md strength to see you unhappy"
The faded face was pressed against
he frayed button now in vain at
empt to hide the hot tears which would
Eome, and his worn glove, much too
hin for the season, smoothed the thin
rray hair tenderly.
'Then must not cry" she answered,
ooking up with forced smile. Eyes,
{ will be enough-more than had ex-
pected, but feel so wicked to ask you
Tor money when l. know you have so
little to spare me-"
Yes, debt was the skeleton which
danced, not only in the closet but all
over the house, in this humble home, and
Mary went back to her work, her face
drawn up thoughtfully as she calculated
just how many pennies could be spared
for this or that, and balanced the differ
ences between the strictly useful and
the more childlike but less material
gifts. Two dollars after all was such a
little drop in the bucket of necessities,
to say nothing of the ornamental or the
beautiful. 1t was not debt of careless
D<ess or of extravaganza, she could scarce
ly have borne the self-reproach and the
shame of it if it had been, but was the
natural result of long years of sickness
and reverse. Lionel Webb in his young
er days had just escaped with his life
from an attack of spinal meningitis
which had resulted in q partial d1sabil.
ity FOR life. He was very ambitious, and
though obliged to accept work which
had as little Of manual labor in it as
possible, still he did it often when
stronger men would have been in bed
with physician in attendance, did Il
in such bodily torture that he hardly re-
allied what he was doing.
Mary had her share of sickness, too
the anxiety and care attendant or
Lionel's disability was enough to breal
o woman of iron, which she was not, anC
in addition to it all, three darling chill
dren had sickened and died.
Lionel had secured new situation O.
iate-he was growing better with years
and could now take up different class
of work, and his present employer wa'
man of large wealth, employing many
clerks in his great business.
All this day Lionel worked in mazt
of perplexity and regret. Mary's face
with the tears on it, was ever before him
Tonight was Christmas eve, and all da,
long a procession of richly dressed
mothers and fathers thronged the stor'
buying, buying, from full purses, whilt
Mary, his true, faithful wife, who's,
seventeen years of married life had beef
one long struggle with toll and care, haC
only pitiful two dollars with which t.
, do her Christmas shopping, and /
grieved him to the very hearts core.
The rush was over now, and in hal
,, hour moro the great establishment
would be closed, when an errand DO,
. touched his arm. "Mr. Dale would lilx
! to see you in the private office, SIR" h
) said respectfully.
: Lionel's heart sank in his bosom lik
lead. Could it be that in addition to hi
other rlisfortunes he was going to los
knin Al % -.