New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-21
ALVA ADILNA.
MISS CaNpISH'S CHRISTMAS BOY.

Of present u ono
Miss Candish was Blasting some overaiis, one
nair from a great pile that lay Oh the table oS
her The thread Missed il went through 'i'o
clo,h beneath her rapid fingers. The spare; ns"c
was bent over the thin face was nushc'' "'
was a kind of eaaerncss visible IN inc uS"'HS
u,demonstrative woman Vas it the CnrsUfhas
shirt wording within her? As the ionS thre'"
was exhausted and she pulled the neeoIc ON, Sne
looked at me before she bt oa ne" 'Ie""'
"P'raps You'll think I'm silly she Salo' Pn
I do want to name boy AlVa A"l'N"' ana "a
tool, hin, ,o,n, crourh | could have the naln'n
Of him myself Yes She went on kno" l. >
silly m Won think I'm nothin' but an OLD maid'
and | amt But if you'd bad your mind sci on
thing most ever Scncc You was crown up P'Sc
if YOU see YOUR chance to Go II You 90 IT, "o"4"H
YOU? | know you would-Sod an%ood0N' i J
amt no different from other folks the\ al 'cl'
me overallin' amt no kind OF WY =" gu monty
10 bring up A child OF. But money am every
,bi,o thonch Ills a GOOD deal. I'm eoin' over 10
sec him soon's glt yhls pmr ready Tor MaiioS 10
nut through the machine l wish You g" "l'h
no liz oi,,, nrc,t... nor ne amt interestin',
but 7 could take him ~ name himS pleased, u
,,u,o,Idp,, be nonodv's business. They couldn't
say all yes. nor no 10 II.
on the way, which led through lonesome
road Miss Csndisa picked a few bare stalks OF
tansv and said she always did like tansy .rldde-
caLes though most everybody thought they were
horid. She never could make tansy grow round
her house: something wa rt right for 1t there
She paused suddenly in her walk and looked
anXiOlSly at me, the cold WIND sweeping her
shawl out behind her.
"Mebby," she said, III a quaverlnG voice,
"mebby | couldn't make the boy grow neither
You don't think It's wrong, do yc? Sposn he
should begin TO pindlc soonS IG got him
The worn face drawn i'll CONSERVATION at
the thought, nj il became brighter when | said
that. at the worst The boy would have better
chance with her than al tie poofhousc.
She walked On by my side smelling the tansy,
which she rubbed between her fingers
You see" she said, dull glow coming into her
middle-ased face as She spoke, ." feel kinder
free 10 speak to YOU. somehow. l don't never
mention such things % Mandy, though Mandy's
goods she can be. r there amt anybody could
put pair OF overalls through the machine 5
Quick s she can. But even though person can
stitoh overslls quick, YOU don't always feel like
telin um some things. Rut there's something
bout you makes me want 10 say that when was
young han-wel yes may as well say IL Itsht
out-en admirer.'
Here the blush deepcned, and size stopped to
pick another spray of ;alsy'
1t don't seem possible. does t?'
She laughed She asked the question. Look
that it really did not seem possible.
1t wasn't gently known" She continued
Was his name Ava Adilva ?' asked tlenh.
ing had penetrated the secret concerning
the name.
oh, no; his name was Iudo Seavcy He
came from the Cape TO learn the shoeInakin
trade. When he went back he took some kind
of a fever n died fore | knew anythiag bout
it l always feel if II hadn' been for that
fever he'd have reg'larly proposed 10 me-
you were not engaged 10 him, then ~
Not precisely. But if ever man meant TO
hsk a woman, Ludo meant TO; n if lie had asked,
should have said yes &c. you see, YOU can't
wonder that always think of myself havin'
ben engaged faint though was an old maid
that never had no chance. But faint d matter
that talk Of Some folks know bout Ludo,
but don't exchange words on the subject.
AS Miss Candish had continued talking. her
whole frail, insignificant person had gradually
become more alive. Even the dull, embarrassing
eyes had kind Of sparkle in them. And he had
never asked her. He had meant TO ask her. Still
he had gone back 10 the Cape with bis trade
learned, and he had not spoken. DID any one,
save Euncc Candish, believe he ever intended 10
speak Who however. could wish 70 destroy
illusion which made elamor OF romance in this
bald life To believe has had admirer
must be almost as consolipg as really TO have had
one.
A cync az my elbow here inquiries if a woman
ever lived who had not this consolation
There snow The rosd hard and
white The dust rushed down this lonely high
way, driven by the northwest wind Miss Can
dish held her blue calico gown up above the tops
of her boots showing her white stockings She
hated dust. She said she could make up
her mind that It lady-like TO wear colorcd
worn"
| wished 10 put some questions concerning
Ludo, but / was not sure | ought 10 do So
soon saw she lo6th 10 leave the su beet She
informed me that Ludo had once loaned her q
story-DoOk. She said there no doubt but that
il novel The minister who had seen
il on her table had said decidedly that
If it wasn't novel, il might well be one. Stil
she had read it. II was very interesting She
didn't know as il done her any harm: She wasn't
quite sure" II was d number Of years ago now.
long enough she thought, for her to know if she
had taken any hurt from il. She spoke if re
ferring to having been exposed 10 the smallpox OF
TO some contagious disease. and that now the tInr
necessary for her TO come down with il" had
passed, and She might consider herself com
parativcly safe. She dwelt good deal on that
novel. II The only She hdT ever read.
II she had married Ludo she might have fallen
into the habit Of reading them. She couldn't tell.
She was looking al me over her bunch Of tansy.
wishing 10 know what | thought Of novels, but
hcsitating 10 ask Finally she glanced away; she
grew quite red and her lips trcmbcd she SAID
that the principal male character in that book
had been the Count Alva Adilva. She bad never
forgotten him. Although he had been very dark.
with curlcd black nustachc, and I.udo had been
Hight, with mustachc al all the Count had
dad hnr ~ ItHo L, -. had
ma fried Ludo and if she had had a son. she should
have named him Alva Adllva. If she bad been
Ich and could have bought the privilege of nam
lug some other wonans son, she should have
named him that. Again She said She "s'posed |
thought She was very silly, and this time she in