Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-12-26
CHRISTMAS BLESSING.

easily about a frayed button on an
equally frayed and worn overcoat'
and a woman's anxious eyes looked
deprecatingly into the husband
face.
What is it, Nary his tone was
gentle, with all undercurrent OF sad
ness and dependency in it. Christ
mas comes tomorrow, Lionel She
did not look in his face now, but
closely scrutinized the frayed button
a. if it were the absorbing object OF
her thoughts.
Il know it, Mary"
"Could-could-you let me have a
little money, Lionel! For the chill
dren, you know, dear-we have never
let the day go past without something
for them"
"And we must not now, he SAID;
they will never be young but once,
poor things" He took out worn
wallet from his pocket.
Il have looked " all the ola
things in search of bits to make over
into garments or fancy things for
them" she continued apologetically,
but every thing is worn so close,
Lionel. try to be frugal and saw
ing" Her eyes were filled with tears
now.
And you are, Mary. Where
would we have been had it not been
for your careful management? VIII
two dollars be enough. 1t is all l
have this morning. Heaven knows l
wish could make it twenty or n hun
dred-there Is no limit TO the deserts
of the good wife you've been to me-
Mary. Don't cry, dear, it takes all
my courage and strength to see you
unhappy"
The faded face was pressed against
the frayed button now in vain at
tempt to hide the hot tears which
would come, and his worn glove,
much too thin for the season,
smoothed the thin gray hair tender
ly.
Then must not cry" she answer
ed, looking up with a forced smile.
"Yes, it will be enough-more than
had expected, but feel so wicked to
ask you for money when know you
have so little to spare Inc.
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 difference between the
strictly useful and more chiIdlike but
less material gifts. Two dollars after
all was such little drop in the bucket
of necessities, to say nothing of the
ornamental or the beautiful. 1t was
not debt OF carelessuess or OF e1-
travagance, she could scarcely have
born the self-reproach and the shame
OF it if it had been, but was the nat
ural result OF long years OF sickness
and reverse. Lionel Webb in his
younger days had just escaped with
his life from an attack OF spinal
meningitis which had resulted in a
partial disability 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 III
attendance, did it in such bodily tor
ture that he hardly realized what he
was doing.
Mary had her share OF sickness, too;
the anxiety and care attendant on
Lionel's disability was enough to
break women Of iron, which she
was not, and in addition to ii all,
three darling children had sickened
and died.
Lionel had secured new situation
Of late-he was growing better with
years and could now take up diff
ferent class of work, and his present
employer was man OF large wealth.
EMPLOYING many clerks in his great
business
All this day Lionel worked in a
maze of perplexity and regret. Mary
face, with the tears on it, was ever
before him. Tonight was Christmas
eve, and all day long Il procession OF
richly dressed mothers and fathers
thronged the store buying. buying.
from full purses, while Mary, his true,
faithful wife, whose seventeen years
OF married life had been one long
struggle with toll and care, had only
a painful two dollars with which to
do her Christmas shopping, and il
grieved him - the very hearts core.
The rush was over now, and in a
half hour more the great establish
ment would be closed. when an errand
bov touched his arm. Mr.. Dale
would like to see you in the private
Office. sir" he said respectfully.
Lioners heart sank in his bosom
like lead. Could ii be that in addition
10 his other misfortunes he was going
/ IN lose his situation? This engage
ment had been provisionary, and his
employer had made no sign as tC
whether his service was acceptable
He crawled rather than walked t
the office in his nervous dread, for tn,
past had been so persistently unkinc
to him that he was coming 10 dreac
the future.