Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-28

OA
 THE FLAMES LEAPING AND GLOWING.
 The mechanic who married the milliner lives up three flights of stairs in one of the suggest of three room flats. This is the third year of their housekeeping, and the first Thanksgiving they have spent in their own little home. "Let us not spend it by ourselves and for ourselves alone," they had said: "We have room for three guests, let us try to make the day bright and cheery for three lonely people," So the little dressmaker, who roomed on the fifth floor, whose heart and eyes were ach- ing for sight of the dear old farm house and the dear old people who dwelt there, but whose thin little purse forbade the expense of the journey, was invited, and less young fellow, honest, generous and hard working, but too often lured from the lonely discomfort of his dingy little back bedroom to the unsatisfying or harmful settlements of the cheap theater and the billiard room. The third guest was a woman, aged, poor and blind, with worn garments and peaceful face, as of one whose well-spring of consolation was unfailing. She was not homeless, since she had, shelter and food, but these alas! were not the gifts of love, being grudgingly bestowed, as one, protesting, pays hated debt Constant Hope, the mechanic, had himsslf escorted her to his home, helping her carefully up the long stairways, and ensconstng her in the most comfortable easy chair to rest, before what he laughingly called 'the grand banquet" The shop mate, very spruce in his Sunday suit, arrived at noon; as for the dress maker, she appeared soon after breakfast, with large white apron tied over her Quakerish little gray gown, and she and the hostess had been very busy and very merry all the morning, rattling pans, stir, ring all sorts of things, opening and continually. "What chatter and chat ter you girls keep up," said Constant, peeping in at the kitchen door. 'But it makes me think of something you read to me once, Mercy, something about
 Tongues, that like stream, could run
 Smooth music from the toughest stone.'"
 Rough stones!" cried they, with a rip pie of laughter "There are none here!" And they shut the door upon him.
 "The grand banquet" was a triumphant success. How sweet and fsrvent were the words in the blind guest invoked Gods blessing on the feast, how wholesome and pared and so neatly served, how happy they all were, and how the baby crowed and gurgled and beat upon her plate with her spoon in ecstatic sympathy with the merriment of her eldersl
 "You're lucky fellow, Con-" said the shopmate, with an admiring glance around the pretty, cheerful room. 1T wish every man," Che was thinking of one man), "had as pleasant home as this." "For that" said Constant, proudly, ''you need the help of 8 real home-maker, like my little Mercy there." The young fellow looked across the table, not at pretty Mer- the little dressmaker. "What a sweet face she has!' he thought, "what good face! How fair her forehead is, and how the coils of her brown hair shine9 She l might make 8 pleasant, comfortable place for tired workingman to come home to- and just then she looked up. Brown eyes and blue eyes met and held each oth- | CT for one wonderful moment in search | ing glance, as if each would reach the oth- | CTS soul. Then they looked away, he with reddened cheeks, she with a wild-rose flush tinting brow | and chin This the blind woman could | uOG S0e, yet sue SIHllcO A6 II BOIA0 pl6dSluS thought had touched her: Constant and the baby did not see, since they were ab-
 sorbed in a playful struggle for the pos.
 session of the wish-bone; only Mercy noted
 the wistful look, the tell-tale blush, and
 straightway vibrated to thrill of eager in,
 terest, building up in a moment from these
 slight foundations, @ romance as charming
 as her own, ending in 8 reality as full o1
 contentment and affection.
 | II.
 BY THE DYING EMBERs.
 A dark and gloomy cell, mans fgur,
 dimly seen half kneeling, half lying acros'
 the narrow bed. The we'll knit frame, thu
 dark, disordered locks, the muscular hand
 convulsively clutching the covering of th'
 pallet, prove him to be young man ant
 strong, - the abandonment of his atti
 tude, the hidden face, the broken sob
 and ejaculation prove him a man shaker
 with passion of remorse and shame.
 Thanksgiving day! and in prisonl Tn
 long term only just pegunl How shall h.
 bear ita
 1 o, to be at home once more if only for al
 hourl To fall at his fathers feet and CT,
 out for pardon-pardonl To cling to hi l
 penitent tears-the dear, gentle, loyini
 hand, that would have guided him arigh
 if only in his blind wilfulness he had no flung himself free of its restraint To fee again his little sisters warm arm aroun, his neck and hear her sweetly tremulou voice pleading for him as he had heard il O, 80 many times! To be at home-s look upon their dear faees-to tcl ! them he loves them as he neve l loved them before-to hear them say stDear, we forgive yon"-then he coul l gather courage to return to this horribl place and bear his punishment like 6 mar 8 70, I deserve it all," he groans, "but
 cannot endure it!" And in an agony (
 grief and humiliation he slips to tho foc and lies prone -exhausted-conscious onl = of his hearts heavy beating, of the ht : tears that seorch his eyes, of great way, f of pain that throb and sweep from hes :. to foot, of an anguish of regret, inteni and terrible.
 | At home they are sitting in the fadir @ light. those three, speaking little, and the . with an affectation of cheerfulness mo
 pathetic than complaint.
 The servants are taking away the almo # untasted food, with deep sense of injur