The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25

help of That Irish pauper girl and by the
surrender of those lost holidays
And here at last IS one of the Christmas
sides OF this sober story; for it had more
than one.
On Christmas eve we made the best of
our luck, which was the least we could do,
and gave the King Charles a new collar
and rubber bali and took him to walk
with string at whose thither end nd
tugged, gasping audibly, and dragging US
after him at dog trot. And We sent off
the Christmas packages and wished We
too, could he tied up and expressed home
prepaid, and sighed or cried ourselves to
sleep according to our nature, and woke,
and 1t was Christmas morning, and the
big boarding house was astir, tramping
restiessiy and homelessiy up and down
stalrs-and where were the dear. the
dearest voices. wishing that our Christ
mas might be merry and our souls at
peace?
We came down to breakfast with aching
hearts, but smiling faces, as in holy duty
bound. All the boarders we're up as we
say, by which We mean that they were
down, all but one, an artist, not vet
visible. lie bore an ancient and dis
unguished family name. but he was not
very popular in our boarding house, one
could hardly say why.
our iandlady daughter, pretty, gentle
glri, had lngeniousiy contrived to lay
some little gift at every plate on the long
table. She was pleased with the fiutter of
KIND words and thanks which greeted her
thoughtful effort to give TO so many exiled
people sense of home, and her Young
face flushed with pleasure
AS we sat there chatting and smiling,
warming each others homesick hearts
and hers as we'll as we could for Christ
mas sake, the late boarder came down.
Merry Christmas, Mr." cried the
landlady's daughter. She turned her
sweet face toward him with n hapDv
trustful look. lie stood for an instant
back as cyclone. Then he broke forth:
Merry Christmas L should Think
Merry Christmas | should say, It's cold
enough IN my room TO freeze out"
lie mentioned place 10 which one is
not IN the habit OF al.uding on Christmas
Gay, ana flung himself down to. his break
last amid silence such as a man might
recall with pang upon his dying dav.
mat night when | drew the curtain I
stood tor while and looked with less
than the usual shudder at the piazza roof
where the IRISH girls heart, in jar of
alcohoi. rested IN the cold moonlight
painless and calm. And said:
Child OF ignorance, sleep we'll. You
nave served nobler end than any man
who trains his hand to sacred art while
MS uneducated soul Is grovelling in bias.
phemyi"
And from that day to this have praved
separate holiday prayer For all per
sons doomed TO board at Christmas timer,
1hen, now and forever Il is bv what we
lose that we learn 10 value what We have
From that breakfast hour to this I
have known now to add To nv I..tany.
Bless God for home on Christmas day,''
And thus ends the moral of this brief tale
Holiday Law.
1t you are In home stay there. If YOU
nave any 10 20 to go there, and thank
heaven and pray pardon for Your souls. if.
out OF madness, or of folly. or of th,t
ignorance which is a compound of both.
You obey not this sacred clause in life's
long code.
ELtzABETR STUART PHELPS WARD.