Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-24
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
AN IRISH TALE OF HEkRTHSToNe
WITcHERY BY WADE WhIPPLE.
rtayv a Rich Old MIser Was Converted by
the Fairies Ills Latter Life One OF
Generosity and Kindness.
Written for the Dlspa,ch.)

Written for the Dispatch.l
Christmas eve in the Doty household
presented the usual hearthstone picture.
Old and young were gathered in semi
circle about the glowing fireplace. while
IN their midst, sitting upon q hassock at
the feet OF the host, bis eyes cleaning
with light little less radiant than tho
pickering sparks that chased one another
into the black throat Of the chimney. sat
Dennis Flynn. young irish lad. who, not
only oficiated as O sort of" Handy-Andy"
TO the household, but as a dispenser of
fairy lore. his store OF diversion in this
line being generally accepted 81 sprnging
from the fertile imagination OF the rela-
tor.
Not word was spoken by the group
that alternately studied the upsoarlng
flames and the face of the lad whose at
tention seemed fixed on the consuming
faggots that threw dancing shadows on
the kitchen wall. Expectation was writ
ten on the features of all, and "a the min-
utes sped by. and deeper and deeper the
central figure became absorbed IN the
mists of reyerie. liyelier anticipation was
betrayed by the glances that attentively
studied the Drecocious story-teller WHO sat
speeches. IN their midst.
There was a sound Of revelry without.
and at intervals the surging wind would
jar the appearing chimney-top and send
It's white freight in vapory showers upon
the careering sparks. As the mist of snow
bathed the cracking faggots, the murky
channel into which scared tho rudy
spirits Of the consuming wood closed .ts
gaping portal With pillows of blue smoke,
and again opened to the reviying flames
and the quaint little meteors that shot up
right from their vivid peaks. Evidently
Dennis was busy transforming these mid
GETS into a race Of iocund fairies. for. az
popping and swapping they arose IN
whirlng mass and threw network OF
gold uuon the background Of swarthy
bricks, his ewes twlnkled merrlly. and his
lips. trembling moment or two a. II with
the promise OF inspiration, finally opened
to the patient expectation of his audience,
and proceeded 10 relate 10 them the fol-
lowing story:
BnsRR AND FAIRIES.
ITS away back in the DAYS whjn fairies
were as plnty a. hOles in bakers windy
that an ovid moiser was liyin' in a cashtle
as big as the half of Aygypt. and that was
so sntoofed Wild gOold that the wind
cu'dn't bow into the froout doore wldout
knockin' a ton OF soyerelgns OH the man.
telpIece. The candlestlcks and picture
frames, an alven the rollin' pins an sauce
pans III tho kitchen were all med of It. an
the windy-curtains and lambklns were
that iiggled wild dl'moud that I'D mex We
shuuint- owed to LUX OF 'em. 40 il wud. But
wild all his goold an the bank bills that
sht1Ok out OF his pocket lOlke the fithers
on a porkypOine, his heart was that puck
cred that ef ye'd AK him tor a cent it'd
give i'm the st. Noitus anger. 50 10 wud.
Sorry a ting he'd do oil day, at all, Mt
all. but sit on washtub III the kitchen
an count his goold. and whin he'd hev to
lave of for the sake Of sIapiu', do yez
moind, bed wash his gruzzly ovid hands.
an bottle the wather and put II away 90
be trotled out be some clinical consate
he'd lerruned IN a book, an all the tonne.
oim tellin' yeZ shtaryatlOn was that con-
tagious over the land that the owuiy
koind Of houses It paid TO build was poor
houses, an iverywan of thin was that
crammed wild tinants that tho boards
boomped out the same as eff the mOOmps
was ailin' 'em. Shmall consurran he paid
to that go he didn't, for If any wan of the
poor skeletons had alven come near
enough 10 shmell the shklllet that cooked
the sntew. he'd hey parsecuted EN- for
pity larceny.
"Will. wan avenin'. whin the Christmas
sayson was blown the BIRTH Of charity
over the land an him wld the house all
cimlnted up for fear he 4 get shnif of 10
for he'd sooner hey the loOnbager an
phnty OF twill, this ayenin' 40 Ohm
tellin' yez. ne was sittin' BEFORE the fOire-
place lOlko Ourselves (OwnlY his fore was
med of soup bones. so it was. that a rag
picker frind had bequathed inn. achin'
to the WY mllJew OF his ovid backbone
becaZe he cudn't drame some hocus-pOcu5
for turnin' the shparks into raal Jinglln'
gooll. whip. all a. CT It was bewltched,
the little lets of foire began clinkin' an
jingln' agin the bricks OF the harth, an ef
they didn't al tuIrun Until goold crowns
an dollars an dublIns an the lolke o that,
We can comb the hid OF me wild smooth
moro
LIKE GoosE-EGGs.
"Will. Of ye'd sane the two Dyes Of 'em
at this we'd n Tux EN- for painted goose
eggs. They hoolged out till they shquazed
the bridge Of his nose Until tissue-paper
an the two hands Of I'm clootched an
trimeled loike the claws of pilican troy
in to howld ontil hin-roOst In gale OF
wind. Moy but wasn't he ixsoighted
That HAIR tho ovid shrimp had on his
sillyloyd hId shtud up loikc the shpoikes
on a cashtle.t ince, an tho mOut of i'm
opened loike he wanted 10 sock in the lit
tie chinking dollidlddles that were thrIp-
pm rIgadoous an fol-daras agln the brick
lure. an cOllyWOppin' over the sndolrons
an che finder the same as lot OF pig
wigeons that bad ben ltherally soppoI
an lathered in whuskey. BE the tin toes
OF 1omaytheus. but 1t wud hev jogglsd
We Until the Iverlastin glggles eI ve'd seen
the contoortin' of 'em. an the cayortin' OF
'em, an the hOompty- doompty
they whit throo wild. an all the tonne,
moind sc, it was Is glnoOIne metal tlt-tat-
toe they were cinkln' on the chimney
walls an tiure.
'Tink, -Gnky, tinky-ansy. tnky tinky tank
Chinky-auky, chinky-anky, chin6y chlnky
chanki'
they KEEP a-goin'. for. moind We, they d
little Grrums an legs shtIckin' out OF their
minted rims. an weo-blt bids on 'em the
soize OF pimples an twict as rid, so they
were.
"Wurra. wurra But the way they
wint on was enough TO CIV pOiper pappl-
tatIon of the heart, an the ovid mOiser
was that friZZed wild lgsoightment ye cud
hear his bones wobble the same az crock
cry in shape-skin bag. Boy an boy.
whin the little pixies hlhped over the
finder an thripped fut conuiption on
the goold poker loyin beyant. their TONY
fate pittherln and pattherin' fasht enough
TO give mattymatics the hoighshterlcs.
that shud the ovid whizzlepate DO but
shrimp down to the flure an raach ont his
shuag-lolke fshts TO clootch the wrigglin'
little thinkers.
"HoIghty toighty but it was bad go
for I'm. Sorry "A shpOt there tho dancln'
puppets touched but was sIzzled the same
as ef it'd dropped on a hot gridiron. an
whin he Topped 'lmsIf back in his safe
q ~, honnn EInu-l,ll hia n.rld Ennor Lnmnl