The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-24
THE GOOD ANGEL.
A Story Told on Christmas Eve.
ny octave Ths-sL
osprrsen. Isss. . o.. No..

at HoGers country house at Highland Park
Though Roger IL . Chicago lawyer. he wa
born VirRlniani and We recalled many Z
Southern Christmas, that Christmas eve, ovei
bovlof genuine Ylreinian egRnoR. Anobls
nre blaEed up Rogers eolonisl chimney, ~
generous n not 80 crooked as his an.
esetors' chimneys In Berkeley Manor
and We could. did va choose. rest OUT
eyes from It's binding splendor By .
search through the dusk aud the moonlli
night outside the window panes. until the vast
dark bulk OF the lake shaped itself out OF the
incessant moan OF It's surf on the beach
Somehow our talk. which had started lightly
enough amid dead and gone Yireinian rsvels,
sank into sombre mood. aud presently We
were discussing, not an occasional misstep
over the bounds OF temperance. but the black
problem Of drunkenness ITSELF
The Judge had high optnion OF the Keeley
cure; but the Doctor believed In legislation
backed By good stiff sentence In prison.
Roger had listened. saying nothing. but puf-
ing away at that brisr- wood pipe ot his that he
smokes whenever be is under the protection
OF his own household gods. At last he re-
moved the pipe and poised II In air with the
manner OF one about TO speak. We all list
ened. for Roger does not otton discourse out OF
court; and when he does he IL likely to have
something to say Besides. Roger 10 the best
fellow In the world.
| Il have nothing TO say against the Kelley
cure" said Roger In his soft deliberatlve
tones No doubt II helps some men nightly.
and that Is no. saying that the Doctor here
| cannot give Just as good hypodermic as they
give at Dwight; there Is the contaRion OF sym
! pnthy anil the influence OF faith TO be taken
Into account. you know. There 10 sense too
in what Ben" waving the plpo at the Doctor
| has to say about fear "a u deterrent, and
I dAFA falloua hava baan al
| through their affections. which 10 the pleasing
theory OF the ladies'. Ny own impression Is
that eAch case has q possible cure. II We could
only ind IT, know man who was scared
into reform. and another man who reformed
neither from fear nor favor. but principally,
think. because he saw the odiousness Of his
own vice In another mans actiona That was
| q queer case"
You mean jim n.y." said the Judge. See
here. Roger. your wife isn't here. and We are
| oil In the family. Tell us about Jimmy"
Patty wouldn't mind know. Tell them,
| Roger" said his sister. 40. In the end Roger
| did tell us.
He rubbed the shining top Of his head from
which his brown curls are roceding his kind.
keen eyes contracted. he sighed and began;
My first acquaintance with Jimmy" said
Roger. goes back to . period that makes me
feel my age, for was old enough to DO in Har-
ward Law School and Jimmy was In knicker-
bockers found him In a high seat Of cir
Gus In Chicago exultlng In the dangers OF the
trapeZe. Ho had male friends with news
boy-even at that tender age Jim my's psrilous
soeiability was In full blooin--and they were
exchanging emotions 'Myr saueals Jimmy.
amt she daring ladyl Would your mamma
dare do thatp Nine wouldn'tv
who IL your mamma, said l. We being
already on terms OF cdnlardisr'ie. thanks to the
balmy influences OF peanuts and pink lemon
ade. Jimmy answered fransiy: Oh my
mamma Is Mrs. James Cunningham, and I
amt got any papa and we don't live In Chi
cago but we're visiting nv aunt Sue. and
Ralph wouldn't take me to the circus. so I ran
away surmlssi that his mothor was drag
ging all the cisterns aud harvesting tho police
about him by this time. and wheedlsd him
into giving me tho street number and tho up
shot OF the incident was ! returned him to his
mother that afternoon. That is how became
acquainted with the Cunnln CHAINS have
felt q sneaking obligation to Jimmy ever
since. There were only Patty and Jimmy In
tho family. ] married Patty Mr.. Cunning
ham left his fortune Internationally to his
VILE There was half a million dollars:
enough to spoil boy. not enough to MI him
with the sense Of obligation that sometimes a
great fortune will bring 1t did spoil Jimmy.
He was at my wedding. the sweetest little
goldsn-haired angel In blue velvet you ever
saw. And after the wedding breakfast while
Patty was trying 10 console her mother. hs tied
On old shoe full OF rice to the bridal carriage.
and then confseated . bottle OF champagne to
cheer some choice friend OF his waiting In the
stable. and eontrlvsd during the rovel to tum-
bic out Of the second story window and break
HIS collar bone-whioh his mother thought was
punishment enough,
didn't. hut 4 MN. bon ,.. IN thu Ia ,It,
circle to be loud In my oplulons. dldn't near
very much more Of Jimmy that year. until he
got Into mess at school. and tho master. be-
Ing q friend OF mine. had to log the young
rascal out OF his just deserts Naturally. after
that, 1t fell to me to null Master Jim out OF lot
water as a regular Job. I must say II was
pretty steady lob. too He was expelled from
two schools, where he had been 80 pop
ular that he returned home with mis-
eellany OF tokens Of regret in the shape
OF broken poeketknlves. old cravats a revolver
without any cartridges, ana three trained mice.
il was Mrs Cunningham notion TO have q
tutor for him, Digby was an innocent young
fellow In training for a clergyman. lie was so
innocent that Jim worked his sPrees OF on
HIN NJ malaria. I.!ks every one else he grew
fond Of Jimmy aud Jimmy liked him so much
that lie borrowed money 10 buy Digby a gold
watch whom they parted. lie taught poor Dig
ny Draw poker, and when tho malaria wasn't
too bad Dgby taught him the classics Really
pigby did push him through the college ex-
aminntRnS To bo sure he was heavily con-
dilioned. and Dropped the next year. but You
couldn't blame his tutor Tor that.
Then Ralph took Jimmy Into the business
lust az was beginning to fear Mrs Cunning
ham would regard the law as the best reform
school for wild young man. and saddle Jim
on me- Halph kept Jim year. Then he came
70 me and told me about the Kelley cure. and
SAssuTs Il would make Aman OF Jim.
Well should not like to offer Jim's case In
dispAragsment Of tho Dwight work. tie Of,
fersd to bet II wouldn't cure him and only
went, as he expressed II. TO obliRs the ladies.'
The worst thing about Jim was that he
liked his evil ways. lie Was the most un-
ahashed sinner you ever saw. lie went |
through certain form of penitenee when he |
was getting over NJ Of intoKieation; but he |
announced boldly that he didn't intend 10 give |
up bis times-onlY. In Difference to the morbid |
sensitiVeness Of his family hs might agree TO |