The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-01-27
HOWARD M|TCHELL'S
TWO CHR|STMASES,

lStoty. sharing the prl2c in TAg WRIBUNE's re
cent contest

curtains closely drawn to shut out the
piercing winter night, before IA glowing
CRATE of Goals sat Howard Mitchell, cap
italist. Somewhat more than fifty Christ
mas ewes had passed since he was born
on the little Vermont farm, but his hair
was almost white and his face, with its
cold, deep-set brown eyes and compressed
mouth. seemed like the face of a man
many years older. That face was one
that showed a shrewd. hard man. and
the mouth instantly caused even the
stranger to speak Of the will he must
possess. But some lasting shade there
was in his life, and his mouth, bro" and
eyes said Howard Mitchell WAS no happy.
Wealth he had and every outward means
of happiness, save dear faces 10y the fire
side, aud tones Of home affection. These
hc had not in his palatiai Rome. he lived
alone. And he could reproach no one
for this, and although, in his first grief,
when r%epentant. he had blasphemed all
things generally held sacred. he at last
recognized his punishment and bowed to
the wrath of God.
His Sife. the sad. sick Miriam. vino had
SO tried hIs patience with her few com
plants. slept the sleep that knows no
waking and his only daughter. his
beautiful. blythe. willful Cecil. was no
longer with MIN. She had kept her faith
with her lover, whose poverty was IA
crime in ner fathers eyes. and had been
banished from her fathers home. and he
tried to forget her. but this ne could not
ito. The sight oi ID child. happy in its
4 .l..., .,th 10 -. F.tl.v .r,,, H. ...r,
sweet. glr!lsh voice always woke echoes
in his soul that gave him pain, and the
sight OF one Of Ccci!s old friends doubled
his Punishment he knew not where
, Cecil was; whether she were living or
: not. For six long years he had searched
!. for her. but could iind no trace of her
from the time she left Jasper. II" bad
, long ago decided she Was either dead or
too poor to come to him and ask his for
, glveness. Al, now gladly it would have
been given. lie became accustomed to
his lonely lie. but % the thought of
his daughter grew 50 vivid that she
seemed to toe with him. and thee was re-
placed by her mothers forrn.
Twill be ten years tomorrow since
Miriam left me-. ! will 20 out to her
q grave with flowers, said iiowarG Mitch
ell to himself.
', Christmas morning came al bright
| and sunny, and in the afternoon Howard
Mitchell drove out 10 the grave. with
/, tears rolling down his cuccKs. tears OF
pity. repentance and rumOrSe.
What startled him: What made his
face pale, then redden. and cause aim t.
n stagger - If struck. Y young girl
" passed with Il bunch of flowers N her
hand. Her step. her face. her torm were
- Cecll's Cwn lie could not resist the inn
= pulse to follOw her. and slowly dId so
Il lie drew near enough 10 read the in.
q scription on the marble tablet before
.e which she was kneelIug. His daughters
n name WAS craven there, and hc cried GU,
in wonder and in pain. Ihe girl gazed
r. at him %curiOusly.
IA Pardon me, miss he said. for my
intrusion. She who lies there was very
dear to me. hut | have not seen her for
q many years. and did not know of this
n By kind questioning he soon learned
a that this was the only child Cecil left
and that she would soon be alone, fol-
Il her father. a merchant in iowa, who had
come to Jasper for medical treatment a,
"a the college there, was fast failing.
70 Il Rave a buggy al the gate. Will you
allow me to take you home and see YOU
father" he said at last.
OHt ItblEtnltt, w lGU ll1NdTu .hlllIl
ell left the bedside of his diving sOn.iu.
law ne WAS happy in the assurance thai
\nrora Lislr Should ever hold her moth
er's riyht place IN the hrart and home OF
J. the rrnrntart old man
Five years had nasscI. and uowar,
Mitchell Christmas eye. lS1-. @lonkinp
younger than Wnrr we last SAYS MIN, sit,
netore his fire. Wai,,ur for aurora an,
.r FRANK Murray ,,,,Inr mariner in th,
IT, firm of NIitrii,ll \ Murray fine urea,
II ~nrr.hants {.rnra had mtrriri Frank
tLcn A clerk IN ,iovard NlitcheJIs Office
70 and Howard Slit,hrIi dared NOT sa,
IS tI,n nav Howard N~,irrhnIrs ,,rn..r,
e Uas :, haif iutarpsr IN NH. rrlnrrty and
I. business Ynri,,bt l.. .,ts ]waitinr +,
# hrur tnrir yoi.e- cnninu inyp ,Ie STAIR.
# and when ne hears Them snrinrs IN amer
/. line door. aurora meyer nr,,lerts To com,
T. and sea fine old man EVENINGS and sit.
AMI toIks witn him but tnn ranrntan
rwntalisr. as if In hold his imnrrinus vii
-