The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-24
A DESERTER FROM THE ARMY
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
ey RoBIEY d STEVENSON and GAVIN L. PAYNE.
| CHRISTMAS STORY.


Elisha. began his story at once.
Liza" said he, and paused. The story
was not so easy 10 tell with her smiling
face turned SO contidingly toward his. He
wished he could talk lie the lawyer he
had heard at the county courthouse. but
sorehow he Just couldn't. So he began at the
beginning.
II saw father about--about us. and he
told me to pack UP my kit and git
'Wha-a-at?
II said that he told me 20 get out and
GOT continued Elisha, and now I want
to know what you are going to do?'
What am I going TO do?" she answered
I'D like 10 know what we are both going
to do. There is work here at this time
Of year, and We both are so poor that
that" here she paused. woman fashion.
What made you think Of that the first
thing? You didn't seem 20 think nothing
OF you being poor when there was a show
for my getting the farm" he blurted out
and the next instant he was ashamed OF
what he had said.
But the mischief had been done. She drew
away from him with such abruptness that
little Sammy, who had been lettering along
behind. looked around for rock with
a vague notion Of defending the lady COM
mitted to his care.
Look here. 'Lish Baker, I'd like to know
what you're talking about / didn't ask
YOU TO care for me in the first place. 1t
wasn't that come hunting you up at
church and singin' school, aEd-every-
where And what's more, I'll let you know
my folks are as good as yours and had as
much money before old Alb Baker skinned
us out of farm. You thought 1 never
heard of that. didn't you? / don't wonder
you thought so. and 1 don't see, myself.
how ever come to love the son of the man
who Her voice quivered SO that she
could not speak further. Sammy's hunt for
a stone was going on with frantic energy;
Elisha said nothing, for there was moth
ing for him 10 say, until they reached the
cross road that led TO the railway station:
Goodbye" said he; II am bound for the
city. / got twelve dollars saved up from
the time / run with the thresher. and
guess III get along. l guess you'll get
along. too; 1t won't break anybody's
heart, my leayin'."
He turned down the station road The
rain. which had ceased for awhile, began
again. He did not look back. He did not
see the two little mittened hands she invol-
UNFAIRLY stretched out toward him, nor did
he hear the cry of "'Iish, come back for
me, and I'll go with you that came chok-
Sammy. who stood with thumb to his nose
and four grimy fingers spread their widest.
Though Elisha did not Sammy'S defi-
ance. Eliza did. and the way she relieved
her feelings to a small extent, by vigorously
boxing the young gentleman's ears, filled
him with a disgust and a wonder at the
ways OF womankind that would have done
credit TO an older one of his sex.
The train rolled away from the little sta
ton and the sound of the locomotive bell,
that rang an early Christmas peal. to the
heart of the girl was but wretched knel
She caught little Sammy and Rugged him as
apology for her outburst of wrath, and,
hand in hand they started home
A year had been taken from the lives of
was Christmas eve. The curtains had gone
UP in the theaters. and the number of peo-
pie on the street Drawing the cold was rap
idly growing less. Overhead the stars were
shining, and little girl in the top story of
a tenement asked her mother if the one
bright star right in the top of the sky was
the star of Bethlehem Father Dugan had
told them about. Half-grown men and hol
low-eyed women walked along the streets
blowing horns. with not thought of Him
whose nativity the occasion for the
rejoicing that seemed even to permeate the
Santa Claus yet stood firm. were being put
to sleep to dream of the coming OF their
patron saint.
Huddled in a basement lodging house.
around hot and smoking stove, were
twenty or thirty of as gross caricatures of
Gods handiwork could be found The
songs. Now and then two of the creatures
would become involved In a quarrel. and
there would be short scufhe, the passing
of few blows, then the presiding genius
OF the den would rush between the CON-
batants. and with a short thick club re-
store order: The bottle passed TO and fro,
and, save for the occasional fights, frater-
nifty prevailed 1t had been an indolent
beggar or tramp, indeed, who had not been
able to get the price Of nights carouse
at the time when the hearts of open
a little to their brethren of less fortune.
Apart from the rabble about the stove, and
shrinking himself into as small space as
zaf
work the very first day he came TO the city,
a year ago, but now for six weeks he had
his position he waited for something TO
turn up. Nothing turned up, and he began
10 tramp the streets in search or work.
and day by day, he had the coming
of the end, when his small savings would
be exhausted. He had given up his board
ing house. and had been reducing expenses
on a sliding scale as his money grew less
until tonight he found himself possessed
of the five-cent franchise of a tramp lodg-
ing-house chair.
Guess it's about time to write TO the old
man" he mused '.and tell him to get
ready to buy that coffin he promised me. 1
wonder will he have the heart to put a
me across Jordan without any directions?"
He found some comfort In picturinS TO
himself how the neighbors would stand
the behavior Of his father. He could see
the face of William Henry Sampson, the
grocer. as II changed from a placid air or
expectance to settled correspondence with
the expressions of the old man He had
seen Sampson do the trick so often, when
old Absalom had opened his mouth to
speak on some rnooted question of politics
at the little store. that ne felt the grocer
must be fully adept by this time. And his
Say, YOU" growled a voice from the
mass. you bl0ke over the corner, what's
the matter with you? Come over and join
de gang. It's Christmas eve, and there's
plenty OF lush and eyybody he's invited
seq"
The fellow laughed a maudlin laugh and
followed his invitation With a few remarks
about the opinion he held of a man who
had the good fellowship drink with
the gang on Christmas eve, but his words
fell on unheeding ears.
The gang began singing:
1--WE are two old buns, We are jolly good
chums
~, And we live like ,eo, royal Turks:
chuck
To he'll with the man that works.
Floating in through the broken basement
door came the strains OF song that Elisha
had heard i'm the little church at home
run the protracted meeting
Jesus is a rock in a weary land
weary land. a weary land;
Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
shelter in the time OF storm"
The two songs rushed into the unhappy
boys head and dazed him. The mingling
or ribaldry and reverence, OF sweet faith and
vilest desperation. as one and the other
strove for mastery, confused his senses al
ready weary from the torment of enforced
idleness and Of days OF humble pleading
met by rebuffs. 1t seemed 10 him for the
moment that he had descended into that
horrible abode Of the wicked he had heard
Brother Petty describe so often, and the
voices OF the singers above in the street
were calling him from the Slough of De-
spOnd to the Blessed Land. He started up
the rickety stairs but before he reached the
Sidewalk the biare OF badly-blown from