Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-12-19

! gold curls to the shoes OH her slender
/ feet The lovely face, turned toward
| Van. wore an expression of sternness,
| evidently reign to it, rs she quietly
awaited his pleasure to break the 81
leuce.
WHY, who:' stammered Van,
greatly startled. "Wnat-how? Who
on carth:" then making a desperate at
tempt at cchcrency, "Who are YOU"
His visitor smiled with sudden, ire
prcSsihle amusement as size replied,
cutie as sercncIy as if it were an ordi-
nary occurrence: Il am the spirit of
Christmas, and very busy / am at this
season, Is You should know. / can Ill
spare the time I've been spending here,
hut | overheard Your gross riis>tatc
ments as | passed through the house,
and il is r!y duty to bring you to Il bet
ter frame of mind. The idea of Il man
so young giving vent to such bitter,
misanthTOpical sentiments! Shame upon
you! Are You better than the rest of
mankind, with growing severity,
THAT you need feel so aegricved over
your woes? Do they exceed the sum Of
human endurance: Whose fault is it that
you are solitary becoming almost
vituperatiyc. Haven't you lser: YER
self 10 yourself and obstinately rcncilc@
all advances
Van looked somewhat daZed, l!:- the
spirit kept On rclentlessly: DO ycs! re
member the pretty model you snubbcd
SO numerically when she seemed 10
take :: little interest in Your Affairs
Van shrugged his shoulders dissent
ingly ''Shc Wdutcd to fiirt with me,
he muttcrcd.
Well what if she did, quericd the
spirit, smothcrirg a dimpling smile IL
its birth. 1T wouldn't have hurt zen.
Then there was your chum, upon whom
you churlishly turned your back vixen
he came too close
"Yosr' gruInbled Van. because he
wanted TO steal my method. -
The spirit gazod nj him with some
disgust.
And your fellow students at the art
galleries, and the old porter on the first
floor, your master across the river and
those pleasant people you met on the
Rhine last year-all these and many
more would have been Your friends, but
you Would ruhc of them, Now yOu sit
here and whirc-yes, " seeing that Van
WINGED, whine, because you re all
alone. You deserve to ber' And the
spirit stamped her foot i'll very human
way and g.Zed at him out of lovely, ;ic
cusing eyes.
But" said Van, bewildered, hUt
never stopping to ask where She got her
very accurate information, what can l
DO Tell me how / can better my lot!'
The spirit frOwIls. There it is again
Why don't you ask, How can | bette
my ncighbor's lct:' So long as you
think only OF yourself, just so long will
nobody else think of you.
Van leaned back and sighed resigned
ly.
The sweet voice went on. ''Go lock
uD your friend. Send some remembrance
to the pretty model. And the pleasant
people Of the Rhine are i'll the city. Go
see them. Being strangers, doubtless
they will be glad to see even you.
Van was thoroughly aroused now.
But you must stay with me, y he plead
ed. Il can never do all that by myself.
No, don't gor' seeing her look about
as if meditating flight. You must stay.
An, dor' turning upon her the full fire
of magnetic ewes, whose power, when
he chooses to exert il. the tender Sex find
it hard to resist The spirit, being femi
nine. hcsitatcs.
| How can | devote all my time 10
one mortal when L have so much to
| do:' she said perplcxedly. "No; it j.
/ impossible, Still" marking Vans de
/ lection, Il can help you. But no man
I can have two spirits, so you must rid
! yourself of that ugly, morose one that
you have now. If You do that, | can en-
dow you with half of my soul-thc halt
will lee large enough for man-but
the old spirit must leave first Will you
do this
GLADLY" said Van.
Then the spirit softly kissed his eyes,
strange lethargy >tol" over him, ano
he felt and knew uorhine more till ht
opened his eyes again and they fell on {
figure seated comfortably opposite Il
him and watching him with mOckina
smile, a figure oddly like his own.
Van was startled for an instant, ant
then it grew clear to him that this wa:
his old soul that he had abandoned 70,
the Christmas spirit.
We'll" he said genially, ''there yor
are!"
''Evidently,' murmured the soul.
, "And, nos," pursued Van, 'wha
shall l do with you:"
The soul surveyed him with the ut
most nonchalauce. Il think shall jus
stay around here bit with you, ol'
man, it said airily. 1T will be some
what of relief TO move without hav
ing to take You along, body"
OH said Van in some alarm, 'bu
. that won't do! No man wants two soul
going about with him. l don't nee
+ you. I've got a better one now, and
A think I'll dispose of you. Tell yo
I what with sudden inspiration, "ll
I give you to old Golthwaite. He hasn'
any soul at all; sold it to the devil
they say, long since" And Van laugh
. ed content dly. will that suit you!
he asked courteously.
The soul glanced at him with smiI
ing contempt. well, hardly" 1t sneei
}, ed It's all very pretty to be so gencl
!, ous, but it is scarcely the part of ma
g of prudence to give himself away in an
sense. And you would do it compietel!
e Have you realized what it is you woul
do? Nothing more nor less than max