The Washington times., 1894-12-31
NEW YEARS..

Inc weather IS BAD, distressing ana eolai
the streets are dirty. What of it! Paris is all
agog; it goes, it comes, it perambuIates. and
! all its carriages are crowded. All Saints is
past-the day of the dead: to-day is the day
of the living.
Carriages and coaches throng the Elysee.
| the Offices of the secretaries. ambassa
/ dors, and the grea. administrations. Through
the windows of the cabs one can see golden
epaulettes upon military uniforms studded
with decorations. official dress suits, and
magistrates gowns. In other vehicles pri-
! vate or public. families are crowded, large
| anu small. looking their best "a white ok
! tie for mons eur; velvet lace, ribbons. nowers,
aud feathers for madame; the children
dressed like performing monkeys, with nurses
/ on the boX-seats and whole wagon load .
toys between the legs OF tie coachman.
| ON the sidewalk is crowd OF people in
their Sunday clothes, loaded down with
dainty packages, aud hags tied with multi
colored ribbon. surgiDg. hastening, picking
their way, jostling and iostled.
| Indoors, parior Hoors are waXed so that
you could skate upon them. The covers have
| disappeared from ;he furniture, new wax
| candles fill the candesticks. fire brightly
burns on the hearth. green plants adorn the
dressers, and an odor of good thing to eat
| Ereets one AS soon AS NO steps inio TIC anic
| room.
Early in the morning worthy fellow a
little old man, already shaved anu ''spick
and span went down his six flights OF stairs
With little Tat basket hanging from his
arm and his pipe in his mouth. he goes
slowly through the neghborho0d. watching
the display OF eatablrs. entering the shops
and asking prices When he comes bark his
pipe is out; bu. the basket is no longer fiat.
''Ha, ba! It's easy TO see that some one is
going 10 have his boy to dinner to day, said
the ianitor
The old fellow smiles and climbs up to his
lodgings: Two small rooms and kitchen to
match Once there, he takes out, spreads.
and gaZes at the contents of his basket. A
brill think OF it-with six splendid mush-
rooms
And tbat?'
'HushI''
'.Quite so ready drawn. and larded."
And what is that over there-that black
thing splied fruil?"
-. o. indeed"
"Truiiie. perhaps?"
| "As you say.
Why not, since his boy is coming to dinner!
And that Is not all. Smell that quarter OF a
pound OF butter; the real article; no marEa-
rine in that; and fresh! Smell it, | tell You.
II ) to go with those PINK radshes, the earl
lest of the season If you please! And nat,
also "a head OF salad, waich viii be followed
by square o. Brie cheese (isn't it white and
creamy. "And-Ruess: two punches OF
grapesi What do you think OF it.'
"ioU must be quite a rich old man?
''Yerv, yes" His pension of non-com-
missioned officer and what he has be n able
TO put aside and to pay into an annuity in
surance company after leaving the army; in
all about a thousand francs.
''Fer montng'
'.Per year. But when one does not ask
anything from anybody, what OF it,
And VINO is going to cook ali that? He
himself! he knows; an old soldier is never
l embarrassed. And then the worthy woman
) whose artiess picture is Ranging on the wall
, | his wife. the mother OF his boy--was g
splendid cook during her lifetime. He used
10 watch her, while smoking his pipe. He
learned from her. You'll see If his boy does
not lick his fingers
The iiEle comes; the old man starts tc
! work. With what care 1t must be good
and it must look good He does his best. en-
! loving in advance the effect produced upon
the beloved guest by these iuxuries and this
tempting iood. The hours pass unnoticed by
him. Twilight is coming; fortunately night
comes early in the winter He Is not late
everything is gong on well. What a tempt
, in2 odor permeates the lodging
: The little old man is happy. His son will
more SO than one thinks; for since the day
! before, oag-neckcd bottle has been placed
upon the mantle piece, to get IukeYarm. to
! bring forth the full flavor OF its aroma. 1t is
, claret And besides. when the young man
will take up his napkin What 5 that
E fatherY' Undo the paper; open the box y
! "A watch? A gold watch? All! pa; know
it. 1t s mother watch ~
And the worthy fellow sees his boy rising
from the table. throwing his arms around
! his neck, kissing him, with n tear in his eye
> o. his boy is brave fellow.
After all, it is not worth while TO bf
: affected. The watch WAS there; it was no use
! to anybody. The matchmaker repaired it
and now it goes" That is what the little OILS
man thinks, but he is moved e1ertheless
Bracing up, he hegIns to set the table
From the sdenoard he takes old relics. 4
, tabec.oih. the only one which remains from
the household which the good wife has left
Napkins are added they belong to the SAINT
, time. hemmed and marked 10y the absent one
= | There is the plated caster, which was giyer
him on his birthday; other things OF small
. ! value souvenirs tn lone man care
\ fully puts down, looking at the picture that
| L. watching him, and seeming 10 smile as i
she whom il represents was awaiting he
boy:
''Welli He may come now. It's ready"
He will not delay much longer; IT is
o'cock In the meantime the old man sit
down. looks at the WalLlng table ana IN nkS
remembers. sees again in his mind the New
Years of former days. The mother was seated
opposite him; the youngster between them
perched on his high chair. Parents, deaf
also, and friends, scattered now. came TO ex
change greetings. They were happy; they
were hopeiul they thought life would Away:
60 in the same way; and then
..Why, it's $50. Can it be possible fo
the boy 10 be detained at the shop? And YET
he was complaining the other day of the LITTLE
work that there was. If he is late, the fin,
dinner will not be go good. oh. he'll come
he never fails. Let's watt
And while the hand pushes on over th
dia, of the old clock painful suspicion take
root in the fathers mind. If his son were no
comingI Where is he? What detajns him
The tick tack OF the timepiece resounds lik
so many blows in the heavy heart of the oil,
man. His breathing becomes shorter in hi
unspeakable agony. Suddenly crash re
sounds in the mournful silence of the room
and seven times the goag strikes-7 O'Clock
Intently listening to every noise from out
side, the poor man starts every time the stree
door is shut. He seeks to recognize the as
the fourth floor. He rebels against the de
spair which slowly overwhelms him. Fl
A wishes tie clock were fast he would wish +
" stop the flight of timp-but it is quartz
% past. The atrocious truth imposes Itself and
# heart broken the poor man thinks: HE i
It not comingr
h 'What can he be doing2 Is he at the cafe
d in bad company Or-Godl-if he wer
e sickr' It's the last hope. cruel as it is; bu
10 the old man tortures his mind to find an ex
| eusa for hic eop He uiabeo To 90 and An