The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-12-28
HOW HE LOST HIS DINNER.
A True Christmas Story by G. De VIII
liams.

Christmas Eve few years ago, In q
comfortable room,' in Superior board
ing house, sat young man. His good
natured face wore, for him, very un-
usual sadness of expression.
Tomorrow, said he, as though
speaking to himself. is Christmas, and
tomorrow shall be without shilling
and without home. have spent my
last, and my weeks notice to quit is
up today; my landlady's patience has
expired at my inability to pay the rent,
and must leave here in the morning.
A pleasant prospect indeed for the son
of rich people--no employment, no
home, no money and a stranger in this
large city of Melbourne"
Thus spoke to himself my hero, a
tall, fair, gentlemanly looking young
man about % years of age, whose whole
appearance stamped him as one worthy
the friendship of any good man or
woman, and yet one, this Christmas,
though needing such friendship, hav-
ing it not.
Christmas morning broke a lovely,
sunny, cheering morn, which made it
easy to feel that renewed tidings of joy
and good will to man were being re-
spread over the earth that day.
And yet there stood that day, on
Elizabeth street, at about II A. NJ, one
without home, one who had not
broken his fast--since the night before,
when we were introduced to him.
81 WONDER" he was saying to him
self, "if 1 shall have to go without my
Christmas dinner"
And all the sweet associations OF
that home thousands of miles away
across the mighty sea, all the oft-times
enjoyed pleasures in intermingling Of
friends rernet once more, passed before
him, bringing pain at his heart and
q choking in his throat, while a sus-
picious moisture bedimmed his eyes,
which, as rule, shone clear in their
hazel depths, which easily convinced
those who saw them that their owner
was of no weak mould.
"But however," continued he, 81
suppose 1 must not complain. 1t is
the first Christmas dinner l have had
to go without, and I fear that many of
my fellow creatures, men and women,
have gone hungry, and will go hungry
this great day. But around Christmas
there is great charm, and in all lands
where the English language is spoken
it seems natural to enjoy oneself and
rejoice"
While he spoke he passed under
newly erected building, the scaffolding
of which had not been removed; and
casting his eye down near one OF the
poles saw before him bright new
shilling-only bright new shilling
and over which hundreds of the hurry
ing crowds must have passed uncon-
sciously.
But what friend in need! Oh the
tale of little prospective joy in a
Christmas dinner to one who had never
experienced hunger before, and had
not broken his fast that day!
"Well I am right for today" said he,
and glancing at street clock he
noticed that it wanted few minutes
to P. NJ.
eff hurry up' he continued, 81
may be in time to reach C-'s before
the good things are all gone"
So accordingly he went of as fast as
he could walk. Rounding corner,
he ran up against little girl of about
eight years of age, and after excusing
himself was hurrying on, when an ex-
preston in the child's face pulled him
up, glancing at her again he saw tears
falling fast on the little cheeks and
observed that she was staggering un-
der parcel far too heavy for one Of
her age.
"What is the matter, my dear?" he
inquired. "The bundle is too heavy
for me-" came in pitiful wall, and
she explained that she had to carry it
to Clifton Hill.
"Well," thought her sympathizer,
''if carry it for you lassie, I shall un-
doubtedly lose my dinner. But be it
80, can still have some Christmas
tea"
So seizlng the bundle, and bidding
the little girl show him the road, he
trudged off, followed by the now smil-
ing child. After walking with her q
little way he had learned all the history
of the little one. She knew it was
Christmas day, but she was not going
to get any nice things, for her father
was dead, and her mother was very
poor.
"Well," thought her companion,
"poor child, young as you are, you are
learning what trouble is, but though I
go without my tea you shall have some
nice things"
And at the first fruiterer's they came
to he took her in, and planting her on
a chair, bade her look around and say |
what nice things she would like for |
her Christmas present.
There stood the child, the child OF |
humble parents, but clearly the child
Of the righteous, clean, winning and
we'll spoken, her little face lit up with |
eager expectation of childish pleasure
to come.
Oh, for the pleasure of giving Joy to
the heart of little one, Of whom it has
been said, "Suffer little children to
come unto me, for of such is the king
dom of heaven"
Having chosen her favorites, the
bill, which amounted to Cd, was paid.
The other Sd placed the child on
tram car, which would stop few hum
dred yards from her home; and the
two whose destinies were 80 strangely
brought together, parted, the child
joyfully to her home, the young man
to keep off hunger by the remembrance
OF noble and self-sacrifcing act.
The day passed, and evening came,
and the homeless man passing by the
Herald Office heard a bystander remark
"Sad thing about that little girl; she
was terribly crushed; just took her in
my cab to the hospital"
"Had she anything with herP" was
the query from the listener, evidently
a rennrtar