The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-25
PROSERINA BOOTHBYS CHRISTMAS
CHAPTER !

ProSerpina Boothby WAS a little 1-Ish
girl She was poor beyond the widest
dreams of prodigality. Not only was
she poor. but her sole maternal parent,
Evadne Boothby, was poor also. And
by a strange and much-to- -be-regretted
coincidence, her father. Guy Boothby.
was stepped In poverty to the very
neck.
house in Mulberry street. and to one
whose expansive nature craved "A whole
house an apartment was nothing 90
her.
Evadne Boothby took in washing. but
being of a flckle disposition. invariably
put II out before the week over.
Still in this way they managed to keep
TO the same degree OF poverty and
knew what not TO expect. year In and
year out.
Guy Boothby was a drinler in a d.
letante sort OF way. He did not give
his whole mind TO It. and. therefore.
like so many amateurs. he was not
success as a drunkard, but Proserplna
and her mother were not hypercritical.
and his efforts in the art subversive OF
all arts more than satisfied them.
CHAPTER III.
And so matters stood when Proser-
pima Boothby's Christmas approached.
Miss Boothby, the idol OF her parents.
had never had to work for a living
since her entrance into the world and
Mulberry street joys and sorrows. sew
en- years before. All days were holi-
days TO her. and Christmas had hlther-
TO passed unnoticed by her. but this
year a lady who was out Summing for
her health had told the child OF Santa
Claus and of his annual visits TO the
bedrooms OF children, and how little
ones who owned stockings hung them
up 10 be filed with toys by him.
After this IL was Prosy's ambition to
! find a stocking. Now II so happened
that the week before Christmas Evad-
ne took I'm the washing OF a very rich
lady in Mott street. and among her
other curios she found a stocking that
contained no holes too large 20 be tied
up with twine, and as she could not
/ bear to deny her daughter anything,
she allowed her TO hold II over a week
that she might hang IL up.
CHAPTER III.
| Two evenings before Christmas Ev-
adne heard the child praying TO her
I patron saint that Santa Claus might
/ not forget her. Something OF her own
| careless, happy childhood In the bogs
! OF old Ireland fitted with an easy.
graceful motion through Mrs. Booth
by's mind. She dearly loved her little
I girl, and her mother heart was touched.
and so she resolved that the child
/ should be remembered. come what
might. And she went TO Proserpina's =
/ iron bank. the while the maiden slept.
and extracted quarter that a kind
lady had given the child a few days
I before.
TT isn't much" she murmured. but
/ IL will. at least. buy her a doll at
Lacy's"
/ What viii not a mothers love do for
her offspring? The money part was
nothing TO her, slender as were her
means. but she was about 20 brave the
I jam OF a day-before- Christmas crowd
at Lacy's for the sake OF her loved one.
who slept on. calmly dreaming that
she owned a real stocking.
CHAPTER Nv.
IL is the morning before Christmas.
with a resolute heart that was well
acquainted with fear. yet meant 10 cut
him dead for her daughters sake.
Evadne Boothby approached the great
| entrance 20 Lacy's store and was In a
moment swallowed up I'm the strug-
Z Cling. inly-cUrsing mob OF feminine
/ shoppers. than which none Is more
/ pitiless. For the space OF five minutes
she walked on air. upheld by her fell
low TANNERS and borne she knew not
| whittier. Thrice in the deadly crush
did her ribs intertwine like fingers in
terlaced. and then she clutched a
friendly stool and the crowd surged
by and left her weak and limp-at the
I doll counter.
SO far had fortune smiled on her de-
votion.
( CHAPTER V.
To select a pretty doll was but the
work OF a minute. IL was only 20 cents
and she handed up Proserpina's quar-
ter 70 the naughty saleslady. who call
ed CASH" and when a diminutive girl
oozed out OF the stream OF humanity
she gave her the doll and the money
and bade her bring back the change.
and then the little one allowed herself
10 be again drawn into the human
| mangle.
For a half hour Evadne was glad 20
sit and rest while she waited for her