The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-12-21

Martyr :
And who is Harry Maryn?'
He is-he is very particular friend
of my mother $
.'Oh, | thought 50 And of your own,
| suppose, too. But what he going to
do with his hundred dollar bill, hey p
Nothing, sir = faltered Fanny, a lit
tie abashed, only he is teaching school to
earn money to 90 to college and-and it
would help him so much p
''Hum-m IN ? commented the old gen
tleman. under his breath 1T would be
a very fine thing, wouldn' it. if you were
rich p
Fanny hung down her head, painfully
conscious OF being the object of sneering
satire, but in few minutes, as she was
alighting in front of the little cottage
among the tall pine trees, he said kindly,
nodding 10 her:
..Good-bye, my little girl-if all rich
people made as sensible a use Of their for
tunes as You will of yours-it' you ever
get 1.-THE world would be considerably
improved
And Fanny Stewart watched the stage
disappear, with a curious uncertainty in
her mind as to whether she liked the
strange old gentleman OF not
Half an hour later there was clear
fire burning in the library Of Melworth
Place, where the dark oaken panels re-
hected every flicker Of the dancing flames,
and the polished holly leaves tapped
against the easement with the wierd mo-
ton of the sighing wind.
,Lonely-loneIy,' murmmed the old
gentleman as he paced up and down the
dreary room. ,'All the rest Of the world
are making merry at their Christmas fire
sides. but ] alone Well-Providence
apportions its goods strangely here below
My little philosopher was right when she
imagined that the greatest privilege Of
wealth is to aid the needy Strange that
| never should have discovered it before!'
He touched the silken bell rope as he
spoke.
Send Duncan. the steward, to me; |
want to ask him about some Of the villa
gers.
The housekeeper bowed and withdrew.
The stars of Christmas night . They
glowed and sparkled like silver lilies in
the blue gardens Of heaven, looking down
on the white and silent earth below. Is
there ever time when nature speaks more
audible to man than at the blessed season
of the Redeemer' birth
The great logs, moss -enameled and
crusted with curious layers of bark, were
all ablaze in the wide chimney Of old Mr..
Higgins house: the kitchen clock licked
busily away and two or three crickets
were quarrying harmoniously Y among them
selves under the red brick hearth. The
old lady sat in her antique rocking chair,
mechanically rubbing the glasses of her
huge silver spectacles, and her white
headed spouse opposite was trying to hum
the burden Of some old. forgotten psalm
tune.
There ain none o them baked apples
left. | pose wife? said he after pause.
Not one.
TODD land what are we going to do
for breakfast tomorrow morning?
IN sure don t know. Philo; unless
you 90 to some Of the neighbors, and bor
row little meal and molasses.
Il can't do that wife, said Mr.. Hig
gins, in husky voice II believe L d
90 hungry sooner than BEG.
1T is hard, said the old lady trying
hard TO keep back the tears, by looking
vigorously at the fire. I'VE never
thought, Philo, when you and [ were
young. of coming to this in our old age; and
all through no fault of ours
I'VE might be good deal worse off,
wife said Mr.. Higgins, philosophically. "
II don see how.
Why 'posen one Of Us was sittin
here alone this Christmas night ! tell
YOU. Rebecca, we two old folks are like Il
pair of worn out gloves-one amt good
for nothin without other. >
You re always finding something to be
thankful for Philo, said Mrs Higgins,
Frightening up a little
Il guess I'll shut the blinds, said
Philo. rising. Greenland and the North
Pole it's snappin' cold tonight. Fine
likely weather. though, for Christmas and
if-Good Lord what on airth this p
Farmer Higgins started back in amaze
ment at the apparition of a barrel Of -four,
topped off by Il bag Of potatoes and a
goodly ham, encased in a yellow cloth
bag-all familiarly encamped on his door
step.
Wife, wife who do you pose would
send us those?' he calculated.
They can't be for US, Philo, said his
wife, the momentary gleam of satisfaction
fading from her wrinkled visage. 1T
must be some mistake.
Mistake taint nothin of the sort.
Jest look here. will you? and you needn'
put on your specs to read the print nuther
Here it is as large as life Philo Higgins
Esquire Christmas present. What
do YOU think of this, wife, hey?''
II think I must be dreaming, said
Mrs. Higgins, rubbing her eyes doubt
fully ..and pet-O Philo, thought the
Lord wouldn' forget us
Let us return thanks to Him, Re
becca. said the old man solemnly.
There was no more quite freside read
ing and application for Harry Martyr !
Ever since that mysterious envelope had
been thurst through the crevice Of the
window easement he had been in state
of almost bewildering excitement. \
hundred dollar bill He had never pos
sessed such thing before in the twenty
years of his hard working life.
Now, thought he, ecstatically, Il
can 90 to college next term, instead Of
drudging on here for weary years, | mean
to study law next, and then-I wonder
what Fanny will say? who can be my un-
known benefactor?
His meditation was interrupted by the
| click of the door latch, and the entrance.
of tall, spare man in black.
''Are you here, Harry, my boy? [
knocked three times without receiving an
answer:
~ beo vour uardon for nv abstraction,