The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20
next OF KIN.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
BY GEORGE r. SIMS.
copyrighted. 1886. by George R. Sims.

Ny girl, my beautiful Nellie, was al
that had in the world, and she was tt
be taken from me unless-unless-oh, the
hopelessness and misery of it all!
The bells rang out joyfully in the sharp
clear air. 1t was Christmas morning
The day of days had dawned-the day OF
dear ones united, the day Of hope anu love,
and it had brought me only grief and de-
spair
had my darling now, but when Christ
mas came again I should be alone in the
world.
The doctor had told me the truth hon
estly. He had not been unkind, but he
had not broken it to me as gently as he
might.
1 could i'll afford the guinea I paid him
for the unwelcome truth, for was only
a poor artist, earning just enough with
my brush and a little teaching to keep
a decent roof above our heads. 1t was
different when my wife was alive, poor
girl! She was clever and her pictures
sold well, and we were both full of hope
and courage in those days But now
now 1 was a widower with one child, and
that child was dying. Her one chance of
life. so the doctor told me, was warmer
climate. If 1 could take her at once to the
south of France she might, with great
care, recover, and in time be well and
strong again.
She was Ca critical age" the doctor
had said as he shook his head, but the
age at which, with perfect care and the
climate of the south of France, instead
of the long, trying English winter, the
progress of the disease might be arrested.
"And if she stays in England, doctor?'
asked.
For her to stay will be fatal. 1t is
useless for me to deceive you-your daugh-
ter will probably go into a galoping con
sumption unless you send her south at
once.
And all the long night I lay awake ana
listened to my dalling's cruel cough, ano
at last worn out, my mind almost dis
traught. I rose as the morning broke anu
the church bells rang in the great feast
of love, flung my window wide, ana,
stretching my arms to the heavens above
j cried to God to be merciful and spare me
the one living thing l had in the world tc
care for.
Then my overweight, nervous system
broke down, and. fiinging myself on my
knees l buried my head in my hands ana
sobbed Historically
And stin the joy bells rang.
When I got downstairs into our little
stting-room Nellie was already there. GU
only servant, Lizzie, an odd little thing
who had come to US from the workhouse,
and who had attached herself to us with
a dumb, dog-lilke devotion because we hao
been kind to her, had made her cup OF
tea and wheeled her easy chair to the IRE
and put a footstool for her and covered
her with rug, and, as she expressed it,
made her more comfable-like. Nellie
looked up as 1 came in, and a faint smile
lit up her pale face.
"A merry Christmas, Dad" she said.
lifting her arms to put them round my
neck.
checked the sob that rose in my throat,
and smiled at her through the tears tina
titled my eyes, and stopped and kissed her
you've had a bad night, DEAR 1 SAID
mot very good papa, but II feel pet
ter now. Lizzie's been giving me some tea
and making me laugh.
Lizzie, who was toasting herself at one
end of a fork and round of bread at the
other, looked up and winked at me. Thas
wink was part of her nature. she eH-
planned when she came to US that II was
nervousness" but whatever 1t was she
always pointed her remarks with CON
traction of the corner of the right eyelia-
'.Yus, we've bin a larhin', Miss Nellie
and me I've bin tellin' Of er about the
Chrismusses we used to have In the work
rs and the shifts we used to get up TO
TO make believe as we was enJoyin OF our
selves Nobody wouldn't think as there
was such 'appiness TO be got out OF
quarter of q horange as there Is, sir. J
know when they was brought in on disIi
of a Chrismuss afternoon l used to think
that ii was the most lovely sight in the
of gone
and it used to go at last, though there s
a way o. making a quarter last a very
long time if you know how to do tt-there s
the peel and the pps; and some OF the
girls would make things with the peel
and pips as used to send us nearly into
'sterics. Oh, IL was a Apply time, was
Chrismuss dayI'
Somehow or other It always did us good
when Lizzie talked. 1t was a relief The
girl chartered on, and her chatter soothed
us 1t was like the continual babbing OF
q brook. She was the one really happy
member of our little family-or at least
she was the one who tried to appear So
After breakfast / went out. l wanted
20 be by myself to think. As a
drowning man win catch at a straw, SC
j tried to comfort myself with the idea
that somewhere salvation was waiting
Among my former friends and acquaint-
ances or distant relatives there might be
my trouble If l could only get to the
south with Nellie l might be able to dc
good work-to paint pictures that woulc
sell. ! might even be fortunate enough
TO obtain some kind of artistic occupa
tion abroad. j don't know what kind OF
occupation it could be, unless IL was Civ
ing drawing and painting lessons to Eng
lish visitors, but I thought that perhaps
something might be found that would
help to make a winter abroad possible.
| started out with a ray Of hope, bu
before had walked very far l was in In.
depths Of despair again. IL would be use
less for me to attempt to take Nellie away
without at least a sum OF fifty pounds
She needed care and attention and com
fort and would only be able TO travel b
easy stages, and when I reckoned up Ia,
cost ] knew that at least, with the re
turn tickets and the various little things
should have to buy before we starte
there would be a preliminary outlay OF
I'VE and twenty pounds. / might not ear
shilling while | was away, and so
should need at least to have enough b.
me to pay for our lodgings and living, eli,
AND ! could not think of anyone VIII
was likely to advance me a ten-poun.
note.
The only rich person knew upon when