The record-union., 1896-12-27

impatience, and it became an everyday
event for this man to meet this girl.
1t was in vain he assumed an air of
not seeing her He did see her. He
was a man of more than ordinarily fine
appearance, and anyone meeting him
day after day could not fail to notice
him, and Roberta in a weeks time felt
that she had almost an acquaintance
in this handsome stranger. She had
been less than a month in the city of
San Francisco and 1t was her first ex-
perience of life in any city. Her mother
had come to California seeking relief
from pulmonary trouble. She broke
down entirely before she reached her
place of destination, Southern Califor-
. MIA, and the genial climate she hoped
SO much from, she would never reach.
Roberta came home one day from her
little daily marketing excursions with
a story for her mothers ear.
Mamma, you know / told you about
my collision the other day with a gem
tleman on Market street. l meet him
every day and his face has become al
most like an old acquaintance to me.
You know everything and everybody is
so strange here in San Francisco, that
1 think 1 must have looked as though
1 knew him. He never seemed to no.
tice me, but perhaps he did, for to-day
he spoke to me again"
Roberta, my child!'
Yes mamma, but 1 think it was my
fault 1 suppose 1 acted as though 1
knew him, for he asked me the ques-
ton and said he thought perhaps he
ought to recognize me as my face
tcao,,,a1 70 70 him Of O
it was familiar, mamma, meeting me
so often"
20, Roberta darling. My child you
must not speak with strangers on the
street"
Indeed, mamma, I will not; but oh,
it is SO hard to have no one but the
grocer and butcher and baker and the
landlady to talk with, and l get so tired
of this one little room, where we eat and
sit and sleep; but forgive me-" she ad-
ded, land may the great God forgive
me my ingratitude. Mamma. / see
young girls every day who, l am sure,
have much less than have"
Such sober face bent over the little
spirit stove as she prepared their
very simple monday meal.A dreadful
|
she would soon have less if things went
on this way They made no calculations
for this sudden and entire breakdown
of the mother, and hoped that by
spring she would be quite well again.
She was a capable teacher, and surely
she could find work to do in California.
But she would never teach again. Her
work was finished almost, not quite, for
she had yet to die; and her child must
! walk with her, not through, but to the
| valley of the shadow of death, and
then be left alone with truly no one but
the landlady and grocer and baker to
speak to, and not these long, unless she
found some way to buy their wares.
She thought of all this as she prepared
their plain dinner and listened to the
racking cough, which like death knell
fell on her heart and blasted every hope.
She was a brave girl, but her courage
all gave way as this desolation which
seemed inevitable rushed over her.
20, mamma, mamma she cried, al
most imperatively, don't cough SO. Oh,
I shall die; cannot live if you die, and
you will die If you cough like this
MY poor darling the mother said.
But she put out her arms and her child
went into them, and cried it out once
more, her sorrow on her mothers heart.
After this there were no more disguises.
The fact was recognized between mother
and child that Roberta would soon be
alone in the world.
| Dear" her mother said one day, Il
feel stronger For several days Ro-
berta had observed an unusual brill
fancy in the bright eyes which alas for
many weeks had been all too bright and
the delicately flushed cheek had taken
to itself a deeper glow and an unnatural
strength seemed impaired to the delicate
form. For almost a week she had
abandoned the sofa, and sat in an easy
chair by the window. Roberta hoped
much from this sudden accession of
strength, and when her mother, con-
tinuing her remark, said:
IF you will bring me paper and pen
Gil 1 will try and write a little story
a Christmas story-dear; not with any
hope of obtaining the prize but possibly
it may not be considered unworthy of
publication. Anyway 1 shall like to try
Roberta had felt as though her mother
was almost we'll again. The story was
written. not in one day, or week even,
for the unnatural strength gave out be-
fore her work was done. Roberta copied
the story and carried the manuscript
to the publisher, and the kindly man
reading want in the eager eyes of the
young girl, spoke a pleasant word and
told her to come again in a day or two
and learn the result, and when she went
again he placed a bright gold coin in her
hand and told her in what issue of the
paper she might expect to see the story.
Then he knew there was poverty IN
the home. for the cheek flushed and the
eye glistened. She spoke not a word
at first and then she earnestly said ::
"Oh, how | thank you, mamma and IT,
and then drawing back into a reserve
which had not been the first thought: of
her impulsive, grateful heart, she added
more quietly, II am glad you thought
the story worthy of compensation
The holiday season was approach
ing and holiday goods of all kinds were
in demand. Even holiday stories were
expected in the newspapers.
But Roberta's mothers Christmas
story attracted but little notice Per-
haps it was not read by many But
it was written with a purpose and
though launched upon the sea of liter
ature with no literary merit, it was
sent forth with prayer and it accom-
plished that whereunto it was sent.
MY CHRISTMAS STORY.
/ suppose / was headstrong in the
| way l got married. But as 1 grow