The record-union., 1896-12-27

daughter from her lawful guardian and
disappeared. 1 don't think he looked
for us.
Days of peace have been mine since
then. l found a refuge in a boarding
school. where 1 taught for a time, and
then becoming interested in the rescue
of fallen women l gave my life to the
work l thank God for leading me into
1T, tor L held in my arms to die the
wrefched woman who years before had
hurled the deadly missile which she had
intended should kill me- She had not
known of the failure of her attempt
until she recognized me one night, and
sent for me TO visit her. You may scott
as you read, but that woman died re-
deemed soul. l prayed l tasted, 1 wept
before the Lord for her soul, and one
night She died
Il am with God she said, and smiled
as she went home. She died with the
falling yeaves. and as l sit by the win
dow and look out upon the dying leaves
which are SO tardy in falling in this
pleasant land, I know that / shall soon
be with the One whose gracious words
were all her hope, and into whose low
ing, holy keeping 1 commend my spirit
CHAPTER III.
1t was Christmas eve in San Fran
cisco, and wealth and poverty cele-
brated each in its own way the night
Joy and sorrow, happiness and suffer-
ing, commemorated a Savior's birth
night. Clad in robes of fine linen, and
wrapped in swaddling clothes, the fa
vored ones who had found room at the
inn and those for whom there was no
place but the stable, all alike remem-
bered that it was Christmas time.
The city seemed one cleaning light.
But there We're dark places-spOts too
dark for you, perhaps, to go to this
merry Christmas eve. You do not even
care to hear of such spots, possibly. Let
all be bright and joyous at the happy
holiday time, you say. Methinks the
very day We celebrate had it's dark
hour too. 1t was a human mother who
bore the Savior of the world. What
were those words to her that night:
'The house is full; there is no room for
you
But the Lord was with her. o dis
cOuraged souls who gaze into bright
windows where warmth and comfort
and elegance meet your eye, and then
turn away to your own comfortleSS
stalls, know you not that the Lord OF
glory is with you if you do but bid him
welcome to your wretched home? There
are no places too dark for him to visit
at Christmas time. Think you he for
gets his human birth, or the stable of
Bethlehem?
There were many elegant houses in
San Francisco that Christmas night too
full to entertain the Christ of Heaven
Full of selfishness of love of money and
of display; full of unbelief and scoffing;
full of careless worldlineSs; full of rev.
elry and sin.
1t was Christmas eve, but the Christ
child was not at the inn. We shall
not look for him there.
A desolate room and death-bed! But
Roberta was not yet conscious that her
mother was dying, or perhaps she
might have called the landlady-per-
haps for she was not timid or nervous,
and the landlady was boisterous and
fussy, and Roberta dreaded the hustle
and confusion she always brought into
not feel alone. 1t was dark in the
room, for the twilight of the short
winters day had long passed.
Mamma she had been saying "'the
angel of the Lord campeth round about
them that fear Him. That is beauti-
full, I think, and the angel of the Lord
appeared to those who watched their
flocks that long ago Christmas eve.
Darling mother are you not my little
flock, and has not God given you to
me to watch over? I think He has
sent His angel to me tonight. Yes, p"
she continued in answer to the feebly
spoken request that she would light a
candle, Il will strike a light very soon
(and she kissed the pallid lips, but
the thought has been so precious that
/ was watching my flock this Christ
mas eve and that the angel of the
Lord was with me that l have been
afraid my angel might disappear if I
got a light. O, the beautiful, shining
angel which has been so real to me-
l cannot bear to have him go away"
But as she rose to obey her mothers
request there came a low rap at the
door, and when her candle was lighted
her father But she saw only the ia
milar face of the stranger she had met
il. her daily walks to the market, and
looking upon the face of her mother,
upon whom, while she had talked of
the angel, whose presence she felt had
been put the seal of the Angel of Death,
she exclaimed:
80. kind sir, how did you chance to
come just now. See, my mother is dy-
ing
The agonized voice of her child drew
the mothers attention toward the light
near which Roberta and the stranger
were standing, and she said: Robert,
| thought you would come; I am not
surprised. Roberta, darling, this is
your father. The Christmas story was
a history of my own life. l think you
need not shrink away. / am sure your
father will be kind to you. Nay, do
not touch me now. 1 am not your
wife. You freed yourself from me and
I have no right in your arms, even to
die. You held a dying wife few short
months ago-a good woman, who won
you to a better life, / trust I saw
YOU one day from my window. NY
child pointed you out to me-the
stranger, she said. who seemed almost
like a friend to her. / recognized you;
you have not changed very much in
face or form. You are a good man, I
am told; you go to church and give of
your substance to the poor. You have
beautiful home, but you are child
less. l have brought back your child
to you. Roberta, you never turned
from your father when you were a
baby You have loved him as a
stranger, and you will love him as your
60 har Robert I fnreci1.o 1ra11 q