Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-12-30

upon row or rlchly-nOund bOuKS-tror
YOU see. the captain dearly loved fin
cry, ever in the dress of his fnyorito
| volumc9.A
Why Dancy! however did You
' get herc:" asked the captain, in
pleased surprise, for he l..; missed tho
gentle presence Of his little visitor
more than he was quite conscious OF
until her temperance enlightened
him. How did you get in, 1,aney?"
, through dc glass door. Oh. it is so
nice hcrc!'
Yes" said the nattered captain,
/ looking around with renewed appreci-
alton or his comforts, and feeling him
self warm and brighten in that glow Of
crimson and CLEAN of gold. Then he
! turned his eyes upon the child and
thought how cheerless, comfortless
and hopeless must be her life in that
squalid shanty, especially now that she
i; could not seek relief among the trees
and birds and flowers. And as he
| looked, he was shocked to see how cold
and pinched and blue the child looked.
Her head and feet We're bare, as in
summer, and she wore the same yellow
cotton frocl that she had on when she
! first came to the porch in the preceding
i June.
A pang of rcmorsc shot through the
captains heart. What had he been
thinking of-sighng over Oliver
Twists troubles, and leaving this little
child to suffer?
The child saw the disturbance in the
old mans working face, and mistook
the cause. Rising meekly from her
stool, she said:
ME trouble you; me will go home
now"
But, with Il burst of compunctious
tenderness, the captain stretched forth
his arms and caught her, saying:
mo; Daney: no. little one-you don't
trouble me; you never did. And you
need not go away, Dancy. You may
stay here and be my little girl forev-
err"
"Mc! tay hcre!!" cried the child, in
incrcdulous wonder.
Yes, Daney, forever! Should you
not like it,
"Oh! so muoh." cried the amazed and
delighted child, while a smile of such
rapture lighted her pale face as it was
worth half his wealth to have lighted
up. He raised her to his knees, gath
cred her to his bosom. and cherished
and thaWcd her naked half-froZen feet
III his large warm hands.
"Daney," he said, as though he felt
sure he was addressing one who could
understand him, and with whom he
was about to enter into deeply re-
sponsible relatons-''Daney, this is the
Eve of Christmas. More than eighteen
hundred years ago a child was born to
lis. who, by his life of suffering and
death of agony, was to redeem the
world. When he was yet on earth, he
said of a child: Who so receiveth one
such little child in my name, receiveth
me- And on this eve Of his natal day,
and in his name. l receive thee. Da.
ney- And as l deal by thee, may
Christ the SAVIOUR, deal by mel"
And you will always teep me here
| and never send me away adain?' in
Quired the child, with beaming eyes
Il will always keep you, Dancy. I'm
less You yourself, when you grow to be
young woman, should choose to leave
me-"
"But Daney Will never 60"
do you like this Place so well
then?' said the captain. feeling so hap
py in the happiness he was comforting
rs to wish to dwell upon the subject.
"Oh. so much! 1t is lite Heaven
amt it?"
1T must indeed, seem SO to you, by
contrast, my poor child.Oh. dear Lord
to think that I-even I-should have il
in my human power to place even the
least of the little ones in an earthly
heaven" said the captain, with emo.
ton.
Then he arose and rung the bell and
said to the servant that answered it:
"Send Miss Hit to me; and do you
go down to the fisllerman's cabin, and
tell Drury and his wife that l want to
see them immediately
The servant withdrew. and in a few
minutes there entered the largest wo-
man that ever was seen. The captain
was no baby, but very big man, and
Miss Mehitable Powers was a great
deal bigger than the captain. She was
very tall stout, fat woman, with a
large head covered with f1aXen curls'
and broad. full, fair face. She pant
cd for breath as she walked and talked.
She liked light clothes even in Win
ter, and upon this occasion she wore a
light drab merino dress that made her
seem even larger than she was. MISS
Hit was intelligent, conscientious, be
ncvolent and, notwithstanding that she
was the most forlorn Of all forlornites
IL poor, helpless and friendless gen
tlcwoman, she was cheerful. She had
been Il governess in her youth and
middle age, but never having been able
TO save money at that thankless occu-
patton. she had found herself when
past labor penniless, homeless and
alas! by consequence, friendless. she
had lived by making long visits to
each Of her acquaintance in success
sion, and wearing out all. For oh! YOU
see. Miss Hit was so big and painted
so hard. and had such an enormous
appetite. and required so much air
that she might have counted TOT three
visitors instead of one. Her name De-
came household word of no very
pleasing import in the ncighborhood.
Everyone dreaded threc-months' WIS.,
itation from Miss Hit. and everyone
got with whom she had the slightest
keeping his house than she was OF DO
poor thing? But nothing could eA,
coed the cheerfulness. good-hunor and
fortitude with which she endured re-
huffs, affronts and GOODNESS that would