Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-26
SAVES THE BABY GIRL
m AFTER YEARS SIZE BECOMES
HER DEFENDERS BRIDE.
4 PRETTY CHRISTMAS ROMANCE.
How a Gallant Manchester Man Pre-
vents the Removal Of Sick In
fant. who Grows Up TO He Pretty
Woman, and Becomes His Bride.


Manchester, the pleasant little city Just
on the wrong side Of James river. makes
the rather pretentious claim that hch-
mond, on the opposite banks, Is no'hihs
more than a greatly overgrown chiiu W
her. and draws her matronly skirts as'ue
as the name OF Richmond Is mentioned
In her presence. In good weather and In
n good humor Manchester will admit that
as a city, perhaps Richmond Is seNeia
DAYS more ancient but she adds, Win
curl of the lip, more dilapidated, TOO
hut che invites the visitor, with sunniest
smiles TO 20 back few years earlier
and give Judgment She will ask him
presently. as the lawyers do, NOW Ism
1t & fact that the fine old gentlemen Oh
Colonial days had their mansions on TINS
side OF the river, while the site OF Rich
mond was still a bowling wilderness, ana
there was a bars cave at every other
turn In Shockoe creek?" If said guest
is not prepared to say Eyes, indeed ne
had better not say "No" in d fiat.
who is right and who is wrong 1t mat
ness of the romance here told, whlch
ia go closely linked into the lives or some
NJ Manchester's best people or a nan
century ago. On the morning or ChrIst-
uas-eve. a dark day, with the clouos
Iea0en and hanging close down over the
earth. like a wet drapery, fifty years ago,
then. Sidney Thornton, young man anu
q visitor in Manchester, WIS stroilihs
along one of the streets. vety leisureiy'
rg1I xrin Un1pn
gan a new assault at every corner. MS
figure appeared, as 1t passed slowly by,
TO be tall. strongly and closely knitted
together. and a look of calmness, Dut
ouick intelligence, adorned the strong
featured. A second look would nave
shown. also, that knot where the nose anu
the forehead meet, which is so common
on the faces of men who think deeply
Though q lawyer by profession, used 10
elbow touch with men, he was sun warm
i'm his sympathies. He loved chii'teh
with the greatest fondness, ana was
never so happy as when he could throw
| aside all reserve and romp with them.
| He loved young peoples companionshlp;
knew men and loved them because they
| were men. But, amid 1t ell, he found
| time in his private office, in northern
CITY. to do a great deal of hard study,
| thinking for himself. There were
| great many views about men and things
! and rfe he had settled, and that com
| placency which man feels when' by d
! strong and certain logical process, ne
| reaches the conclusion on troubling
question, had left its impress on his face.
He had gone from Virginia at the close
| of college, without taking days vaca-
ton, and by hard ticks and late ticks
had built him up a paying practice; mao
| even reached that point where he coeio
say with an easy mind, Il have earned
! the rest l need" fIe had been to Vir-
ginia but once or twice since he had LETT
his native soil, the time when his father
died, and one other on legal business
But while he was casting about for some
place to go to spend the Christmas holi-
DAYS, to which he had looked forward
with so much eagerness, a letter came
from his uncle In Manchester, telling him
| that he was getting old and would not
be here long," and urging him to come
to see him, If he wished to before he died
That letter settled it, and the next morn
ing found him jostllng along over the
muddy roads in stage coach towards
| Richmond.
WAS MOVING THE FURNITURE.
Thornton had been in the inceptiv
city but two days, and was so far de
lighted. The quiet little place, with IT
easy-going, well-to-do people, suited hi
overworked nerves well, and he was set
Ting down "to rest" as he said, ant
read romantic trash" But he still KEEP
up his long walks, during which n
turned the problem of his life and hi
neighbours life over and over. And 1
was on one of those promenades through
| the deserted town that we first see him
Unusual sounds OF rolling furniture an
shuttle OF feet broke short into his char
of thought, and looking up, he sough
the cause. He was standing before
neat. but small cottage, and so was In
Sheriff's big wagon. On the little pore
at the front door were two chairs, whlc
had been rockers many years ago, bu
had been reduced to the humble static
OF plain wooden stools by having thei
legs sawed off; a bed. a dining table
and some pans and a trivet for cookln
on the hearth. He saw the trouble now
and determined to see more Of 1t.
slight kick, noiseless in the wind, ser
: the gate open. and unobserved he stoo
in the open door. lie certainly had no
seen all the trouble. The room wa
small, clean-swept and entirely bare
Not one article Of furniture 1t contained
to rid il of the appearance OF cold DESC
lation. but a broken glass candlesticl
upon the mantel and cot in a corner
near the freless fireplace. There wer
three occupants to the room, and close
observation told that there were four
Mr.. and Mrs. John Clayton, the Sherln
a heavy-set man, with bulldog counle
nance, and little emaciated pooy on IN
couch. So excited they were that nj
entrance at the door had been unnotieeo
II would scarcely be true to say n
darkened II. for 1t was too dark inside 4
many ways already for that. His comm
, was like the first flush OF a summer
sun. The husband was bareheaded, an
I'm his shirt sleeves, and was standin
beside Mrs. Clayton, who was seated o
| her child's bed; the Sheriff was starin
down upon them before, while MS nan
was outstretched in the gesture OF selziii
something. The child's wan race, pal'
! with the lips parched by FEVER turne
toward the mother as she spoke %
hard-hearted, childless man; you sha
| not take the bed from under my gym
baby" and the mothers eyes nashe
, from their sunken depths. bu
madam" grinned the monster amused
the woman's spirit, II am In charge
this house now, and however unpleasaI
nv duty, and what folks say ABOUT ni'
I'VE always done my duty, ana am
going to falter now because OF VIZ
0 mans weeping and sick BABY. nay
had too many such experiences TO troup
: myseif about q woman's tears ne COZ
tinued, and he certainly looked IKE
had. He did not receive reply " ~
proud boast. and, turning 10 the una,
after an awkward pause, went on
, should have lived better Ire, sur al
not idled your time away Tor yee
| n