Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-24


ment, it is tradition, it is human ma
ture, perhaps, but it never strikes one
so forcibly and desolately that he Is
alone in the world as then-when he
sees all the world rushing homeward."
Yes" assented, there ought to
be Society for Providing Unattached
Gentlemen Of Afrectionate Dispositions
with homes to go to at Christmas and
Thanksgiving. Intend TO call the at
tention of the conference of Charities
TO il ut their next meeting"
We had dined together-the colonel,
Alaire and I--at little corner Of the
club dining.room, and the meal had
not been q very cheerful one, in spite
'-of The faot that the chef had surpassed
himself. Afterwards we had walked
around TO the colonel's room for one
Of the long, discursive talks in which
we three, who were friends OF many
years standing, delighted.
Somehow we were unusually quiet.
1t was Christmas Eve, and Mt such n
time each heart audits its account
with fate, and no matter what the
world may say Of success or failure, it
strikes its own balance OF happiness
or sorrow. Suddenly, across the still
ness of the room, there floated clear
and sweet from the pavement below n
child's voice singing au old Christmas
carol The colonel went over and
raised the window and stood listening,
with his broad shoulders toward us.
"Star of Bethlehem"-the childish
voice quavered aud faltered in its song.
He threw n handful of coin on the
pavement and shut the window down.
"Ah, he said, drawing his breath
sharply, ~ used to sing that myself
when l was q child. My mother used
to play on an old-fashioned spinnet,
and we used to sing" Then he
turned to us abruptly. IL am going
home tomorrow.
We made little gesture of protest
and surprise, but he did not notice it.
1T isn't tho fashion," he went on,
'for people to care much for anything.
II isn't tin de steele to weep, and most
of us have forgotten how to laugh,
and We crush down all emotion as il
we were ashamed of it. / am like the
rest of my world. Ihave never talked
about myself, and yet tonight have
q fancy to tell you a bit of my life.
twill help you to understand-when
I am gone. II tire you, stop me,
A man is generally a bore when he
talks about himself.
Alaire reached up and turned out
the single jet of gas that was burning.
1T is better talking in the dark, "
he said, but 1 knew the exquisite
chivalry Of the man. He would not
read what was written in the open
book of the colonel's face. What he
told us we would know; no more.
There was long pause. "You will
understand" he said, slowly, 'that it
is not easy for me to talk of this thing.
OF course. as the cynical French pro-
verb has it, there was woman in the
case. had been of to college, and
when came home for the Christmas
holidays / found her there-Alcia.
Her father had moved into our neigh
borhood from a nearby city while L
had been away from home. He was q
semi.invalid, whose health had failed,
and his physician had recommended
country air, and so he had bought a
farm near my father. I don't know
how girls appear TO boys now, who
have sweethearts in their cradles, and
who are blase in their very childhood.
I had always been shy, dull fellow,
and to me she appeared a very god
dess. Remember she had on soft