The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-12-31
5AiSCcIlancDu5
ALLIES CHRISTMAS.
BY GEORGE MADDEN MARTIN.

BY GEORGE MADDEN MARTIN.
The old house had, IN its day. been
considered the finest residence in the
city, and is pointed out as It landmark
even vet. Sc that its present tenants
feel it incumbent upon them to try, at
least, to live up to its reputation. In
deed, the inmates, from the Polish
family i'll the basement to the little
seamstresS III the garnet, seem all to
feel the old mansions distinction from
the ordinary tenement, and erdeavOr
to meet the requirements OF the situa-
ton accordingly.
For instance, there is an unwritten
law, understood by all and accepted,
that garbage, broken bottles, tin cans
and such. are to be confined strictly
to the back yard, weeds and babies
only allowable i'll the narrow stretch
of ground between the house and the
high iron fence III front.
Another section OF this accepted
code OF social ethics seems to have lie
creed, that by virtue Of longest resi-
dence and lace curtains at her two
front windows, Mrs. joey BCden is
justly entitled to the prominent posi-
ton she occupies, as regulator Of the
affairs of the house.
And it mast be admitted that it is
chiefly owing to that lady's energetic
oversight that things are as they are.
Not husband and father in the
house, but, through pride, melted by
Mr.. Joel BCden>s example, brings II
-portiph; at ieaSf, Of his weekly wages
Home for hisrffaaniL Gs3upport. Not a
-Fyr@ -szsSsCI vfX Dut,as tlfreu TO emu
siatiohsf9y the clean aud attractive ap-
.pearansespf Ri rus sEll}I4 Bodens,, hangs
her mmllX Ma iA uBQmT he backyard
ciotheshnev every Qthsr week al least.
Not il child, past creeping, bat is
swept out at the great front door
daily, to public school or kindergar-
ten.
All but Allie, of course: but Allie
never having even the creeping stage,
does not count. Besides which. so far
as he is concerned, Mrs. Joey does her
duty by him. too: for does she not
prop open the door between his back
room, and her room front every single
day, while Rita is away, so that he
may not be lonesome?
Rita, Allies sister, works at to-
bacco factory, and some time last
winter it was, that Mrs. Joey and
Allie, who are much given to talking
llllllSS ON6i lCll w wa ) iiit~ - ~ 49, :
deploring her love of fine clothes and
wishing that she was not so fond of
having a good time.
Privately Mrs. Joey worried further
than this, for she admitted TO herself
that Rita was selfish, that Rita was
growing both vain of her pretty face
and sillv: and. worse than all, that
Rita was neglecting the little crippled
| brother living so helpless and uAcom-
planning on the lumpy bed in the little
dark room back. But this part of her
| mind she kept from Allie. 1t was
enough that he "hould have 10 lie
| there, knowing as much as he did.
One morning in particular, in that
| it was the day before Christmas,
| Mrs. Boden's heart waXed hot within
her, and as She listened to Allie, 5
sociable little voice she thumped the
| iron down viciouSly on the walStcoat
she was making from an old coat, for
Mr.. Joey's Christmas greeting.
There's the beautifullest hat
round to Mrs. Heller's," Allie was
coufiding. all velvet an os'ridge
feathers, an not one bit secondhand,
ed looking either, Rita says. And il
Mrs. Heller will come down fifty cents
on it. Rita's goin' to treat herself to il
for Christmas, she If.
"H'm ~ snapped Mrs. Joey.
"She was goin' to carry me out tC
see the Chris mus in the store winders
Rita was" went on Allie; but there I
goin' to be dance at one OF the girl!
an so she can't;' and something very
like a sigh stole from the iittle room
back to Mrs. Joey's room front.
The lady drew her brows together
i'm "A frown, then she slammed he
iron down and stepped from her room
out into the hall and closed her doc
behind her.
Not a lady was there in the hous,
but answered Mrs. Boden's shrill sum
mons, and came down into the great
broad hall of the old house, the seem
of other and more celebrated socia
gathering in its day. There was Mrs
kerrigan, with the baby Just creeping
and the baby in arms; and Mrs. GlOY
stein, knitting on the red cOmforte
that was to be keys holiday present
in spite of the Gloystein prejudic
against Christmas; and Mrs. Cato
with little Tony clinging to her skirts
and Mrs. Whitser, and Mrs. Oyler an
Mrs. Latferty. Even the white-faced
little seamstress crept down from tn
garnet.
Its about that patient, sulreriI
lamb, Allie began Mrs. Joey, a
ouce;"with no schoolin' kindergarten
nor can | see nothin' much but pal
an sufferin', and one day just lik
another. It's clean against the repr
tation of this house it should be lei
sou
Mrs. Oyler, who was engaged at tn
moment in twisting up her back hal
taking hertucElingc comb from betwee
her teeth as she spoke. But wha
can such as we do:n she remarked.
That's to decide returned Mr.
: Boden; hes got to have some Chris
mas. Allie has, an it's no use lookil
d to Rita to give it to him. She promi
ed him she'd carry him out to see tt
: sights III the store wiuders and, sine
r she'd cone back on even dom that.
r Il have to take some sewing nom
:, this afternoon" began the little sean
d stress, timidly; land ii he is not tC
:, heavy | might
Mrs. LaiIerty turned to regard Il
Co. tiny seamstress. sure an You
drap him before ayther OF We reHc
d the gate, I'm thinkin'; for all he's Ii
y tie more than feather sweiGht.o
J. A glow of pride stole over Nh
- kerrigan's face, as she shifted IL