The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-12-29
MABEL'S CIGAR.
A CHRISTMAS TALE ny ERNEST J,uRoLp.
copyright 1895. by the Author.l

IllIKkNENHEl was killed before
YNI&YYIlElIl Santiago. The buI
IL let which ended
~ Toms earthly pill
ErimaRe also shattered a cent cigar and
perforated tintypo of his little daughter
Mabel Tho cigar was the last token Of
affection given by Mabel to her father be-
fore he marched away to war. Many "a
night, when aching for smoke, had Tom
taken the poor cigar out Of the pocket
book which he always carried over his
heart and by the magic of It's fragrance
had conjurcd up the tear wet face of his
little girl ns she had placed It between his
lips, and after looking at tho cigar and
surrcptitiously kissing it no had always
carefully wrapped It up in its covering Of
tin foil again and restored 1t to his pocket.
His comrades In Company E all knew
the story of the cigar, and when his body
was found in the chaparral and the shat
tered cigar in his poCketboOk 1t was han
died with tender, reveront care, as n sacred
thing to bo returned to Toms wife In the
tall east side tenement In New York city.
Thore was mourning in tho house of
Tom Rafferty, widow for many days after
tho tdings of his death, together with the
pookotbook, reached New York Tho
mcrciful fOrgetfuness Of childhood saved
Mabel from the brooding sorrow which
consumed hor mother. But why her ia
ther had not smoked the cigar she could
not understand. Neither could she ap-
precate why he had not taken IL to heaven.
Tho idea Of her father being happy In
any place where he could not smoke was
| ridiculous to her childish fancy, for she
could not remember her father in his
hours of ease without a cigar in his mouth.
But the cigar, with the holo made by tho
| Muusor rifle ball through tho middle, was
placed, with the other littlC mcmcntos Of
| the dead man, In the bottom drawer Of
tho bureau, where II was hidden from
Mabol's sight for many months. Her
mother however, saw it very often. When
weary of tho terrible fight with poverty
in the evening when Mabel was asleep
Mrs Rafferty, often took tho cigar out Of
its hiding place and carpsscd it with lin
gcriug tenderness because IT, brought back
sweet memories of her brave lad, " as she
| was fond of calling her dead husband.
| 1t was June when Tom was killed, and
now that hor pay was stopped poverty
! pinched the little family sOTCly. EspO
cially was this true when tho winter
months CaInu and the expense Of fuel was
added TO the general outlay from Mrs.
Ralferty's slender earnings, and when De-
cember camo she told Mabel Santa Claus
would probably not pay them his usual
visit because nc had gone away to n far
country and could not get back again in
time.
"And won't papa have any Christmas
present eitherS" asked Mabel anxiously.
"No, my dear" replied Mrs Rafferty,,
with quivering lip. He is in heaven,
| Santa Claus never goes there. But never
mind, Mabel. we won't worry about 1t. ="
But all the time Mabel was thinking
how wretchud her papa would be in
heaven without his Christmas slippers
and especially his cigars. And with tho
thought of the cigars there flashed across
her mind a plan so bold, so audaCious
that it nearly took her breath away. For
tunatcly for the carrying out Of her
scheme, sho fell asleep before sho had time
to impart 1t to her mother.
1t was a sOTrowful Christmas eve for
Mrs Rafferty, She was now living on
memories. She recalled the happiness Of
the previous Christmas time when Tom
was with her. Moved by an uncontrol-
lablo Impulse, she took out of the bureau
all of the mGmCntOs of the departcd-thO
tear stained package of letters he had sent
her from Cuba, the picture OF Mabel with
the bullet hOlO through the breast and,
last, the cigar. Overcome by her grief
she threw herself upon the bed, forgetting
in her anguish to replace the kcGpsakes in
their customary hiding place.
Christmas day broke bright and clear
over the city. In her preparations for
breakfast in the kitchen Mrs. Rafferty, for
got that she had left her precious mCmon-
tos exposed upon the bureau. just as
she closed the door softly behind her on
her way to the grocery Mabel awoko.
While putting on her clothing she SAW the
cigar upon tho bureau. She peorod into
the kitchen and saw that her mother was
gone. With her heart boating lively
tattoo against her ribs she seized the cigar
aud ran down the stairs.
Pedestrians paused as they saw little
girl fit by with eager face and disappear
In the crowd How she got there was al
ways a mystery, but withi;: an hour after
leaving homo she stood before "a delivery
window in the New York postoilco. The
top of her golden head just reached the
window ledge. The clerk looked down
into pair Of wistful blue eyes
PLEASE, sir" said Mabel, 4 want tO
send IA Christmas present to my papa.
where is your papa, you little cherubY'
said the clerk.
"In heavom," replied Mabel simply.
"In heavenl' echoed the clerk aghast
yes, and mamma says Santa Claus
never goes there, so | want to sund him O
present all by myself. Mamma don
know anything about it, and nobody don
know but mo want to send it all my
self" Aud she laid upon tho window
ledge q littlo roll Of brown paper. ThC
clerk opened it and displayod IA most dis
reputable cigar lie bit his lip. lie had