The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-12-02

D
but Spbin, said the old woman in
an uncertain voice, will it be in Heaven?
Is it right, think ye, to go there before the
Lord has called us p
DO you think He wants us to stay
here, starving and frozen? Why, if we
don't drink this or 60 to the work us,
YOU Il be dead of cold afore the morning.
Mary.
''Yes, | expect so, she answered in
meek voice
We'll, then, | won wait to see it y
exclaimed the man roughly. IF you
won't come along Of me, / Il take the
whole lot and 90 myself, and you can
shovel my body out in the snow; for if you
let those workhouse authorities give me a
pauper funeral, I'll never rest quiet in my
grave, but rise up again and haunt you.
Robin, Robin Don'tl' cried the
terrified woman, as she hid her face in her
hands In a minute he was bending over
her aud soothing her.
You Il 20 with me, Mary, won You?
he whispered; .'for if not it II be the fast
time in over forty years that you've held
back when led the way.
''Of course L Il come, too, Robin, she
answered. why, what should | do with
out my man, as has been all the world to
me for SO long? But give me a little time
to prepare myself, for it's new thought
to me To 20 into His presence 50 soon
and before He called Us All, Robin,
il He angered at fust, you Il tell Him,
won't We that did it because you asked
me and | couldn stay here alene without
YOU? And it won hurt much, you say?
She continued, eyeing the vial wistiully,
as if it would explode in her face like
bomb.
Hurt much II went hurt at all, |
iell YOU. It's what the ladies' take to
make them sleep sometimes, but when
the dose is big enough, you don't wake
again. which is blessing It's what the
chemist chaps call laudanum- Don You
mind. you had some once for the tooth
ache
Ave. and il will take Us to heaven.
That 5 strange; bat if You say 50 it must
be true. should have liked to kiss my
Joe and my Patty fus,, though They Il
I be main sorry when they hear what we We
gone and done
/ They ought to be more soTy to see
a. dragging out eur last days ia the union,
/ do-eedly persisted her husband though
7 | though, Patty made pretty light Of it
I when told her there was nothing else for
us last Thursday, Young people don
( know what old people feel What death
/ To Us Is play to them.
{ Bot they sc been good children to us,
/ Robin. Dc you mind the day when our
/ Joe was born. aai YOU laughed at me for
being =, proud a; having a son, and | told
YOU he 4 be working for Us when We was
pa.. work Ave. bat his heart would be
sad ,gday II he knew that We should
never see another Christmas morn. And
Patty. too-she was main pretty little
.hiag. with her curly head aud her big
blue eyes. You used Ia say yoa never
wanted bs,,ser lad than she, and YOU was
( last a. eockerel over her a. | was over my
bay. suppose We eouldn { put this of (,
jsst sur day or .wo, my man, all | had
kissed my Joe and my Patty again :? said
the old woman, wisttully.
And where should We be tomorrcr II
we did . demanded Hazel dining in the
union No. ms woman; ] wont force
YOU 10 - with me, but | takes my journey
before nightfull-alone or together.
All never alone, Robin, never alone!
cried his wife. a. she pas up her withered
hand and stroked his rugged cheek. He
was only a common labOrer, aud had been
50 al his life, bu! he kissed the withered
palm a. il touched his mouth
Iwas only thinking, continued Mary
i,ha, the Lord might help US if He would.
/ | remember pretty tale read hong
while since, in which two poor people, just
like YOU and me, was sitting before bare
table. and didn't know where 10 turn tC
cet food or firing, when the door suddenly
opeuel and beautiful child stood on the
threshold aud waved his hand, and directly
the table was covered with smoking meats
and loaves Of bread aud FIRE sprung NJ
in the CRATE And il was the Chris
Child, Robin, who had heard their prayer
and come to answer it Himself. -
That there was a Papish story, Mary,
said Hazel, frowning, ''and all rubbish
You might tell that for youself. You y'
been PRAYING to the Lord | know, all along
to relieve Us for YOU 10 a good woman ant
believe in such things bu: He hasn dons
it. YOU see, nor will lie neither, for ther'
amt no miracles in these days. The
tables bare and the cupboard empty
and the union stands a-frowniug on tha
there hill ready for US if We haven't th'
sense to look after ourselves
At that moment sudden gust of vino
blew the rickety door of the cottage open
and there on the threshold stood boy
child. whom the old people had never sect
before. His curly head was bare, save
for wreath of Christmas roses twined II
his golden eurls His dress seemed, Il
their purblind eyes, to consist Of some white
woolen material but his rosy arms were
bare. He did not speak, but stood there
pointing with one hand towards the hill OF
which stood the workhouse, Of which they
had so great dread. Both the man anC
the woman were awed, and Mary was the
only one who found her voice.
1T is the Christ Child, she said, il
tones of deepest solemnity. Robin glance,
intuitively toward the bare table, but NJ
viands had made their appearance thereon
Mary crept almost fearfully towards th'
little child, who turned at her approach
and fled, and by the time she had erawled
to the door no trace of him was to be seen
only his little footmarks were left behinc
in the thick snow.
..What are We to do now? p she said tC
her husband, when their first astonishment
had waned.
81 dom understand what you mean,
he replied.
III was the Christ Child, she said,
land he pointed toward the union. He
has come to teach us our duty, my man,
, We NAV be cold and hungry and misera'
BILE. but we are not forsaken. This Is q
message from heaven. 1t means that we
are to be brave, not cowardly; that we are
to pass our Christmas in the union, not IL
u Al. I.,N . h..