The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-12-23

on Thanksgiving she had worked until
dark to accommodate customer VINO
wished to outshine her siSters-ln-laW at
a family gathering at the house OF ner
husbands father. but on Christmas DAY
not even the most exacting customer
could ask her services.
And yet-was she glad it was CHRIST
mas? The associations which cluster
around the season make it a sorroWTul
one to those who have nothing left OF
home excepting it's memories and, saw
ing for one brother, Miss Ackermann
was alone in the world
Really, Miss Ackermann told herselI,
she had no business to be low spirited,
she was a very fortunate person.; think
how many people were starving for lack
of work, and all that, she concluded,
vaguely, as she finished her breakfast.
The tea, which she made in her room,
heating the water on a small gas stove,
was excellent; she was finicky ABOUT
tea, and she felt better after drinking
it. Altogether she was in quite cheer
full mood, when the little daughter OF
her landlord came to wish her merry
Christmas, and bring an invitation fro n
her mother to eat her Christmas dinner
with them. Dinner would be at haE-
past two. Miss Ackermann thanked
them very much and would dine Win
| them with pleasure. Then she gave the
little girl the present she had ready
| for her, a stylish young lady COIL,
dressed in the latest fashion, with coat
and hat complete, a gift which made its
recipient radiant, and sent her on 10
exhibit it at once.
The sermon, Gods Christmas Gifts, :"
from the text: Wait upon the Lord
and he shall give thee the desire OF thy
heart" made her homesick again; the
desire of her heart seemed so exceed
ingly far off Miss Ackermann was not
one OF those who forget, hard as sAe
tried not to remember. She found her
thought straying back ten years, to ene
seaside, to her old home and Jack.
Their parents were neighborS. Her
father and mother lived in the little
fishing town and took bOarders II the
season; his father was the farmer VINO
supplied them with vegetables ana
fruit. Jack drove the wagon which
brought the daily supply to the cot
tages; they would have known each
other in any case, but the morning Ia
tervieWs over lettuce and strawberries,
melons and tomatoes brought them
closer together. Everyone approved of
their enga cement, and the day was set,
when a great misfortune happened; her
mother and oldest sister were killed, IN
q buggy which they were driving, by
train at railroad crossing This
was bad enough, surely, but troubles
hunt in couples" and the blow seemed
to affect her fathers mind: he became
almost childish; took to his bed and
would have no one but her TO walt
upon him. To complete the roll Of dis
aster, her brother suddenly brought
home a wife. a girl whom none of his
friends would have chosen, and the old
man would not let his daughter-in-law
come near him. To tell the truth she
had no desire to help Miss Ackermann
in her duties; sine had married for
step-up. and said plainly that she did
net mean to slave to Please anybody:
You see how it is, Jack, she SAID
with streaming eyes. u cannot leave
father, even for you.
Bring him to our house with you,
replied Jack. there is plenty of room,
and father and mother won't mind
mo. Jack, thanks ever so much, but
that wouldn't do any good. Father
wouldn't be satisfied; besides, he takes
up so much Of my time that l couldn't
do my duty to you" And Jack had to
submit with the best grace he could
muster.
Unfortunately. he consulted the doc
TO who attended Mr.. Ackermann as to
the probable duration of the old mans
illness.
The doctor assured him that the trou-
BILE was-chiehy hypochondria, and that
he might live for years in the same
state. or might possibly recover as sud-
denly as he had collapsed; at all events,
the patient was in no immediate dan
ger.
The inquiry would have done no
harm. had it not been that the doctor
had talking wife. to whom he told
everything; so before long the whole
neighborhood was saying that Jack
Ralston had been asking how long old
man Ackerrnann could live. OF course
the story came to Miss Ackermann' s
ears, to her intense indignation and
still greater grief Jack could not deny
1t in toto. and short of positive denial
she would listen to no explanation.
There was quarrel, broken engage
ment. and Jack Ralston went west,
leaving his sweetheart well nigh broken
hearted, with only duty to console her
and sometimes duty is the best conso-
lation one can have.
If he had been less impatient, there
would, have been no trouble. DR.. Bland
did not understand the erect which
a broken heart sometimes produces
upon the body Mr. Aekermann died
before the winter was over. Jack Rails
ton came home as soon as he heard the
news. but Miss Ackermann had gone
to the city with a cousin of her mother,
and was obdurate; her filial affection
found satisfaction in refusing to for
give the lover who had desired fathers
death. She would not even see him and
so the affair ended.
IL
Well, it was too late now. and she
was fool to be dreaming of it. The
cf
the organ reused her to the conscious
ness of things present and to come;
she took part with the congregation in