Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-22

10 W1S christmas eve. ne air was
frosty. Mems boot heels made the
snow ereaf under them a hey passed
With quick tread. There was rum
1ie OF carriage wheels . rapid hurry
~ ,read Of thousands Of feet in the
-rowded tboToughfare Of the great
ely.
md amid ali this Christmas activity
Philip Meredith walked with ar acrid
and indednable pain at his heart. tie
was a strangely iaconeruous amid the
Joy. the color. the brilianey Of this
festival eve as "a skeleton nj a feast.
He made d strenuous effort to forget.
lie had told himself that the coming
Of this anniversary should not over
Nhelm him with that agony Of recoi-
lection which he knew down in his in
GermOst soul he could nos endure. For
days he approaching holiday had filled
bim with an unacknowledsed terror
II was the first Christmas he had
spent without her. Witaog. Mirabel.
And. telling himself that h. would for
get. that ne would nor remember he
s;raightway remembered With the in
innate fde ity of pain ali that could
wound him now
breath OF fragrant air from out
florists shop made him turn his heal
for a moment. and as he looked he saw
forget me E0ts. The s.shl gave him a
Dans He recalled the morning they
had first net & vas a morning in
spring. fresh with innocence one OF
those mornings that yej dawn on the
world to evoke images Of primordiai
daybreaks when the world Nas young
Tier eyes we're blue blue ike the for
get-me-nots. Then less nan year
later. they were ned. and ne one
Chris nas they bad spent together
had seemed 10 him more exquisite in
IS perfect happiness than the one on
he plains % Judca could have been 10
he shepherds. Then eane misery
scarcely had The ec.so az tae Christmas
0ells lied away in jhe ar than that
fatal episode had occurred shat had
parted them ii crosse ii a tfiiie, a.
most Of the wor'5's misery and war
have ana thcn before III knew il he
had said words tuat had made a gulf
between them wh.,a If seemed could
never be bridget -he said she would
20 away aa6 battle aith the world by
herself; he made a brutal reply. Then
they parted
Again the opulenca oi florists shOD
net his gaze \ sudden resolution
came 10 him; he stepped up Ia the win
dow and specuiatyd between orchids
and lilies.
"Ab. Philip Sc yoa are choosing
my Christmas git. said voice at his
show He turned it vas his cousin,
woman bora to bring 10 others some
Of the light and ioy denied them in
their own poor lives. DO not hest
ate so. she continued, laughing You
SnoE how easily I am pleased in the
matter OF flowers Snut yoar eyes AID
chOoss whatever sou az first when
you open then. ara II VIII suit ne
1t will give ne more pleasure 70
=u:. your taste thln 20 trust 10 a hap
hazard choice. ne replied. Give me
your parcels. you look like Mrs Santa
claus ana come with me straight into
the shop and say shat sos vii, have.
viii see 20 Il thai the Christmas
saint wears doVery garland foy
YOU.
On. Philip" SAID The woman. he
eyes filing with a SCI, mist. ven are
always good and generous. ana I viii
let you g.ye ne a bunca OF those
American beauty toses-bpt not for
me. want 10 sead them to the Won
ans hospital in 5e morning
lie purchased the roses. and hey
separated 81 TIE door.