The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-14
CHILD OF CHRISTMAS.
(By Joel Chandler HarriS).
Copyright. 1902, by Joel Chandler Harris.)

II Cna0ulef 1afflS.t
livray, the great chief and statesman OF
the Creek Nation; of the antiquity of the
Clopton family; of the genealogical rec
crds that may still be found in the church
under which the bones of Shakespeare
rcpose. In this way he would account for
the remarkable individuality of Sarah
Clopton, the eldest daughter of Matthew.
And such was the art or instinct, with
which he handled these apparently bur-
densome details that his hearers never
suspected that the course of the narra-
tive had been interrupted.
Sometimes he would begin; did any
of you all know that we had a Christmas
gal in this neck of the woods?" and then
again: did you ever hear the facts
about little Miss Johns. our Christmas
gal?" After which he would rub his chin
and say: We'll the most principal fact
is that they never was no such person as
little Miss Johns. You see that house
over yander wi the big. long poazzer an
the tall, red chinbleys? She lives right
thar an she's rockip' long purity COM
fortuble, considerin' all the ups an downs
an drawbacks she's had to endoyre."
The person whose curiosity would fail
to respond to such a sharp flip as that,
is certainly to be pitied.
Well, first and foremost, there was
Sarah Clopton, who. in 1889 was mistress
and manager Of Shady Dale. AS age crept
slowly upon him. Matthew Clopton had
gradually surrendered the management of
his domain into the hands of his daugh-
ter. who mad early developed executive
abilities of the rarest kind. This daugh-
ter had never married. The years of her
young wonmanhood had been given to
the rearing of her nephew. Francis Be-
thune. and to this task she had devoted
the largest part of her time and quite
the largest share of her affections At
/ forty Sarah Clopton still preserved much
of the beauty of her younger days.
Time had neither dimmed the lustre
of her eyes nor married her features, and
! there was q mature an almost masculine
strength in her face that gave an added
charm to her conversation.
| What she longed for and most needed
was companionship. There are moments
when the busiest of women are thrown
| back upon Observation-Disclosures wien
! their natures demand communication
with some thoroughly congenial person.
This was eminently true Of Sarah Clop-
/ ton Francis Bethune had arrived at an
| age when he could be depended on to
! take care of himself, and it was not
| to be supposed that he would continue
/ to hang to the apron strings of his aunt.
J Besides Francis Bethune, there was
Elsie Clopton. the young widow of Sarah's
brother, McGillivray Clopton; but there
! were streaks of frivolty and folly in the
/ character of Elsie, that the elder wo-
man found unbearable. widow with
| the airs ways and romantic notions of
| school girl is not the most attractive
| person in the world. The young widow
! had some attractive qualities, but none
| that so far Offset her silly ronancing
! as to command her to Sarah Clopton's in
! innate friendship
/ Then there were DIR. Randolph DORM
/ ton and his daughter Nan. Both of these
were indeed the objects of Sarah Clop-
toms affectionate appreciation, but they
were what they were: one. a practising
/ physician busy sometimes day and night,
/ the other the most delicious and surpris-
ing little girl in the woodland not so
small either, when you came to think
about it, but bubbling over with the high
/ spirits of Joyous and innocent youth.
! Moved therefore, by an impulse which
she could not have explained if she had
! tried, Sarah Clopton caused an adver-
| tisement to be inserted in the Malvern
| Recorder. This notice was worded to the
| following effect
WANTED-By ddle-aged lady of
means, companion. young woman
of education and refinement, and possess
/ cd of some musical accomplishments,
preferred The position will not be n
/ snrvile one Applicant should come we'll
recommended.
To this were added the necessary de-
! tails covering the address.
! A few DAYS after the notice appeared in
/ the Malvern newspaper Father Martin,
who had charge of the small Catholic
! community in that city, gave entertain
rent to missionary priest who was on
his way to Canada from New Orleans. To
the care Of his guest Father Martin in
trusted a trihing souvenir TO be de-
/ livered to the Mother Superior Of the
Convent Of the Sacred Heart at St Hya-
/ cinthe. At this convent Father Mar
! tins only sister had died while attending
/ The school.
Whatever The token may have been,
! he wrapped it in copy of the Malvern
4 Recorder tied the bundle neatly, and saw
that this guest placed it safely in his
travelling sachel. This particular copy
! Of the Recorder contained Sarah Clop-
! tons advertisement. The souvenir reached
/ it's destination in due time and was re-
! ceived with pious appreciation. Then,
| when the Mother Superior was finding n
! PLACE for it, where it would remind ner
! Of the sender, and especially of the young
/ girl, dead long ago, one of the sisters,
j moved by curiosity smoothed the wrin-
! kles and creases of the wrapper. and all
most the first thing or which her eyes
! fell was the advertisement of Sarah Clop-
/ ion. She called to Zepherine Dion, and,
| for brcvty's sake, turned the matter rap
! idly into French. though Zepherine could
read and write English fairly we'll.
/ at is on the way to New Orleans, the
sister suggested Now, this was intended