The Virginia enterprise., 1904-12-23

You dear little sou1!" said i Miss
Nab. warmly: you shan't have any
more lonesome days, II I can help t."
T Miss Nab watched anxiously tho
meeting at the corner. The child did
not nestle her head on her fathers
shoulder, as was her custom; she was
talking to him eagerly and pointing
across the street to the little brick
house set In the midst Of q wide gar
den. She did not wave her answer
Miss Mab's heart began to beat tumu'-
tuously, when she saw the tall mau
come striding across the street through
the snow. She threw the door open
before he knocked. He bowed courte-
ously.
my little girl has told me Of your
goodness" he said. 1T is kind Of you,
very, very kind. I do not know how to
thank you. We shall be very happy
to come. do not mind the loneliness
much for myself, but for Cynthia. left
alone all day in our bare little room,
the thought Of it stays with me con-
stantly while work." Cynthia hung
delightedly over her fathers shoulder
whispering in blissful friendliness to
the gray cat.
"'Twas a bold thing to do, invitin'
strangers this way" said Miss Nab.
apologeticallY. The scarlet bushes wer~
chasing each other across her cheer
full face. ~ didn't say anything
about the little girls mother, because
I didn't just know" She stopped hes
itatingly.
"Cynthia's mother died when she
was three days DID," said the man,
slowly; "she has had to grow up with
hardly anybody to care for her but her
father. He isn't quite as good as
mother would be. is he. dearest?'
"He's pretty nearly as good" whis-
pered the child, stroking the careworn,
face.
Land sake!" cried Miss Nab. with
q strange, choking sob: 'land sake.
1t is hard lines when the father has
to do the motherfn', too!"
1--WE are very happy together. aren't
we. Cynthia?" The child nodded en-
phatically.
"The worst is her loneliness, only
she will be going to school pretty
soon: and our Christmas is assured.
I cannot thank you cordially enough.
madam. both for Cynthia and myself.
We will be delighted to come" The
child waved q goodnight as they
crossed the street. and Miss Nab wiped
her eyes furtively when she sat down
In her big rocking chair. 1T is more
blessed to give than to receive" she
said.to herself: somehow, 1t, seems to-
bring such warm comfort into your
own life"
After tho dinner had been cleared
away Miss Nab summed herself In the
Joyous warmth Of fellowship. The gra-
cious wood fire wrapped the little group
in it's friendly glow and the very spirit
of Christmas seemed to hallow the
homely. cozy living room. =
It was q wild. cold winter, with great
snow storms whirling over the country
and city streets blocked with huge
drifts, but there were no more lonely
days for Cynthia The room in the deso-
late boarding house was almost deserted
between morning and night. The
radiance Of gracious friendliness and
blissful warmth constantly awaited the
child in the house across the street.
Maltie's welcome was as cordial as that
of his mistress. Every morning, after
be had eaten his comfortable breakfast.
he jumped in the living room window to
curl himself up in gray ball with ex-
pectant half shut eyes fixed on the brick
building across the street He watched
till the door was opened by tall man,
who carried lunch box and little
clinging bundle wrapped in a fleecy
brown shawl He always chose the same
path; he came striding across the street
to the red brick house set in the wide
yard. Then Matte with a sudden eager
leap went to find his mistress, and fol-
lowed her, purring loudly, to the front
door. He could scarcely wait for the
little visitor to be unwrapped. Miss
Mab's hunger for fellowship was no less
ardent than that Of the gray cat. Then
what days followed. It seemed like 4
sudden burst of sunshine come into
Cynthia's lonely life.
The careworn look seemed to be fad
ing from her fathers face. When eve
ming came and he stopped at Miss Mab's
door to gather the little girl back in his
arms, there was time for few moments
cheerful conversation. Cynthia's fare
wells were always tempered by the as
surance of her return In the morning.
One night the child, tucked in .
blanket, laid her cheek against her
fathers. when their bedtime talk was
nearly finished. She whispered: Don't
you love Miss Nab, father!" II do" hs
said in a low voice.
''She's just as good as fairy god
mother, isn't she?" questioned the
child: almost as good as the godmother
who came to take care Of the poor little