The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-27
A BSENCE OF THE WISHING
IA BONE, OR UNLUCKY LIFE.

| saw a bit of mistletoe last week.
with clear white berries clustered on
the stem, catching and softening the
light, translucent and live, beautiful
and overlooking in the setting Or
green leaves and resting as if with
happy contentment on the bosom of
a maid with rosy cheeks WHO thus
dared to assert her good fortune and
anticipate Christmas; for the mistletoe
with prettieSt berries grows on the
highest trees in the swamp, where fair
maids do not climb--wherefore its
very presence on her breast argued
the existence of a climber willing to
climb for her sake, and six weeks be-
fore Christmas, too! Why, many of
us are never able to get one bit OF
mistletoe till long after Christmas,
when our brothers and nephewS have
tired of their hunting expeditions and
bethink themselves at last to shoot
down from some tall tree the particu-
larry graceful bunch that they re-
member we told them of six weeks
ago Then it is brought home, and we
put it with the other shining leaves
and the red berries of the holly our
own hands have gathered from the
low bushes ali around the farm, the
belated complement of our Christmas
time
Der the countless number who, less
fortunate than we, have never seen
the berries on the mistletoe, nor the
bloom on the holly, nor the glorious
flower of the tulip tree that grows 20
high above our heads: the many who
tOiling day by day, wiring a hard liv-
ing out of life, with no time to lift
their heads to the bright sunshine, OF
open their hearts to the free beauties
of nature. We see the poor man,
bowed and bent with toll trudging
home from his labor on Christmas
eve, stolidly resisting all the tempta
ton Of his heart to lift his eyes to
the shop windows where toys and
fruits and good things are displayed,
while he clutches closer the silver
piece in his pocket that he knows
must go for some necessity. and he i"
going home now to ask Mary what
that greatest necessity is. For Mary
waits at home, his faithful wife, with
the children, and no Christmas cheer
For the children 1t is not so hard, for
they have never known any other life,
and Mary could never find heart to
teach them any childish belief in Santa
Claus when there was nothing to put
in the little stockings if they hung
them up. No amount of letters or
wishes beforehand could bring ST.
Nicholas to the tiny home where the
wee wife toiled and the children grew
patient waiting for food and clothes.
So the only gayety that is extra tonight
is a freak of the weather, decking the
caves with icicles, upon which the
sun will shine on Christmas morn.
turning their negative beauty into
glittering glory of the Lord. But the
husband and the wife, the father and
mother, know that outside, in the
world, on this blessed eve the children
that were born with silver and golden
spoons in their mouths, are all aglee
with joy. There is the laden trse,
and the festive crowd. and the surfeit
of gifts, ne-hundredth part of which
would transform this humble home
into radiant joy, and there are bright
eyes and expectant faces among these
children who are warmed and fed, as
each one watches for the special gift
of his long desire, and Santa Claus
thus answers his Voluminous mail.
And then in their homes. after tle
tired and happy innocents have fallen
asleep with their stockings hanging
all in a row. how softly the fond par
ents creep into their rooms and, by the
light of the glowing Goals, stuff each
one with goodies till it can hold 10
more. All! the grief, the heaviness Of
it all, While these poor children in
the little rented home, where no gild-
Gu horseshoe IldIlEo, NnClG tAlC Nlph-
ng-bone" is not. these little ones with
sweet, gentle eyes and patient faces,
must never know a joy of the childish
Christmas time!
And so the parental hearts are
wrung this night, and the little ones
creep to bed, wondering why it seems
so gloomy and the freight is SO dull.
and why father sits with his head in
his hands and mother scarcely lifts
her eyes to his face while she fondles
them more and presses her hand with
more persistent loving caress upon
each little head as they kneel for their
evening prayers.
Perhaps some day joy will come 10
them, as a belated mistletoe bough.
and they will ruminate upon the many
who go through long life and never
cross wishing bone; but OH that
it might come in the nick of time, so
that their young hearts might feel the
beat of it's glad strength before they
are scared by the worlds hard ways!
/ read the other day of man VINO
had waited for years on the threshold
of fame. striving to catch one glance
from her eye. Finally, after belng
worn out with hope through long
years deferred and weary waiting, he
was admitted to her presence. She
received and inspected his work. law
ished upon it most splendid praise;
but when she sent for him to hear
her approving report the poor man