Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-21

SAM OhD fAM1LlON lSIL MS resi-
dence hurriedly on Christmas morn
ing, after his late and lonely break
fast, and there was a stoop-a droop
in his figure, which was ordinarily
strikingly erect and alert. His face,
TOO, was grave, and eyes heavy, as of
one who has kept watch beside the
sick or with his own uneasy thoughts.
He was a chililess widower. No
white-gowned little figures had sour
ried across the big rooms in the dim
light of the Christmas dawn and
awakened him with screams of delight
over full-to-bursting stockings and all
the wonders wrought by Santa Claus
on the night before Christmas.
The little beds were there-he could
never bear to have them taken away;
and in his own room over against the
wall stood dainty wicker cradle,
draped in white and blue. The blue
was little faded. 1t had stood there
a long time. Ever since the winter
morning when the house was full of
the perfume of tuberoses and all man
ner of white buds and blossoms.
This man. who had drank so deep,
ly of sorrow, had kept sweet" and
the heart in his big body was still
young, though in appearance he was a
veritable patriarch. His piercing
black eyes looked out under bushy
white eyebrows thick rings of snowy
hair touched the fur collar of his
great coat, and the feathery stars of
snow that We're falling as he left the
house that Christmas morning were
scarcely whittier than the long, silky
beard on which they fell.
He had remained late at his club on
Christmas eve with few bachelor
friends, who, as they said, had no wO-
men and no WORRIES" and it was only
when the last one bade him good
night and wished him merry Christ
mas that he stepped into the cab
standing at the door and was driven
through the frosty morning air to his
desolate home
Few are the dwelling-places,
humble or elegant, in which there are
no ghosts on the night before Christ
mas. They fit everywhere, and
what are dim shadows at other times,
memory-the two-edged sword of holi.
day time-quickens into torturing
Specters
Sanford Hamilton shivered as he
went up his own staircase, and some.
thing made him close the door of the
room in which the little beds stood
with unusual haste, and there was
something like fear-or was it
anguish Pin his face as he drew a
screen around SO it shut off the corner
where the wicker cradle stood.
Ghosts! Yes, but such beautiful
ghosts!
All, if they could only be children on
Christmas eve, with the tinkle of
reindeer bells in our ears and visions
of a blissful tomorrow!
Il 'ope, sir, as you'll ave pleasant
day, SIR said the butler as he opened
the door for his master to pass out
Thank you, Bennett, thank you,
replied MIR. Hamilton his usual genial
smile replacing the gravity in his face.
You need not sit up tonight; | may
not come home"
The snowy streets had a Sunday
appearance, and, save for few hurry.
ing pedestrians and loungers about
saloon doors, were deserted.
The hands of the clock pointed to a
quarter of II as he paused at corner
He was already due at his sisters
home, and he knew that four anxious
little faces were pressed against the
parlor windows in their eagerness to
be the first to see Uncle San"
Just then he felt faint tug at the
tail of his coat, so faint he barely
glanced around to see If he had beer
mistaken A little girl in a print
gown, a faded breakfast" shawl
pinned around. her narrow shoulders,
a dilapidated wooden hood drawn over
her red hair, and feet incased in a wo.
mans cast-off shoes, badly run down
at the heel, shrank back, frightened,
as he looked around
What is it. little girl?" he asked,
bending toward her.
Her eyes We're red with weeping.
Dirty smears on either cheek showed
where rivers Of woe had recently run,
and she began to cry again, carrying
the corner Of her dirty little shawl to
her eyes as she stammered timidly:
II yo-ou.pu-puease-
Poor ugly little thing! He thrust
his hand into his pocket in search Of
the eyer-consoling nickel or dime,
but the timid voice continued:
lo-you forgot to come to our house
last night"
i forgot to" He stopped and
looked perplexed.
An me N Tommy was good" sob