The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13


 hair hanging ike seawood over his gloomy face his black attire. and his distraught air as of one who forever listening to old. old echoes in his mind all these stamped him as a haunted man.
 He was famous. Hundreds of eager, aspiring ears hung daily on his words. hundreds of eyes watched his keen face and the work of his hands. Wherever science was worshipped the name Of Redlaw the Chemist was great. Yet at night, his work done, he sat before his grate, pondering. moving his lips as if in speech though silent as the grave-a haunted man haunted by dead past. haunted by memory of past sorrows. past wrongs endured, past dis appointments that never lost their bit terness but seemed to gain new gloom with every year, like the old house in which he dwelt.
 It was an ancient house, huge and lt-like an old endowment for poor students, lowering and worm eaten, yet strong and defiant of time with echoes
  passages and vaulted rooms till they lost themselves in the heavy air of the forgotten crypts where the Norman arches were half buried in the earth.
 When night came and the bustling youth and life of the students disap- peared, he sat quite alone in the great place; alone, and staring al the fire that
 
 in it's embers for him as other fires were doing for happier dreamers.
 Christmas was drawing near Every year it came and went unmarked by him. He did not realize that 1t was approach ing again till he was startled by a knock and in response to his Come in! there entered the family that kept the house in order
 A cheerful and pleasant sight they were in that old, grim room-William Swidger, fresh-colored. busy, smiling with respect and good nature he bowed to the chemist Mrs. William, as fresh-colored as her husband, with dark brown hair care fully smoothed down around her pretty innocent face, with her lowered skirts as orderly as if the very wind that blew so hard out of door could not disturb a sin gle fold and her little bodice as placid and as neat as all her delightful little per son and behind her. MT. Williams father, Philip, a venerable man with long white hair but with face as bright as his sons.
 Merry Christmas to you, sir" said the old man, and many of 'em. Have had a pretty many of 'em myself-ha, ha, hal and may ;ake the liberty of wishing 'em. I'm s7!'
 Have you had so many that were mer- ny and happy 2? asked the chemist
 "Ay, sir, ever so many replied the old man.
 "Is his memory impaired with age?" asked the chemist in a low voice. turn ing to the son. "1t Is to be expected now"
 Not a morsel of 1t, sir" answered MT William. That's exactly what l say my self, sir. There never was such a memory as my fathers. He's the most wonderful man in the world. He don't know what forgetting means. It's the very observa- tion I'm always making to Mrs. William sir, if you'll believe me?'
 MT. swidger. in his polite desire to acquiesce at all events, delivered this as if there were no iota of contradiction in 1t and 1t were all skid in unqualified and unbounded assent.
 The chemist stepped to the old man, who was looking at the glistening holly that he held in his arms for Mrs. VII liam, who was decorating the room quietly.
 Merry and happy" asked Redlaw. ob- serving him attentively. Merry and happy and remember well?'
 ''Ay, ay, ay." replied Phillip. His moth- er-my son William is my youngest son and I have sat under the holly many times with 'em all, boys and girls. Many of 'em arc gone. She's gone; and my George, our eldest, who was her pride more than all the rest. is fallen very low. But can see them when I seq tho holly, alive and well as they used to be; and can see him, thank God, in his inno- cence It's a blessed thing for me at s7.
 The chemists keen look that had been nxed on him so earnestly sought the ground.
 When my circumstances got to be not 10 good as formerly, through not being honestly dealt by, and I first came here to be custodian" said Phillip, which was upward of fifty years ago-William. my son, more than half century ago, Will Iiam'
 That's what say. father" promptly and dutifully replied MT. William. That's exactly where it is. What a wonderful memory you've got. father"
 Tt was quite a pleasure to know that one of our founders, or more correctly speaking" said the old man with a great pride in his knowledge, "one of the learned gentlemen that helped endow us In Queen Elizabeth's time. left in his will. among other bequests. so much to buy holly every Christmas to garnish the walls. There was something homely anf friendly in it. Being but strange here tken and coming at Christmas time, we took a liking for his very picter that hsnss in what used to be anciently, r<l