The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-12-27

HIGHT BENJAMIN Marlin sat alone Sn-
der the softly shaded electrolier, his
strong hand idly playing with the
stem Of his wineglass.
The light shone on pale, sharply cut
features and hair prematurely gray.
Il was q handsome countenance, but
overcast with habitual gloom that lin
eered In the fine gray eyes and was
written about the well cut lips.
A negro servant moved slowly to
and fro vainly proffering this or that
tempting dish for the notice of his
master. At last the servitor moved
toward the door and stood there at at
tention; It irritated Benjamin Marlin
to have a servant behind his chair.
At last the man at the table lifted
his head and looked around the ex-
panse Of snowy damask, glittering
with silver and cut glass. In the CEN
ter a bowl Of crimson carnations
famed richly.
aCalebi" he said sharply.
Eyes, Marse Ben" was the eager re-
ply.
do you know what day it isT' Mar
Inns face wrinkled into bitter smile
Eyes, sab: it's Christmas eve" re-
piled Caleb, with an expectant glance
at bis employer.
aHannah understands that my or
ders are still in force?v
Caleb's face heightened. ''You mean,
Marse Ben, dat you don't want no
Christmas dinner cooked in dis house?''
shat is what mean, and / don't
want anything served that approaches
Christmas dinner, understand? Han
nah viii know what to do-5ust as
you have done for the past ten years. >
The servant bowed respectfully and
turned away with bent shoulders.
Eyes, Marse Ben" he said brokenly.
Down In the warm kitchen big black
Hannah was washing dishes with a
chatter and bang that threatened to
bring disaster upon the Marlin china
ware. She turned white turbaned
head toward her husband as he en-
tered the room.
"You needn't say a word, Gale, hon
ey,n she calculated Il kin see by yore
face dat he's not gwine to have no
Christmas dis year,
II dunno what we're coming to-
groaned Caleb. at amt scarcely re
spectibble not to keep Christmus.''
ssRespectibblep' snorted Hannah an
grily. 1T amt righteous. Dere
wouldn't nobody but Satan rid man
6y In de face of Christmas for ten
years a-running don't care Ii 1t am
Marse Ben Marlin hisself. Don't you
look at me dat way, Gale Brown.
reckon / nussed Marse Ben when he
was little boy, and / seed him grow
up into a willful tempered young gen
leman who was always let to have
his own way OF co'se when he mar.
ried high sperrited gal like Miss Cor
nelia, who give him as good as he sent
and wanted her own way, mebbe, once
in awhile, mos anybody could see dere
was bound to be trubbler'
III Miss Corny hadn't took bofe de
young uns with her," mourned Caleb
I'VE might have had 1eetle Christmas
instid of cooking fish or cabbage OF
MOS anything dat don't smell like
chicken or turkey or mince pie. Oh
Lordy, wish dat debbil could be driy
outer Marse Ben and he'd send for 'em
all to come home"
twelve years and tree months to a
day. calculated Caleb mournfully u
s reckon I shall run away from Marse
Ben before next Christmas, Hannah
and you kin run too. shall try to
find Miss Cornelia, and mebbe she'd
take US / expect she has sight OF
( trubble wild help down in Philadel-
phia."
'Humphl You knows as well as ]
does dat Miss Cornelia don't keep nc
help. Amt we heard time and ag'in
dat she's teachin' folks how to sing
and play de pianner and working her
pretty self to skin and bones to take
care Of dem chiIlen-an' too proud to
take penny from him for dere keep!
1t makes my blood bile, Gale, to think
Of dem cnillen a-fixin' up a Christmas
box for dere pa each Christmas and
him having 1t put up in de nursery
without even untying de string! It's
billing shame to be SO proud as Marse
Benz
Their indignant voices foated up the
forgotten open shaft of the dumb wait
or into the dining room overhead
where the object of their remarks sal
with white stony face fixed unsee
ingly on the opposite wall, where Ions
rows of stiff necked ancestors looked
down on this member of their race
the most proud and stiff necked Of
them all and the most unhappy.
When the voices had sunk to low
grumble Benjamin Marlin arose and
left the room. He did not cross the
hall to his library, as was his nsua
custom, but turned and went slowly
up the circular staircase to the SECOND
floor. His own apartments were OF
the north side, but on the south there
stretched a sunny suit of rooms
They had belonged to Cornelia, hi:
wife, and behind them were the nurs
cries.
For the first time in ten years ht
liked the nursery door and entered
ON. He reached up and snapped
electric lights and looked
anah's loving hands had kept tbs
~ room spotiessiy clean. The
miniature furniture brought back a
sharp pang to his heart as he remem.
bered the delightful days he and Cor.
nelia had spent in selecting it, but he
stified the thought of Cornelia and
tried to recollect nothing save his two
children. They were his, and he had
accepted their Punishment from his
presence with a hardening heart-a
heart that now acknowledged that he
had been unjust to Cornelia, that he
had restricted her in many ways that
must have chafed the pride of a high
spirited girl such as his wife had been.
His own character had changed in a
measure He could see and appreci-
ate Cornelia's position.
Each Christmas week had brought a
package from the twins. At first ii
had been addressed in Cornelia's hand
writing, but afterward it came to Ben
jamin superscribed in round childish
characters that became frmer every
year and marked the development OF
the twins education. The packages
were there In the nursery, on the lit
tie white beds = ten packages that
had come by mail or express and had
never been united. Old Caleb had re-
ceived orders to place them In the
nursery, and each year he had carried
<ho~,, +hara xx-s+h +oo- h~;,,o,,,<>,, 49,