Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1911-01-06
Christmas
At Martins
The Day When the Pride Of
Ten Years Melted Away
By JOHN c. WHARTON


In the middle OF the long 0infnG
room the small table was m oasis Of
Mxht. Benjamin Marlin sat alone IN
der the softly shaded electroller. his
strong hand Idly playing with the
stem Of his wineglass-
The light shone on pale. sharply cut
features and hair prematurely gray.
It was q handsome countenanee. but
overcast with habitual gloom that lin
gersd In the nne gray eyss and was
written about the well cut iips.
a negro servant moved slowly to
-and fro vainly proRering this or that
tempting dish for the notice Of his
master At last the servitor moved
toward the door and stood there at at
gtension: II irritated Benjamin Marlin
70 have 4 servant behind his chair.
AT last the man It the table lifted
his head and looked around the ex;
panse Of snowy damask. glittering
with silver and cut glass. In the CEN
ter q bowl Of crimson carnations
famed richly.
sCalebr' be said sharply.
.Yes. Marse Ben" was the eager re-
ply.
DO you know what day It ISL" Mar
Inns face wrinkled into bitter smile.
Yes, sab: it's Christmas eve" re-
splied Caleb, with an expectant glance
at his employer.
"Hannah understands that my Or
.ders are still In forceY'
Caleb's face heightened. You mean.
Marse Ben, dat you don't want no
Christmas dinner cooked In dis housew
THAT is what l mean. and don't
want anything served that approaches
a Christmas dinner. understand? Han
nah will know what to do-just 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
clatter 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." she calculated. 81 kin see by yore
face dat he's not gwine to have no
Christmas dis year,
~ dunno what were coming to-"
KroAned Caleb. at amt scarcely re
.spectibble not to keep Christmus."
"Respectibblew snorted Hannah an
grily. ut amt righteous. Dere
wouldn't nobody but Satan rid man
~ In de face Of Christmas for ten
years a-running! l don't care II it am
Narse Ben Marlin hisseif. Don't you
look at me dat way. Gale Brown. ]
reckon I nussed Marse Ben when he
was little boy, and seed him grow
sup.into a willful tempered young gen.
'leman who was always let to have
ried a 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 trubble!'
IF Miss Corny hadn't took bOfe de
young uns with her," mourned Caleb,
I'VE might have had a leetle Christmas
jnstid of cooking fish or cabbage or
mos anything dat don't smell like
chicken or turkey or mince pie Oh.
Lordy, wish dat debbil could be driv
outer Marse Ben and he'd send for 'em
all to come home"
Twelve years and tree months to q
day. calculated Caleb mournfuliy. Il
reckon l shall run away from Marse
Ben before next Christmas, Hannah.
and you kin run too. shall try to
ind Miss Cornelia,, and mebbe she'd
take US expect she has q sight Of
1ubble wild help down In Philadel-
phia."
"Humph! You knows as well a.
does dat Miss Cornelia don't keep no
help. Amt we heard time and ag'in
dat she's steachin' folks how to sing
and play de pianner and working her
pretty self to skin and bones to take
care Of dem chillen-an' too proud to
take penny from him for dere keep
1t makes my blood bile, Gale, to think
Of dem cnillen a-ixin' up a Christmas
box for dere pa each Christmas and
him having it put up in de nursery
without even untying de string! It's
q billing shame to be so proud as Marse
Benz
Their indignant voices doated up the
forgotten open shaft of the dumb wait
er into the dining room. overhead.
where the object of their remarks sat
with a white stony face fixed unsee-
tngly on the opposite wall. where long
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 a low
grumble Benjamin Marlin arose and
left the room. he did not cross the
hall to his library. as was his usual
custom. but turned and went slowly
up the circular staircase to the second
door. His own apartments were on
the north side, but on the south there
stretched q sunny suit Of rooms
They had belonged to Cornelia. his
wife, and behind them were the nurs-
erica
For the first time In zen years he
unlocked the nursery door and entered
the room He reached up and snapped
on the electric lights and looked
around
Hannah's loving hands had kept the
pretty room spotIessly clean The
miniature furniture brought back .
sharp pang TO his heart as be remem-
bered the delightful days he and Cor
nelia had spent IN selecting II. but be
stffed the thought Of Cornelia and
tried to recollect nothing save MS two
children. They were his. and be had