Newspapers / Polk County News and … / Dec. 25, 1902, edition 1 / Page 2
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J i1 Si I : il i i 1 1 j i u i .1 t., B 9 : LI of Eleanor Merton' s friends declared that-she was like to go inad with grief: She had had an unusually bit ter experience. The beautiful, '.willful orphan girl had married a handsome . youth who .'developed into a cruel and dissipated 'man: . For three years Eleanor bore her trials in silence w'ith a;splendid pride; then her husband's sudden death set her free," and she abandoned herself happily to her ab- . sorbing love for her child, his young mother's delight. . . . Her friends had laughed, and said that Eleanor Morton could talk of nothing but "Reggie,"" and 'they were . 6lck and tired of hearing of the little prodigy! So they came to visit her with less andless frequency, and truth - to tell she never missed their coming. One frienft, at least, was faithful, and that was Godfrey Waring. He ". was a distant connection of Eleanor's, her friend from childhood and . little Reggie's godpapa. Now he was also her chief counsellor In all important " matters. " . :- ., . The happiest time of the year for Eleanor was the holiday season, and ... she thoroughly enjoyed the fun of Reg gie's tiny stocking and his little Christ mas tree. The Christmas preparations when Reggie was approaching the mature age of four proved happier thanmy ever before. The boy was quits old enough to appreciate all sorts of won derful things, and every evening for almost a week, after he was safely In bed, Eleanor, wifh Godfrey for an es cort, visited the toy shops and bought the prettiest things she saw, and then on Christmas Eye Eleanor and Godfrey dressed the tree. It was nearly 11. o'clock before they had finished, and Godfrey was rewarded for his share of the work by an invitation to "come and take dinner With Reggie", the; fol lowing day. When Godfrey , reached his rooms perhaps an hour after he left her he found a note from Eleanor awaiting him. , She forgot to tell me the hour a which Reggie will dine," lie said to himself with a smile as he tore open the envelope. But the words he read were these: "Reggie is ill. Come at once. He hurried back to find doctors com . ing and going and Eleanor half dis tracted, and when he caught the words "malignant diphtheria' he did not won der at her alarm. . ' That night no one thought of sleep. Day dawned and slowly dragged through all - its awful length;' and though all things were done which hu man wisdom could suggest when night came little Reginald was dead. Eleanor's grief was frantic, passion ate, pitiful. No wonder her friends feared for her reason. Godfrsy alone was of any comfort to her, and that only because she could talk to him in cessantly of her dead child. Until Twelfth, Night Reggie's Christ mas tree stood just as they had dressed it, and Eleanor would not per mit It to be removed. Time went on, and though Eleanor's GODFREY SAW HEB . SWAY AND SHE SEEMED ABOUT TO PAlIi. " ' ' grief was no less absorbing It gradu ally became more nnipt in it Godfrey keenlv drpjiripr! fnr h approach of Christmas time, and he felt greatly distnrTWi wh business kept him away from thecity .aic u vurisimas Hive. ; it wag too late to see Eleanor on his return. A it t v 'C4v lu uta- eany on unristmas 1 'i . . ') vS? i CV V' ' . .... l.VtJ 5 .1 morning and found her, to Ida horror gazing with glassy eyes upon n thrit mas tree, the counterpart of the ono which they two had decorated the 'Christmas: Eve before. ' h ' "Eleanor!" he saidi "you will drive yourself mad!" J ; rWhat then!" she answered, ! dully. "At least I should be less miserable than I am now." ; i j " So during that awful anniversary day she lived over again her agility of grief, and Godfrey, was powerless to turn, even for a moment, the current of her thoughts. 4 The little useless tree, with Its bur- den of pretty toys, was kept In Its lace until Twelfth Night was over, a i be fore. And then it vanished, Godfrey hoped, forever! I : Another year went by and EleAnor, still a recluse and. unreconciled, mburned for her boy. ; j As Christmas again drew near Elean or said to Godfrey, "I shall dress Rec- inald's tree as usual on Christmas iKve. Will you help me-orL must I do it alone, as I did last year?" ' ' "Eleanor!" he protested. "I shall do it!" she said firmly. land he saw that there was no appeal. ; "Then I will help you," he promised. and together. In tragic silence theyFper- formed the awful task. . - "For the last time!" Godfrey 'told himself as he helped lier cold land trembling fingers tie On the toys wihlch had: been bought for little Reginald so long before. It seemed monstrous that these playthings, made for a child's delight, could be thus perverted Irom their purpose and used again and again as instruments of torture for a vf Om an's heart. ' ', . It was .late when their task was finished and he -bade her good-night. Her face haunted him all night, and in the morning he went to her again. I Before the hoUse he saw' three! tat fA v :'' ' r . i 0m& issf - job iy tered, wistful little vagrants loitering, and as he passed them he heard one say, "Gee! wisht I cud git in Idere' wunst jist ter see dem tings clus lo!" , He glanced , up, and where the Idra: perles had been pushed aside hocaught a glimpse' of Reginald's Christmas jtree. r"Mrs. Merton is out!" he said in! sur prise, . repeating the maid's words. "Gone to church, you say! Yes I'll come in and';wait'V";;';i,:i:;: - He was glad. He glanced at' his watch; It was a full hour until the- ser vice would be over. He went td the window and pushed the curtains jslde to look out, and a shrill cry of delight came from the urchins outside whom be had forgotten as they caught a bet ter view of the gayly decorated tree; In an instant his resolution was tvnmvHl U mmW to the children Ue m ml mm m frontdoor. m wot M naitl. "but vw imw i)t &m -imyeii't TlW fiVlHWttt HtiW am Vl0f IWv Stott mM ' - he,hvhK i-ott aw. toy IVOOkUuMrnasnglUtU - H Wwswm m wmp hit tin a Mi a Sy)s tfOMrty hv you mvf ' n InltrVea, Ulrty Ww AvIiOSe Jiirg0ll wlienthilr toimit v1 lobeuea.uoii fiy tnmht lumliy uutUntniul. . qutokly tttui aimvmmhly lift ttut i woik ntttt Urn tr: watrlbpoil und tlio toy ttlvhlea hiOuiw thvnr In nn iiw cmllbly UoH Umpi Uv Wrt Just -pullhiK down the JnHt tinsel itixrlund nmld their; ulivieks of vapturti vhen he looked up and nw itlcanor-n tail black ttgui-o hi the doorway. Her veil tva thrown back and her f act was white nnd tfmaowy. Godfrey saw her HWay and she seemed about to fall. He sprang for ward to support her, but she shrank away 'from him. " , : I thought you -were Reggie's friend -and mine," she said hoarsely. "How much I was mlsialceh. ' Our bitterest enemy could have devised nothing half so cruel." ' With these words she left the room, and Godfrey turned back to complete the ruin he had wrought. v Full an hour passed before he heard her step descending the stair. She thought that he had gone, and she started -when 'she enteredthe room and saw him there. Her, quick eyes noted the absence.of the tree. "How dared you do it?" she cried at last "how dared you give away the toys I had bought for my own - dead child?" ' . "They haye made three living chil dren happy, Eleanor "Dirty beggars from the street It was an insult to me and to Reginald's .memory even to , bring - them into my home- it Godfrey flushed. "Is it their fault that they were born In the gutter, that they are dirty; ignorant and half "clad? In the eyes of God, Eleanor, I. believe those children are as dear as your spotless Reginald." - She looked at him aghast. " 'I shall never forglyou," she said. "How dared you do it?" she cried again. "I dared because I thought I hoped It might save you from this useless brooding,- this-awful misery "What do you know of misery?" she said in scorn. "You, who have never loved and buried a. child." ' r- ' "I know only the misery, of a hope less and lifelong love," he said, after a moment's pause. "Eleanor, I would have given my life to give -you back your child whom I loved, too or .- to help you - m any way,' and I thought you, knew that And I thought that what I have done might make it easier for you in the future, that was all. In stead, it has proved a blunder, and in place of your indifference I have earned your hate." " . ' She had seated herself with her arms resting upon, the table before her and her face turned, from him. "Even now I am not sorry it is done," he said slowly, "and I hope in time you may come to believe I did it in all kind ness to you. And now, at least, you With her face still hidden she blind ly stretched out her hand and he took Good'byo forever," he feaTd.-: r : - The Mhiall white fingers grasped bis 0Wii, uud WtiU he did not understand. Nowlwho waslvccping silently and.be waw tilled witli pity for her ; Ml06r child," ho said, "if only some one couk! comfort you where r so la incniably have failed.- 7 : ' ; Tho iiiurill white clinging fingers sud d(Mily carvlcd-hls hand to her hidden llprt. " " ' Klennor!" lie cried. Godfrey," she inurmuVed, still din ing to his haiul. i ' a The now, year; was still young when Eleanor Merton became Godfrey War ing's wife. ' - Hut when the next Christmastide drew near Eleanor said to her husband with a tremiilous smile. Godfrey, 1; want to ask f your T Indulgence. Will you take me jout to-night and again help me to select some toys and a little; tree? I have found some poor, neglect ed children some of God's little ones' -wlm will have no merry Christmas otherwise. And I wantI want you to help me uress; tne tree, ana to iet uie have thm all liere and make them happy, on Christmas Day for Regin ald's sake- "1 And Godfrey did not say no. The Household. ' i , ClirTsMnat. Doughnut. A necessity of the Colonial Christmas table was a generous plate of raised doughnuts. A formula for these, which is contributed by a famous New Eng land housekeeper, Is as follows: One cupful of lard or butter, two cupfiils of milk, one cupful of yeast, three cup-. ful' of sugar, four or five eggsnutmeg and . a pinch; of salt Warm together the milk and lard, then add the yeast; stir in flour enough to maker a batter, and let it stand oyer night then add the other Ingredients. Knead soft, and let it rise again then roll, cut out, and let rise before frying. ; Sprinkle with sugar and spread.r not pile, on a plat ter, over which a . napkin - has first been laid. Harper's Bazar. S : I 1 ; - - - - - Cir I mm ' f . -THE HOLY NIQUT" . OriditJea rr ChrUtua8. IwtfiOLaDuM Attn T.r-E P '-'F, Here is a group.. of . Christmas novel- ! ties. Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dei are dolls and Humpty Dumpty is a pin cushion. A very pretty present fori baby is a silver spoon, with a loop han dle, and which has in the chased bowl a representation of a nursery rhyme. These -loop handles make the spoons very safe and comfortable for little fingers? As for the tiny balloon, t&( is an ornamental pm cushion. Had a Fine Time. . Papa "Well, Bobby, did you bate good, time , seeing Christmas dotffl town?" ; . : Bobby, "Yes, sir; I busted thret drums an': broke some tin horns an music boxes." V A pretty doll ir ex slbck- Wfile i2djr J?r 5, soldier . doll bravely swui WKer,lo! ll2 timepiece shriek twelve o'clock, At4 gave He misltelbe ; TTer tl sl&rHecl doll Keard tK soldier say "All riaKt little ieior! v irsCKnslms Pay " AHcr the eiHi t are ail givei. iK'M'orHv 'CKrijlmas f' 's time Jor Offistmaa 1 -: win not refuse to say gopd-bye.
Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 25, 1902, edition 1
2
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