The Yale expositor., December 21, 1894, Image 3

About The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
A CI1IUSTMAS 1DYLJ
ITTLE 1IL0SS0M
thrust her tiny
dimpled hands into
the great china
rose jar, and shook
out a gust of fu ra
in cry fragrance,
though outride the
winter wind was
raging wildly, and
piling the lleccy
snow into deep
mow drifts.
"Don't spill the" pot-pourri, my pet!"
murmured a sweet, sad voice.
It was Dlossom's taster, blue-eyed
Mabel, who sat sewing by a dim light
and a dying fire sewing furtively on a
white dress for a cheap doll hidden
under her apron, for to-morrow would
be Christmas, and the poor gift must
go into lllossom's little red stocking
hanging yonder with that pathetic darn
in the tiny heel,
They were alone in the world, these
two, and Mabel was fighting the battle
of life for both, with a brave heart but
failing hope, for alas! encumbered with
the care of the 4-year-old child, there
was so little she could do to keep the
grim wolf of poverty away from the
door.
Only two years ago they had been
the petted daughters of a rich mei
chant, but failing in business, he had
died of the shock, and his delicate
wife had soon followed him to the
grave.
Everything was sold to satisfy the
clamorous creditors.
Of all the splendors and luxuries of
their old home nothing remained to the
orphans but the beautiful china vase of
pot-pourri of which Arthur and Mabel
had gathered the roses that summer
when they were betrothed.
"DOtt'T PItk THE rOT-POURni, MT PET.
That was almost three- years agro,
now, and to-night, as the wild winter
wind shrieked through the leafless
t'-ees. and the blinding snow whirled
along the lonely streets, little Ulossom
sllrred the rose leaves in the old china
jar. and with the summery gust of
spicy perfume, old memories rose to
flood tld! ia Mabel's tortured heart.
Where was Arthur now when his beau
tiful young love was so lonely and
friendless In the cruel world, her slight
form too thinly elad for the wintry
?old, her cheek too wan from lack of
food? Was he dead, or false?
Alas, they, had quarreled bitterly,
th headstrong young loveTst
Hat as Mabel wept so heart-brokenly
-now, she thought less of their bj't
au&rrel and mors of their Joro tmd
Mil,
happiness that golden summer when
they had gathered the roses to fill the
china jar, and kissed each other so
often beneath the bending foliage.
Later on, in winter weather, they had
quarreled, because Mabel was dis
pleased at Arthur's flirting with u cold
coquette. So the sweet idyl of love came
to a sudden cndr and Arthur devoted
himself to the girls that Mabel despised
the most. She did not seem to care,
although she favored none of her other
suitors, but smiled on all alike. Her
mamma did not allow her to take ref
uge, like Arthur, in reckless flirting.
"A young girl should be as pure as a
white rosebud. Tho virgin dew of in
nocence thould not be brushed from
her heart by idle flirtations. Let her
keep her love looks and her heart
smiles for her husband," said the wise
matron.
And therein lay the gist of the lover's
quarrel.
Arthur had flirted and Mabel had
taken him to task.
lie was so handsome and so rich that
women kept angling for him even after
his engagement was announced, and
his easy masculine vanity soon drew
him into a coquette's toils. lie looked
love into her wooing ryes and kissed
her hand because, the tempted him.
He knew he was in the wrong", but he
waxed angry at Mabel's naive lectures.
"Mamma says a male flirt Is even
more despieablo'than a female one, and
that a truly noble man will not 6toop
to pain a woman's heart merely to
gratify his silly vanity. And an en
gaged man is almost the same as a
married man. Mamma says he has no
rigTit "
Hut her timid arguments were inter
rupted by Arthur's angry retort:
"See here, Mabel, j-ou're beginning
to quote rny mother-iu-law to me too
soon, and I tell you pla.nly I won't
stnnd it now, nor after I'm married,
either."
'You can never marry me unless you
change your fickle ways!" flashed Ma
bel, indignantly, and Arthur, not to be
outdone, replied:
"Very well, Miss Miller, I can soon
find another sweetheart as pretty as
j'ou are, and perhaps not so jealous!"
Mabel's blue eyes flashed with anger,
and tossing her beautiful golden head,
she threw his diamond ring disdain
fully at his feet. Arthur picked it up
with a reproachful glance- from his
large, dark eyes, bowed scornfully,
and went away. After that they never
spoke as they passed by.
But, in spito of their outward pride
and alienation, they bad loved too
tenderly and truly to change at heart,
and each cherished a secret hops of
reconciliation. Sho thought that
Arthur would repent and own his
fault; he believed that Mabel would
repent and call him back.
IJut in one brief month her father
died, and the heart-broken wife quickly
followed her husband to tho better
land.
Mabel and little Blossom were left
all fclone in the cold world. Riches
took wings, nnd friends forsook the
orphans. With a few dollars, and the
old china rose-jar, they removed to a
humble room they had rented in the
cottage of a poor widow. There, for a
little while, Mabel half hoped for
Arthur's coming. Surely, If he had
ever loved her, he would throw pride
to the winds and come to her now,
when she was so poor, and sad, and
wretched.
IJut the long months came and went
without a sign from Arthur, and it
was more than two years now r since
their angry parting. She seldom went
out, he did not read the newspapers
kh ivm too busy and too poor- so she
did not even know what had becom?of
her old love. lie might be dead or
married married to that sweetheart
he had boasted "he could find, as pret
ty as Mabel and not so jealous."
Mabel had tried oh, so hard! to put
fickle. Arthur out of her thoughts, but,
alas, when Blossom's restless fingers
would stir the pot-pourri into perfume,
the ghost of that dead summer and
j that lost love would come out from the
withered rose leaves and pull at Ma
bel's heart-strings with relentless
I hands.
While Mabel wept on her folded
hands, the restless little Blossom,
ever intent on childish mischief, came
and leaned against her knee, abstract
ed tho tiny silver thimble from her
finger, and trotted back to dabble In
tho rose leaves again until she was
presently put to bed after drowsily
murmuring her baby prayer, "Now I
lay me down to sleep."
Then Mabel knelt to pray also, and
to her nightly petition she added, as
often before: "God bless Arthur,
wherever he may be, and give him a
happy life. Amen."
The joyous Christmas morning
dawned with dazzling sunshine on the
bright, new fallen snow, and Blossom
was very happy with the new doll and
sugar plums in her red stocking, but
for sweet Mabel there was no Christ
mas token, although in former years
the festal season had showered Ler
wlta gifts. With deft fingers she pre
pared their simple breakfast of tea and
toast, and just as they finished eating
their laundress entered.
She was a sunny tempered old negro
woman, once Blossom's loving nurse,
and since then she had insisted on do
ing their small wash, charging only a
nominal sum, such as she knew Mabel
could afford to pay.
Blossom laughed with delight over
the big yellow orange Mammy gave
her, then tho old woman opened her
neat basket and brought out the snowy
garments so daintily laundered, ex
plaining volubly:
I It'
MM N
"MT PKF.CIOVS MAtlKL."
"Miss Mabel, honey, dese yere white
ap'orns uv Blossom's donu wared so
threadbar', dat I tored a snag in one
sleeve, honey. I's mighty sorr, but I
cudden' help it to sabe my life, de mus
lin is so oie aiul thin. But, darlin',
yoa git yo' needle right off an' fix it
afore Blossom puts hit on, 'cause
you know ef sho spy dat leetle snag,
she gwine to poke her sassy leetle
thumb in it shore, and tyar dat hole
heap bigger In a minnitt Ah, you
sp'llt little precious," apostrophizing
Blossom, "you needn't ,hake dern
yaller curls at me, 'cause you knows
dat yo ole brack Mammy is. tellin'
de gospel truth on you! You always
was a doing of tome mischief ebber
in ,?itssik
$mi lit
pence you was born, dougli you d
looky like a hebbenly angel wid deuj
big blue eyes an' dimply cheeks!" anc
the gathered the cherub to her broad
bosom in a loving hug while Mabel
sought diligently In her little work
basket for her missing thimble.
"It is not here. How strange, for I
had it late last night," she said. Then,
a sudden memory came over her. She
added, anxiously: "Blossom, you had
sister's thimble last night. You took
it from my finger. Get it for me now,
that I may mend j-our pretty white
apron!"
Blossom trotted from corner to cor
ner with a puckered brow of grave
perplexity and her rosy thumb in her
mouth, sure sign of perturbation.
Mabel and Mammy joined in the search,
diligently, but all in vain.
"Oh, dear! the little mischief, she is
always losing some of my things,"
sighed Mabel, impatiently. "Thero
was my gold pen that went so strange
ly, my tooth brush, dozens of spools of
embroidery silks, and ever so many
trifles. But she can never remember
what she did with a single thing! She
must have found a crack in the floor
or wall to poke things in. Think now,
pet, with ull your might. WlA;re did
you hide sister's thimble?"
Blossom, witli her most cherubic air
of innocence, was thinking deeply, and
to some purjse this time, for suddenly,
with a shout of joy liko an infantile
Columbus discovering a new America,
she rushed to the rose-jar.
"Indat evysing in dere!" she lisped,
joyfully, and boldly oveturncd the
pot-pourri upon the floor.
Oh, the flood of sweetness, the summer-time
perfume in the wintrj air as
the spices and withered roses poured in
reckless waste upon the vyarm carpet!
A cry of dismay rose from Mabel's lips,
but Mammy and Blossom were already
on their knees scattering the fragrant
mass and bringing to light all the lost
treasures.
And suddenly Mabel saw in Mam
my's fat black hand a square, cream
tinted envelope, sealed with pale-blue
wax, and on tho back her own name in
Arthur's writing: Miss Mabel Langley
Miller.
"Oh, my Lor' Almighty, dat lost let
ter! Da's whar she done hid it, dat
little mischief!" the old woman was
half sobbing when Mabel caught it
from her hand.
She thought at first that it was one
of Arthur's old love letters, but sud
denly she saw that the seal was un
broken, and cried, tremblingly:
"Mammy, Mammy, how camo this
here? When how " her voice
broke in a sob, and tho old woman
whimpered:
"'Taint nothin' important, is it, Miss
Mabel, honey? 'Cause, how, maybe
I've been wrong that I never tole you
'bout it sooner! Dot letter I'd know
it ag'in any wharcs kem to our house
the day of poo' mar's fun'el, darlin',
and I jest lay it down in you' room
a'tendin' to gib it tcr you bimeby
when you come up stairs from crying
ober de corpse. 'IVarcd la!: I jest
turned round and dat letter was gone.
Blossom, she was a-stanin' close to do
Are, an' I t'ouht she done took en burn
it up. I'se feared you'd be mad 'bout
it, so I neber tolled you; and when de
nigger kem dat ebenin' for do answer,
I telled him thar wasn't none. Oh, dat
little mischief, she done hid it lu de
rose-jar all distiiae!"
"Oh, Mammy, Mammy, you've
wrecked my life! I'll never forgive
you nevcr,never;' walled Mabel, as she
broke" the seal of the dear letter whoso
secret the old rose-jar had kept those
two long weary years.
And under date of two v ago,
Arthur had written in a passion of
love and remorse and tenderness:
"Mv Darm.vo Mabel: I was in the
wrong, from first to last. Will you
forgive me, and make up our dreadful
quarrel?
'I havo never been happy one
moment since we parted. I will never
flirt again if you will take me back
again, my darling.
"My heart aches for you in your loss
and sorrow, my own sweet love, but I
will love you enough to make up for
everything when onco you are my dar
ling wife. Blossom shall be my little
sister. Send me one word, my Mabel,
to put me out of my misery and bid mo
come to you! Your Airmen."
She turned on the old black woinau,
her blue eyes haggard with despair.
"The letter was from Arthur.to make
up our quarrel," sho cried. "You
knew all about it. then, how we loved
each other and how we parted. But
now it is too late, forever too late!"
and she fell sobbing, with her lovely
face against the withered roses oi that
golden summer when she and Arthur
had been happy together.
So black Mammy, with a sob of dis
may, rushed from the room, and Blos
som crouched over the scattered pot
pourri in round eyed amazement.
Mabel alternately kissed and wept
over the letter all day long, but in the
early gloaming sho heard a manly
footstep inside the room.
"Miss Mabel, honey, I done fetch
him back to you, darlin'," sobbed a
voice outside the door, and the girl
sprang to her feet in bewilderment.
A pair of tender arms clasped her to
warm, manly breast, dark, glorious
eyes beamed love into her own, fond
lips clung yearningly to hers, und Ar
thur Earle breathed, with deep emo
tion:
j "My precious Mabel, we miist for
give Mammy and Blossom their share
in our long separation, for we both
I have suffered so deeply that our re
union is all the more sweet and thrill
ing! No more sadness and loneliness
j for us, Mabel, darling. This is the
most joyous Christmas of my life, and
to-morrow you bhall be my Worshiped
. bride!"
Not IIU Hreolir Tim Tet.
Teacher (in mission Sunday School)
Do you ever clean your i:ails, Jakey?
Jakcy Yes'm. Cleaned 1m last
Christmas. I ain't no dude.
I
N all receipts for cooking
requiring a
the ROYAL BAKING
POWDER, because it is an
absolutely pure cream of tartar
powder and of 33 per cent
greater leavening strength than
other powders, will give the
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5 ROYAL BAKING FOWDCrt CO.,
Some men join a church with no !
better motive than others rob a bank. '
If men had to be juJged by ono an
other nobody could ever get to
heaven.
The quickest way for a man to find
out what others think of him is to
run for office.
Don't do anything to-day that you
wouldn't want to be found doing ou
the judgment day.
It is not what you put into your
pocket, but what you take out that
will make you rich.
Happiness consists in a virtuous and
honest lfe, in being content with a
competency of outward things, and in
using them temperately.
Catarrh Can Not ITe Cured
With LOCAL APPLICATIONS, as they
an not reach the neat of the disease Ca
tarrh is a blood or constitutional disease,
:ind in order to cure it you must tnke in
ornal remedies. Hall's L'ntarrh Cure in
taken internally, nnd act cMrectly on tho
lood and mueouHFurfares. Hall's CotarrU
Jut e is not a quack medicine. It wan pre
! ilied by one of the best physicians in this
ouutry lor years, and is a regular pre
'ript ion. It is composed of the lcst tonics
iiuwn, combined with the be;t blood purl
'ers. acting directly on the mucous aur
aeen. The perfect combination of tho two
-itirredients is what produces hucIi wonder
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testimonial, free
K. J. CHENEY & CO., Props., Toledo, O.
Sold bv driifcpmtH, price 7oc.
Halls Family Pillu, VSe. .
It ts the nafcGuard of a citizen to be a citizen.
For Coi.ns, Cnorr, Asthma. Hron
chiTi.o and Soro Throat use Dr. Thomas'
Kclectric Oil, and get the genuine.
How ntnv men rut their test business Jifl;
meut Into their political arts
Quinsy troubled me for twenty years.
Since I started using Ir. Thomas'
I'.clectric Oil, have not had an attnek.
The oil cures sore throat at once. Mrs.
Letta Conrad,Standish.Mich.,Oct.24.'8.1
Woman will Uke advantage of an opportunity
ana niaa take the opportunity.
At Hennett Hyron Fisher, aged 21
and single, placed a Winchester on the
table, pulled the trigger with a stick
and sent a bullet through his heart,
lie was a school teacher.
Manv people wear lonjr faces because they
are Hfrall they wouldo t bo considered reliKi
gtous tf they dldn t.
My physician said I could not live,
my iiver out of order, frequently vom
ited greenish muouous, skin yellow,
small dry humors on face, stomach
would not retain food. liurdock lUoo.l
Hitters cured me. Mrs. Adelaide
O'Urieu, 372 Exchange St., Huffalo N.Y.
Illcks Gigson was here to-day. I
could hardly get a word out of him.
Ilrt appeared very much occupied.
Wicks Don't see how that can be.
He told me that he had eaten hardly
anything for a week.
Farming and Stork Raining In ebraka
A pamphlet containing valuable in
formation about Kebrntkn, northwest
ern Kansas and eastern Colorado, with
a sectional map of that country, will
be sent free on application to V. N,
Knstis, General Passenger Agent, C. 11.
&Q. IL IL, Chicago, 111.
If conversation be an art, like
painting, sculpture and literature, it
owes its most powerful charm to na
ture; and the least shade of formality
or artifko destroys tho effect of the
best collection of word i.
1
ItM u u oil B M
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EXPOSITIONS
In Europe and America.
Vnlik th tnlrh I'mrfKM Al-
llkr of otlirV hrmtrala or Hth r
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'I nu ollrtnn HHKAKr ART l.(M OA la raoiuMiJ
puro Mi tolDbK a4 m ct evp.
OLD BY GROCCRt tVERYWHtftt.
WALTER BAXEB L cOcRCHESTER, MASS.
111
leavening agent
1CG WALL ST., NEW-YORK. 5
Common fens U most uncommon.
Itgnin'aCm prior Ire with Hi jrer-rlm.
Tli' oi'ipliiHl niilinl Kcnuln.'. Cur.'-ti lni.-it Hawlt
Aim hih am) crpect to hit ttio mar.
llaims Magic Corn ffalv.
Warrant ( to euro or nny rcfuoUoU. AK JVUM
lrufj;-,t lor 1U l'ru;u 13cenu
Ly!b in not alway-i an acquired b;bit.
Jt the liaby la Cuttlufr lecttu
He ur and uo that oM and w-ll UloU remeIvt
Vinm.ow' Soothing 8YKCT for Chillin Tfcthbigy
It H a Iodjj hcud that knows no turtiiii.
Piso's Cure Is thf? medicine to break w
children's Coughs und Coid. Mr. iJL I.
Ui.i'.Nr, Sprague, Wash., Marcn 8, t ill.
There Is no hucu thing as pnodunsg fra mic
until I.e. Knows for Uiui-elf the uoodneaa nS
tjO.l.
Tho Modern Mother
Has found that her little ones are im
proved more bv the pleasant laxative,
Syrup of Figs, when in need of the
laxative effect of a gentlo remedy thn
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"Well, sir," said tho vivacious ladjr
to the artist who was painting ber
portrait, "you haven't finished al
ready, have you? Or, has tho hour
expired?" "Ni'ithcr, madam," replied
the artist, "I am waiting for an op
portunity of seeing how your ctuB
looks when in repose."
DO VOU EXPECT
To Become a Mother?
If so, then permit to
. gav that Dr. I'icrct'a
6k ra? 1Wsisaip-
true
"Mollicr'a Priced"
OK JT MAKM
PI
system tor parturi
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" Tibor." The painful ordoar of cuildlxaJi
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child. The period' of confinement is also.
Kreatly shortened, the mother strengthened
and built up, nnd nn abundant secretion of.
nourishment for the child promoted.
Send 10 cents for a large Hook (163 page,
Riving all particulars. Address, World's
Dispensary Mkdicat. Association, 66j.
Main St., Buffalo, N. Y.
PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH.
Mr?. Krkd Hunt, of t-'lenville, A. K
says : " I read about Dr. Pierce's Fa
vorite Prescription being 6o food for a wo
man with child, so I
got two bottles last
September and De
cember 13th I had a
twelve pound baby
girl. When I was
confined was not
su it in any way. I
did not suffer any
pain, and when the
child was born I walk
ed into another room
and went to bed. I
keep your ICxtract of
S.uart-Wced on hand
all the.aime. It was
vert cold weather
aivi our room was Mrs. IIcnt.
very cold but I did not take any cold, an5'
never had any after-pain or any other pain.
It was all due to God and Dr. Pierce's Fa
vorite Prescription imd Compound Extract
of Smart-Weed. This is the eighth Iivinc
child and the largest of them all. I cof
fered everything that flesh could snfTer with
the other babies. I always had a doctor
and then lie could not help me very much.
but this trine my mother and 111 y husband
were alone with me. My baby was only
seven days old when I got np and drensea
and left my room and stayed up all day."
ONLY A
RUB
TO SV.AKE YOl
WELL AGAIN
"COLCHESTER"
SPADING.
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The outer or tun Mian.
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ASK TOUR DRALKtt
V r'OH I'll EM
, J nrnl flou t be rnl off
with tufurlor icihaIs.
COl.CIIKSTKn
nun uk tt cu.
0j$m
WW
mm
Km
A'
W. N. U.. D XII 5).