"JMSTMAS MCMT TISION. 5h,Ita?n;a Harrj n'L K?fV'u",c'",i,vn,tie. li. at """'" imifc room tZ.!1, 2-"" ""''""T had no foot. Si hn?d eI,",'p P:c",re ,u""el OX nopeie, .iepair. For I m o.'d i Ha be Bo tlien j..n ln.. i,e will not com TU1 e are all n bed, u-'ii0. "' ,l"'u P" rhaps ue u bring u clonic and brea.1.- And co ne wre;-ned family m to t:;eir bed of siraw. And liarrj Hall, at .it! of nht. A ble-wed VL-K1Q KW A taiun f o.J ani CLius KepKuiumi; the lire. And loa led a ,, vvervthln- 111 tad bean ruuM dtaire. Cpon his shoulders t.ra.l mad utrooz Lirifp P lekate- he i . h e, ,W?.1U? t "'"'ne bread and ciothea Aiid mm hnu on liie flo.r, X1 "-8 "Pen aide, from whK-n aim look eljte. He A. ed, wm.e pullunf hu pipe, A acuuie near Uie grate. It wm a blissful, n.e-ed dream . J?" u-"rj Hall slept thiouirii, Ana best of all, a beu uiorniiiir broke. He found ilie vu-ion irue A brother, au ha.i years before 1 he ocean soue across Had Just returned m lime to bo r a t lUrrj a aiiia Claus, Anil now a word to Santa Claim, ltie geuerous and irue. And then IL have accomplished 1 a- eud 1 bii iii view, Kemeiuuer In ihese pon e times 1 Hal uiauy Birai and bora Want Uiead, au.i meat, and clothes, and are, A weil as bWieis and toy a. So di.nt forget, oid Santa Ciaus, 1 lie p.ct are draw n al ve ; And i.en jou an on Christmas Ere l'P"U your work of loe. If Jou aould bring a throb of Joj 1 o nuuij an acliuig Heart, Put food und clothea, and coals, al weU Ah Gaud, en, in jour cart. old monet bius. A Chbistmas Stout. Roger Flint wu a hard man hard aa steeL Thifl ib the wy it standi Mr. Beggs," he was saying one day to a man in his effioe, " a poor man is no man at all, and a rick one is a fool if he spends what fc has. My motto is, set money. Get it aonesUy, if you can. If not get it, and ke p it," "And ye got it," quavered Mr. Beggs, with a mean twit tie in his watery eyes. Te got it and kept it, Mr. Flint. On, you're a sharp one a reg'htr knife edger, yoa are.-' "In my youncer time," continued Mr. Mint, with a hard smile at the other's compliments, "I bad some wild notions about generosity. But 1 soon got over that folly. 1 lost money by it. If rjeoDle will be poor, let them go to the almshous es. If they are too proud to do that, let tliem starve and get out of the way. Char Hyl Humbugl Why should I be robbed for the sake of a tet ot lazy rascals who are never sattceu? " Mr. Btvgs expressed his entire approv al of these sentiments by a series of inarti culate croaks. -jiow, meres a fellow," continued Flint, pouitinc at the shabby clerk, whom 1 took out of a charity institution when a boy. 1 fed Mm, clothed him, and taught Aim a gwa uuMuess. uui was he gratef u.I ot hel lie comp.ained of hard work, ana naa vague uleaa on the subject of pocket money. Bat I have crushed all that nonsense out of him. liaven'l Ji-cob?" "Eh," said the shabby clerk; starting at ue hjuuu oi nis iuiaa voice, dui not turn ing his head, "Oh, yt, he has crushed md Oh, tenainlj:" Uisdeprcs ed manner and careworn face tutllcienUy attested the vuth ot his wore. "iiow," said Flint, turnina suddenly upon his friend, and nearly upsetting him wiiu uio tin ts, nuai aid you come here for to nigh;! ot to t sociable. Kot you. Ton are up to 6ome game. bimon riegs; 1 see it in your face. Fer kups i know what it is alreadyr But out with it, anyway. ' "What a knowm un you are I cr'Aked Uec rubbing his lean hands together, VV hat an up and down stick er!" Beggs shifted uneasily in his chair, and seemed very uncomtortable. ' lour csughter is a very tine gal, he quavered; "an uncommon fine gaL bhe ought to have a good nusbaud, one as would be very lov in' and kind to her.1 "like yourself, for instance, n returned Mr. Flint, with an ironic smile. "Well, goon." Suppose," continued Beeirs, more ea sily than ever, "suppose, for argeyment's auke, 1 was to want her for my wife, what httie sum would jou feel disposed to give Aerl The smile tcft Mr. Flint's face, and grim frown succeeded it. "Not oue cent, s:r! not one cent I te answered sharply. Take her as she is. or let her alone. I'm in no hurry to part with cer. Mie earns bki own living and mi -re, and is a good daughter to me be nd c-a." 31r. Beegs shrunk into his shrunken self at the other s vehemence, rubbed his bead iceoiy, ana croane-j. i nen, u such a diapy old scarecrow could 1 said to do so he brightened up and crocked; Oh, sne earns Ler own .ivm , do Bhel And more! Not as 1 would expect her to do that alter we was came l. Oh, do I And more! b. here, ill. rlint, I'll take her if she's wil:in." Air. Flint's face erprewied considerable satisfaction as he answered: 'hhe will be willing. She will do whatever I think best tjr her. Jacob, go call Jessie." The cierk, who had bern rattling the pup. rs on his desk in a strange, nervous way, got hasty o3 his stool and left the room. Fn-senty he returned with a pretty, mild-eyed joung girl, who came and seat ed herself silently at her fa'h-jr'a side. If ever features of stone made a mis-.-rable attempt to look kind, K jger Flint s did then. And when he spoke, there was some thing vtry like tenderness in his grating vuice, absolutely. "Jessie. "he said, "ha vs you ever thought of marry ng" "If 1 have, father," answered she, with a slight blush, 'the thought has been so ep-eihly banished by a determination never to leave you, that it could hardly be called a thought at all." "A girl's whim, and of no weight in the wiauax nave iormed for your benefit. All your Ufe I have kept before your eyes the alue of money and the utter worthless- v. c.erjming else without it. There tore, in cbootimr a hiK.nH t have cast aside aU romantic and unprac Ucable corJs,deration and secured for you The girl's face had grown as white as dea.n.arid she sat staring at hitn with wide open, frightened eyes. "Simon Begga," continued her father, I01?5 'PTOWmK dryer and harsher as he proceeded. "Un v,.j ljk at. I admit; but he is rich and a ""c,u, u,u u'Hara; and the woman that ntames him con m&ilv w,to w,,k v,,. ... vu..v. uum uiui and his money, if she wilL" uegga grinned and chuckled as if he had listened to thn m.t lc possible. The clrl made no renlv. (n. while he spoke.she turned her eyes toward the clerk at his desk and then was motion less. "Come." aald PMnt ltk . ... . at loculanty. "he haa tw h.'f . years In him at be, and thcn.a rich youug "I would rather 1ii aww kW UIUIULI U1U " a thousand, thousand times rather I " said iu a iow, cnokea yoice,putting both trembling hands upon his arm. "Nonsense!" n torted her father, harshly shaking her off. "Once married, ou will laug i at thia folly, and thank me for disregarding it. Now go up stairs and dry your eyes, for the vl alter is settled, 1 tell you." She arose, and looked fixedly at him a moment. Then, seeing the iron deter mination in his taee, she turned, and with a low sob, left the room. When she was gone, the clerk, who had been standing near his desk with clenched bands and flushed countenance, hastily resumed his stool and worked away harder than ever. "Donl seem Ucklariy tached to me, do she?" groaned Begga. The impatient reply upon Mr. Flint s lips was interrupted by the opening of the office door and the entrance of a youn; lady,muf9ed and furred against the weath er, w bat a Dngbt little creature she wa! What eyes! now sharp and sly as a tnrd's now soft and gentle as it Is possible for woman's eyes to be. Wha . a firm little fig ures earned with an air of dignity thit means just nothing at alii What caris! W hat lips! Gracious! "llow do you do, air. Jacobs! " she said addressing the clerk first of all, and then bowing to Mr. Flint. "And this Is your friend" she continued, looking straight into Mr. Beggs' face, as he wriggled to his feet to be introduce "I can't say tiiat I'm happy lo know him. Any rela tion to the Crow family? N", indeed! A very strong resemblance then. Is Jessie np stairs. Mr. Flint! I will go up and see her, if you please." And with a laugh i. rid a shake of the dark curls, she was out of the room leaving Mr. Bcirgs :reaih'es and crestfallen. 'I don't like Mrs. Ueywari, if that's her name," he mumbied, trying to recover his composure. But she had so startled and shaken him that presently be shambled off home. When the door rattled behind him, the clerk got down from his stool and appr jacb ed his master with bit of paper in his hand. 'Will yoa write down the value of a sou!?" be said, raising his eyes. 'The value of a soul! flow should 1 know the value of a soul?" Oh, don't youf'returned the clerk still with his eyes doggedly cast down. ! thought you must, because you sold one Just now your daughter's." Flint started forward aa if he would i i i have struck him; but he restr ined biruself and cried in a tbrenvnirij voice; Jacob Siir'ing if you are a fo .1. don't make it o plain, or y u will get into tro'i ble. Now. go to be.l, you begirt Be ff. d'ye heart " Jnx'y made no renlv. hut went away, kvkirz more c&revrurn inn il.nrm sed than ev, r. And Mr. Flint, siamlin btfore the fire.witu an exprefsion of dou'rt and satisfaction, straii'eiv mi,-.i n.m features, fell into a reverie. A week rolled on, and one morning I -er Flint entered hbi tCl.:e, and in tones which he vainly en.ie tv, red to render as harsh and stern as nua', siiI: Jacob, have you seen Jes-ie this morn ing? - Jaob ansere i: "Na ' "Then,- x-i,n,ed Flint, suddenly breaking down, ' she has left us for what Ja- ob I JacoN I See. here is a note which nhe left upon my table ! Read it." With sliakln? hani, Jacob toik it and read: "Jly dear, deir father doub'y dv-ar to me now that 1 have !eft you try, o i, try to believe that 1 am not so sin ul as 1 seem! Try to think that I strove bard indeed i did 1( obey your wi has, but had not the strength to do it. Oh, my dearesi! no that by my own weakness and wickidaeat 1 oave set a gulf bet ve-n us, perhaps never to be crossed, 1 beg and pray vou to shike off that fearful love of g:n which has made us all so wretched, and be ycur own g.xxt, gentle self aain. He kinder to Jacob pojr Jaco' ! for I loved him, fathi-r; and f rgive, on, f rive y nir ciiil.i!" The two men stood staring at each ojh er, with a fearful thought burning in their eyes, for ajong, breath ess moment. Tnen, as if be I al da-beilii asid"j with hiscb-nnh- ed hand, the depressed, shrinking air was gone from Jacob; all that was manly and noble in him came uppermost in his strone sorrow, and he, whose patient drudge he hail always been, cowered before his dilat ing eve. Wretch!" he shouted, "see what your accursed money has done fer you. You would have made your daughter's life a hell for it! You would have eiven her. body and soul, to a thing a thousand tini more uegraaeu tnan a beast lor ill X ou have held it up to her duly as an idol b be worshipped before lleavea! Are you satisfied?" "I meant it for her gooj indeed I diii, ' groaned FitnL "OX man, man! what are yoa nowf Old, alone in the worM, standing in your grave, hated and despised by all of your kind I Now, go to your money and seek consolation in it if you can. Frosfrate yourself bet jre it; will it bring her back to you, or to me, who loved her footprints on that dirty floor more than you loved ber sou;? Fray to it, weep to il; will it make ber what sho.was? Oh, poor, misled, ill used girl!" So crying out as if bis heart were bro ken, he sank into a chair and burst into tears. For a long while the old man stood si lent with a bewildered look in bis face, then he staried toward the door, barehead ed as be was. "Where are you going?" asaed Jacob, detaining him. "I a.u going to And my child," he said, brokenly. "1 am going to bring her back and try, through all the years ot my worth less life, to atone for the wrong I have done to. her. Jacob, will you go with m?" For many days after this, people wo dered at two strange figures whom they encountered in the streets a haeeard. whitetiairedoldman,6upportedbya oung- A TREIJ THAT BLOOMS IN MID-WINTER. i . erone, who wandered hither and thhher on broad tlmro ijhfarcs and in narrow by wnya, ernr with ens r eyes into the f-ures of a1 1 they met, U it no f.ace of ber 'hev wi?M a anx otKy was found. Nieht arnr otcht they pla. d a Vuiil in the offlre window, vaguely hoping tliat she micbt see its i.li-nrner. and, teelm the lonnin? 1 u exrirtsseu, return to theiu. B.it fhe ni v erra ne. Avar.ce, m 11 urer H n, h-.d so sapped and in:ned Ins nob'er fitdin-, that when it wa torn out of hiin, at one fierce clu'eh it lett him weaker than a child to 1 6'ir histrouMe. Vt,ni with fatigue, heart sick wiih fruitless expectrioa, be broke down coiup!etely: and t.iok to bis t ed with no wish to rise a .ram. And Jaeob Stirling mo e manly in his patient sorrow than he had ever oeen bet'jre, sat by and tended to him. "Jacob," he &L one afteruoon, a few weeks after ber disHppeira-xo. "Jao b, I dreamt last n ght th it our poor gul had come back to us and I w is weeping bit terly lo tbink of all the wrong and sorrow I lal I nicu-Ut upn b.T jonn lite. And I thought thit she put her arm about my neck and whispered; 'All a dream, dcir father ; be comforted, for it was all a dream.' Jacob," he said, suddenly inter, ru. ting himself, "1 wish I could see her bed, re I die. " Jacob made no answer. If she ever returns to you when I a'ii gi-ce," he coninue"1. with a sih, 'take her in.shelter her tenderly from the w.nd keep her from her own thoughts, pn I lie a brothir to her. God knows she will need it! Tell her th:it her father loved her.m spite of his sin and folly. Tell her that be never blamed her, but liim.-elf.and tLai his only wisa Wis tint he niifjht see her,to a-k her parlon.before he died. Wil: you Jrtcoi ?" "I will." answered Jacob, in a low voice. Then, arising and going into the office, he sat himself down at his old desk and rested his head on his arms, in gloomy thought lie bad been s but a moment, when the door opened and Mrs. Iley ward entered, and though the d.iv was dark, a sunbeam seemed to have entered, too The smile left her lins as she saw the hairgird face he turned toward her. ' vV'bat is it, Mr. Jscob? Are you not well?" "Yes," he answered, ind'fferently, "I vn well. " 'And Jesiie?" she inquired with a sin gul ir look. "She has left us," he cried, brokanly. "Don't ak me more." There were tears in the little woman's eyes, and yet sne was laughing, too. "That wretched old father of hers" "A changed man," h3 interrupted; "kin le' and better in every way, but failing rapidly under the shock" "Failing?"' echoed the ladv.turning very pale aud tretnbline very much. Then with out another wotd she turned and ran out of the rcoin. Niht had fallen amin, and the old man was lying on his sola in ber little back room, with Jacob sitting silently near bim when the door opened, and three persons caT.e in. I bey were Mrs. Uevward, a tiJI, young man, and a female figure,close- ;y veued. "Mr. Flint," began the lady, sharply, "you are not the mean, covetoua,hard old man you were, are you?" "No, answered Flint, bumWy. And you would be kinder to your daughter if you had ber back again, would you?" " 1 es. But, Ood torsive me. it is too la'e to talk of that! " Then, there !" she cried, chofcmir and gapping in ber emotion! "take her." -.Hi rtf fr y,:r MSCCT And, with a loud cry, the veiled fiirure fell at the old man's side and took bis head to ber hrcafcl !y child," he cried, weeping bitterly, "my little chilli!" "A dream, dear father, "sobbed the pirl; 'Ml a terrible dream, it seems. Frg!ve me f.r leaving you. "Tell him,'' said the tall yonn? man, lad nically. Listen, you bad old r -ature, "said Mrs. forward, twisting her dear little face into all sorts of shapes to keep from crvii g. too. 'Dae night, 1 came here and found your daughter nearly detracted because you were tieut on ninrrj'iiig her to that b: dtous old crow friend of y jura. When I knew that it was fcr bis money, I was f lire that you would never sol ten to any entreaty the could make. 1 was ma1. I ravd and stormed awful, and then went home and told my old boy all about it." Her old boy, otherwise the tll young man, nodded admiringly. "I asked him if nothing could be done to save her from the misery wbi h you were (IrlviDgher. 'Let her elope,' sa'd he, in his dear stupid way; 'let fcer leave the old rases I, and it he loves his child, as most men.howevtr hardened. do,he will relent,' And so we planned between us bow it should be done. I persuaded her to meet him. unknown to you, and at last he con sented, jiy husband," laying her hand proudly on h!s arm, "whom you have never seen, was the man she ran away with, and our home was her asylum. She pined for her fnther who was n t deserving or tier love; she pinod for the home that had never been a happy one, and and" here the little creature sobbed and laughed tonether ,4we have brought her bick to you, thia bnght and merry Christ mas day, and never, never wrong her so again." When she bad finished, Roger Flint slowly arose and, deliberately' turning about, pummeled his pillows until ha was out of breath. "There," he said, beaming all over, ' lies old Roger Flint,tbat schem ing old miser, dead as a door naiL And bere,'' tapping himself, "la the new Roger Flint, who, with God's help, will be a kinder and a better man." Then how he laughed! such laughs as hadn't come out of that dry throat in years, tlow he bugged them all, aye, eqen the young man himself! Llow he made a perfect, jolly dervi-h of himself about the rooml Jacob," he said, stopping suddenly, "I owe you a great debt, accumulated in long years of harshness aud cruelty. I'm go ing to pay that debt, Jacob, every penny of it. And here" leading forward his blushing daughter, "u the first instalment." Theu, turning to the others, he continued: "1 have worn spectacles, made of the low est passions of my heart, all my hfe. They have blinded me to all the good and gen tle things of which this world is lull. But they are gone, broken, cast aside for ever, and ou! my friends, 1 am a happy old man." So bad sorrow the power to resurrect these nobler things, buried under many misspent years, and make them bve again. So bad Borrow ti.e power to lay the first brutd stone of a clear wide road to heaven. The Mirror Telegraph. An interest iog experiment in beliography, or signal ing by sunshine, was successfully made in Egypt during the recent campaign. Colo nel Keyser aacended one of the pyramids near Cairo, and by means of a hebographic mirror reflected a ray of sunshine to Alex andria, 120 miles away. At that great d s ance the signals, appearing like pin ptriutt of brightness, were easily asceram- ed to be a message from Sir Garnet Wnko. ley to the Knex'ive. I Tbe liiih:it Ke. it A i)re-e!f:i! niirht O, adremtliit nfiibt ! mnrttiii 1 'tie youn wife witti stri.i ler, as FcreeMin the pane wuh b :r hand inwn ti e bru-lit fln-li-.'ii' .rie H' i- n;vd. but in vain, to peneirit"" ib-5 s-orm and di.-knis-a without. ' G ! 'int lie nit iter," and wi'h this hear'fel' t-ti:i .n she turned frmi the win-'ow, fated tier lf and t-x up lit-1 fen'ttiiy. C:eer'l, bome'ike wis the sspect of that luiiittile upait-ni tit. N-ir the fire, wlt'ise brisk bUi-tilled ih-! r.ou with a nidny tjlo-, .aiig the wiling ' 'et-k'-nie; wh'le a oeatly spread supper table oc cip i d the centre of the lloor. .-lowly and di.-tinc.ly the tall deck at the I ark part of the room to!d the hour ot eight. The young wou.an put aside ber tii-lt, ami ouee mi re went to the wiodw. The tempest had not in the least ahateil. but riged with the fury of a thousand uncai'ed lions, and seenieu still in- rea!n. F -atfull indeed was that eve ning's element il waafare over that bleak Canaoian plain ! "Yet he coiues n-t my husband. Merci ful heaven befriend me !" tears eatoered In the eyes of the gentle, devoted wife. Then H pe repeated her whisperings, and in imagination the wife beheld the sturdy form of her beloved nobly brea-tlng the storm, and step by step nearing his home in safety. Already she seemed pouring for him the fntgrunt, steaming beverage, aid listened to his expression! of thankf ul ness for surrounding blessings. About noon of that day be bad lett ho.ue on. foot intending to trans.ict l uiuess in a v.llage five miles distant and re' urn at nightfall. At that time no sins of an immediate storm were appateut, but as the day drew near its close t:ie clouds began to gather thick and heavy, and the sno to fall in hnire, fea'bery flakes. Faster and faster it descended, till ail the mr s. emed filled by one mighty ava anche. Three hours bad parsed, and l be storm god iu all his terrible fury was yet abroad. A; length calmness could be maintained by the waiting wife no loni'r. Hope and trust had ill d within her txigom. Vamiy dM she' endeaver to persuade terself into the belief thst the fierceness of the storm had prevented her husband from leaving the village she would not b3 de ceivetL He would never voluntarily abandon hr thus to loneliness aud awful uncertainty. No, the a-suraace was all too undoubted, that the cold and the tempest had overpowered him on his way, and be had sunk amid the drifting snows to per ish. Suddenly she p&nsed, while every fea ture f peaks desperate resolve. See, she hurriedly envelopes herself in cloak and hood, and now with firm steps moves to wa. d the door. Upon what is she deter mined? Sur-ly she will not ex nose that frail form to the strife that rages without I But yes; she lifts the latch, and uncloses the door. On the instant a furious blast drove a portion of the snow, which had accumulated against the pnneis, to the op posite sine ortue room. Unable to com pete with its rape, the agonized wife shrank back, and applying ber wnole strength to the door forced il again to its place, be tween herself and the rou;h element with. out be waited but a moment, however, the next she bad rushed forth, closed the door behind ber, and was plunging wildly down the snow filled p' h The storm was' over, the clonds were beginning to break, and let d va the rays of trie moon, whose broad disk bad just nen above the horizon. Itut while the snow bad ceased to fall, the cold had grown more intense, and the wrath of the wind was nothing spent. Ouward toiled the solitary female tbiough the blinding, suffocating snow, which was constantly baing hur ed against her; and ever and anon a blast, fiercer than the others, compelled her to halt for a moment and bury ber tace in the folds of her cloak. It was a dreary waste over woich she had to pass; no cottae window sent forth a cheering gleam; only a snow-covcred plain and barren trees in the distance couid be seen. And now, when nearly a mile lay be tween her and home, the wife felt herself exhausted and benumbed by cold to a de gree ti.at she could proceed no further. The sharp winds pierced her garmeuts as if they had been but a role of muun, and put to the torture every fibre of ber trame. tier limbs refused longer to obey her will, her breath was gone, her very heart's blood seemed turned to ice She tottered and fell,' and the same blast that bore her down wrapped her in a shroud of enow. But exerting herself to tlie utmost, she rote to her feel again, for her last glance had rested on a dark object a short distance In advance, and the possibility of it being him she thought nerved her to make one more iSect, Fixing her eyes upon the ob ject which had attracted ber attention,sbe struggled forward, and reached it just as ber remnant of strength was expertled. It was rndeed her husband ! lie had contended with the elements, until chilled, weaned, and almost breathless, he had sunk down in the path In order to recover himself for a further effort. No thought of perisniug had pass' d the strong man's mind; but no sooner did m-ucuiar action cease than the letnargy which, but for timely breaking, would have ended in de-th, was upon him. All sense of bi.fT.r lng fled, gay colors floated before his sight, and the sound of the angry blast seemed sweetest music. Uow long he had remained thus be knew not. when suddenly the voice of his wife exclaimed, "Thank God, we d;e to gether ! " sounded faintly in his ears; and the same instani he felt her prtstrate form and encircling arms. These quickly aroused them to a sense warmed the coa gealiug life-current, and sent it lightning like through its channels. The knowledge of the danger the cer tain death to which his idolized com panion was exposed, snd from which he alone could save her. at ence raied himself above the power of faiigtie and cold. Starting to his feet, he folded her insensi ble form to his bottom and bore st toward their home, as if she bad been the merest infant. The blast to him was but a zephyr, the snowdrifts but unresisting air. lie paused not untd the cottage was reached, where the wife was presently restored to anima tion, and bota to happiness. Eich had saved the other from a fearful death. F.WPT fnrmipnr IMtnitjip si -intf InA hut ! am h-irne4 f.1tn tn m that part of it chafes or nibs the SAin of his U'.r?-. u d ipmti itiea -o .e-p u well Oli- ed, co that it wll be piiahie snd softTa!. p? d aire of the duoib ammaJs.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers