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ilfSl ? i iMiyiiifif i i i '.i'j ? - tkrtv*. 1 prow lout ifghtjy-i|fc0 ;<w?ly ft white flcok herd nn<J there marked the distant heusetbps dnd >how , in , tire dark like a glittering Hue. Ilown t>y the water's edge the night was silent. and giodmy. < ?Jy the hoarie gur gllng ol th? ?t ream ? , A V ? away unbeknownst ?fr^ja ?? w>!.<m?atf#SSu$3 mt^wM X-k.cXto% spHm w? m ? "*.T 7- in'' , MW . on tiptoe as ,Tr. ?->--* cou fronted t>y il?t of tho cabjn, reached tho ai.do, loflkcfl liimit ii^iifa yid niuu'mBppfri . out Upon the pier and H1unk away. I It was only . a moment's a pace after whon thore sounded among the U>W, harsh hlspcw of the river something { that seemed deop in the darkitobs. but not of it?fomothidg suggestive of heat ahd light fetid home, ana not of . this I black Hood and these grout marine phan- , toms standing so solemn in the gloom, I . It was the ory of a child. J.ow and weak, suppressed as soon as uttered, ? it still had a strange shrillness in thesl ' lent p'aCo, and of all the sad voifees of tid<? and timbers, it secmsd by far tho 1 saddest. It came fro n tho cabin of an j old banal boat, came only for an instant ; and died away in what fancy involnnta* rily pictured a mother's kisses and ca resses.. J ' 0!d Tom heard it half way up to.the ; wharf. Ho heard it and arrested his ' cautions footsteps and brought his face | about in a twinkling to the tiny-lighted ! space in the cabin that barely reached ! his eye whero he stood. The Cry was ? not ropoated. But ho stood tli&re tor ! oyer a mfnuto with his whole soul; it seemed, intent upon that d in glimme.-' ing pane. )li-? hand mechanically grop ing >n his pocket, touched tho ring and it seemed to startle him. He too* out the little trinket and looked at it care* fully, as though making sure that it was fealty thoro, and brushed it with % rough, greasy sleeve. Then, without a glance at She street on which ho had rum walking, hn passed back along the pier, CrossCd to the boat agfcla and walked stra'ght up to the cabin and en* to red. A ship's lantern hanging from tho roof showed a rough table, a cortplo of boxes, ; a tarpaulin, some ends of rope, and on a ? loosened and slanting berth an infant I ' with a woman kneeling beside it. It WM a pleasing face she turned up to th6 old nian as ho came iu--p> easing, and it had bron vory pretty but thoc^was a sad gauntness about it now Ml the dark, tendefeyes looked out from Tlueish . ki Where have askedr^vf ? w ^ I'm' afraid that the child is growing ; worsen This with a look ot infinite soli, itudn at the tiny, oreature beside & aar.a'r.s.T.c.s; wt*to.te2 ?!fSS frith hi* head sunk unon id great toars wore rolling aSI roice you been, father?'* she f? would Com ^fkome ||!fc-*in't m away that nfort t'you^ goln to do itfote, Ood forgive/ trie, thil very night, only tor hearin' - your baby etyin\ I meant It for the best, I did, hut WTU1Z&J grojr, or- *>m?hV. jitter'# ayftt* 6*9t ot td 1'VO nothin* to brit **(4hs#S Aj0^^txtohW ?w#aPwi?tl mfc thaddon foot ' splintered glass till M: Old To ifii ? ftftlty the young man's men t rises to a cry tfcaV sweeps enmity and . .]??*?' away : ? "My Qpd, Ned, it was lor her J Bhe Is dying ?" : 'i ho strong hand of the young seaman i? on the other's arm, and the lace is! even whiter as he demand? ; V "What do you mean? She, Is dying.,. Where? Sneak, man! Tell me at onceT^j "There, In that boat. Yes. that uldj hulk nf u nnnttwlor./'fo (p r^po^ to the others inquiring glance. "Thnt's what Wo'voJ eome to now.>? . , Th0 young man turns and is at the vesse 'a side before Old Tom can call out: "Where are you going?. You will kill her. lJldWl 1 tell yon ?hc is dying ?dying x>f *ant." Prom the others breast comes a groan ,? a deep; prolonged one, and he says in are altered tone: - ' "litad moto iiec. God will not rob me of her now. Come a'ong. " j$ The two pass over tho wharf and go! down into the cabin of the old boat i from which the dioi light is shining, and! there, awakened from tier sworn. butj still Uazcd and frightened, is the girl of tho young man's love, the wifo of his thoughts, lying like A blighted flowor.j The father was the first to doscend^ and he turned at the entrance to restrait/ bis companion. , "A moment, Ned. Wait a mo nent; Tho surprise Is too Sudden." The yohng man drew back into the shadow while the other lifted up 'the woman and Beatod her by tho berth. "I' am better, father,?' she said, and laid her head wearily becflde the sleeping fliild., But old Tom's actions sopn attracted ber. lie was smiling, actually smiting, andi rubbjng his hands with infinite cojnpla*! cnnoy. !;ho said nothing but looked at hfminquiritfgly. ~ { "tt's a good night Is .Christmas Evo,", he blurted out. "l'vo always heerd so.j Ain't you, Libbiu? Sandy Claws brings things t' chil'ren, and friends come to?[ gether and now* comes p' poople that aln*i ifeen 'round for evet su long. Don't they, eh<" i Bhe looked at him more intently than fiver, and there Was an eager, appealing look in her eyes. ' - ? . ??No one knows when luck may change. 176 they?" tho man continued. "Pathol", ydu b.tvo heard something! Tell tne, hi it about 'him?" ???flout Ned? Well, ye*, I have. . Now, don't take on, Ijibbte, ' ' You'll be fjuiet and easy, like a goo.l ?al." "It it about-hlm! You have *6ett bim. You Bavo met him. lle.ha) como for mo atlatt." j'./;Bhe turnoc toward the cabin door, and was stfjtcbiog her hand toward it wh^n tzvj *** bu tost* and cares planatlons. Ned had come his wandering a*'. mate with a promise of. Wand pf ft vewel fc d< the moment ail vaatiOns of th* pMt waSS*4" for the 0rst time,* ! member me, and bo sut She glanced: at he* oyei eauaht al| with bended ;Wad, A lh# down Ula m Hmtkt andrtioX' from bark .'.??viod btefes that ring} -It ha* us Joy and happiness on Chrlstno ? 'S brought mas Eve.". ncrllah ati( preeer vlng. such Kotweon t^ two feasffija striking,1 in particular details. *? ' K. " Tho time came, however, when49\??F Itrifo'for tho ascendancy, Chiistlanity determined to tight paganism with the lattQr*ft own weapons, and the customs and revelries were carried to fl'.ieh an ox trerae that several early church councils forbade, among other things, the decora tfoti of private houses aftei the manner of the t<oman Saturnalia, But the prac tice of adorning ohurches with flowers wai not condemned, as extracts from tho writings of the early Christians will show. In his work "Do Civitate Deij" the African Augustine speaks of floral decorations, and of a miraolo wrought bv flowors brought from tho shrine of St. Stephen. Gregory ol Toiiirs bral86R the holy Confessor Severns for having been in tho habit of docorating his rhurot?.wilh lilies. Venantiuft Fortuna- ( tus, a p'-ot of tHe fifth century, sending! to lthadegnnd and Agues now and thou , a bunch of violeiit; a cluster of rosebuds, or a ppray of lilies, js severe in his con- i tra t bevwe0n men who crowd their 1 bousc9 with exotics, or womon who (leek . their broosts, and the more devotod and pious who bring their choicest, floral of- I tarings to Uod'8 house. And this con- | trast in very evident in those days of ours, ' when vast sums are lavished on flowers only doomed to wither in the hot air of the ball room, or to mingle tlie'r fra grance with the odors of the dinner table. &. * i r.f '*./ ~ MrftTI.WTrt K. TV In these latter day*, tho Christian world acorns to bo gottlnar back to the more, tender soilcitudo of o.irly times in lt? care for tno beautifying of our Ohifrphos. Thero is now what m'ghtal mo?t be called n *oionce of deeoration. Volumes are publisHbd upon the lubjcct, profufioly illustrated with every, sort ol device to plea?? the eye and iospiie the dovoitOntil feeling tlm cross Jleurie, the croft* patonrn, the quattr^HKfikifte nlnqno full, the vesica, the MRtfffwIfoid nix pointed b t.ii r, the illegible (Jrrok characters, bands, - #bield\ drrf pefk and medallions, things requiting great neat /fits# of desigri *nd carefulness of exeQu when a crowd of young and old used to go put in ine a amp, oold woods, out week of nights in. A freezing chutch, to make the "trimming^ for Christmas. The work ia done now In many Instances by professional decoratOis, and so Jt ift no mote a labor of love on the psrt V>f the congregation, as it oOrtahily should W ~w#:L \ It w!M not do to leave our sub>ct Tho next bo knew it wns morning. The Bun was just sending his first beam of light into tr.o room. I'uBsy had jumped info tho bod, and Teddy took her into his arms. Then Teddy rubbed his tyes. nnd looked very sharp in tho pin o where that little beam was shin ing on tlio floor. For thore, sitting straight up, with lo<?s and arms sticking straight out, was tho funniest little man you ever saw. It took Teddy a full minute to make up his mind whether it wns a real little man or only a make- believe ono. Then he rolled out of bed and caught tho funny follow by the coat. Hy this timo ho had looked him all over, another l-cam of light was peoping In at tho window, lighting up all tho dark corners of tho room. And then such a lot of things as Teddy saw I can not begin to toll you. You may bo suro he wns glad that ho went to ilqep in timo lor t-'anta Clans lo come. For you know ho nover comes until "Uttlo lH>ys are fust asleop. Ho member this on Christmas Kvo. ? Tieaa ure Trove. Ono of tho most prominent Houtli Jer sey "indust. lesM is tho preparation of evergreon docorations for C hristmas and Kow Year's. Tho fostoons nro tho handi work of women and giils, the raw mate rial being furnished by the male portion of the family, nnd tho product is snipped in barrels to New York and Philadel phia. The Mistletoe. When winter nights grow Ion*, And wind* without Mow cold, W? aft In a ring round tho wnrni wood flre, And Itften iq itorle* old I And w? tty to look gravo (as mnlds should When the men bring ill bows of the laurel* oi'uS 9 laurel, the evergreen treol The posts havo laurel*. nnd why not wet ? Dunn Cornwall* Off For u Foreign Shore. I OMMflh ' ' "frt >?' Mr. and MN?, GoWor, In iintlcipftt'di* ; of ChristtuM, depart hastily for Knropo.