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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION. ATLANTA, GA-, TUESDAY DECEMBER 22 1880. 5 MRS. TRENCH AND CHRISTMAS. By Harriet Prescott Spofford. (Copyrighted 1885.) ???It???s a swindle, a confounded swindle!??? said Mr, Trench, setting down his coffee cup un tasted. ???It beggars people. First its Christ mas presents, and then its New Years, and then ith"Easter, and its birthdays all the time! What a way it is to keep a festival! Stirring up all the covetousuess wc have, appealing to our lowest nature, as if we could not be glal without receiving tribute! As for wedding presents, they add a horror to life???first wed dings arc bad enough, but glass, tin, leather, linen, silver???perfect vulgarity! If wc live to be married a hundred years we shall not have any of that.??? "I don't want any of that, Harry,??? said his wife, gazing up at him in bis tirade out of a pair of limpid gray eyes that just now looked like two tears or two great jewels glittering in dew. ???I only want money enough for my Christmas presents. A hundred dollars will get the whole of them, and I???m sure that???s good management when you thiuk of this family.??? ???A hundred dollars!" ???Why, I always spent that.??? ???To waste on Christmas folderuls, and people starving all arouud us!??? ???I???m sure it???s not my fault if people arc starving???? cried the wife. ???They wouldn't starve if I ruled tho universe. I should . portion things out equally to ??very one alike. There wouldn't be any Queen Victorias then with a million dollars u year, and shop girls With a half dollar a day.??? ???There wouldn't he any shop girly, 1 sup pose,??? tald her husband quietly. Airs. Trench looked un again and the color mounted her cheek No shop girls???no shop ping???the idea was perhaps appalling; her lips quivered. ???I suppose,??? said the lovely littlo imbecile hesitatingly, ???that men could take their places.??? Ilcr husband laughed in spite of the right ??ous indignation under which he was labor ing. ' ???You see,??? he said, ???If tho world is up side down it can't ho righted all at once. Yon can only do your best in your own little corner. And one tiling to do in your little comer is to discourage this promiscuous Christmas gift enterprise. It is the discomfort of every head of a house in Christendom who can???t spare tho mom y, and it half mins young men, beginning life, who earn pittances and have to remember everybody in tneir boarding houses because its expec ted of them. For my part, I wish tho olu rilgrim Fathers who forbade mlnco pies and Christmas carolsand all the rest, had their way now?????? ???I should think you would ho ashamed, Harry .Trench!" cried his wifo slowly, hut with gathering strength. ???Christmas! Tho one day in the year! The sweetest, heavonliest festi val, full of green boughs in winter, and chil dren, niul bells, and crisp snow, aud hoiue- eoining, full of all sorts of nappiuess aud good- feeling! And you want to abolish Christ* xnns?????? ???I never said I wanted to abolish Christmas! T only say that, if this sort of thing is to he kcpFup, I wish it wero a inovablo mast and tool; pfueo at some other season, not when all the half-yearly hills como in aud a man is dead broke anyway.??? ???Why don???t you abolish the half-yearly hills,??? c ried his wife, ???if you want to abolish anything!??? . ???You begin l??? said Mr. Trench. ???I begin! 1 mast say, Harry Trench! I wcudt r if Conroy dcSpenser talks so to hiswifo! 1 .should think it was I who spent iny money in clpbs and went to raoss and hired yachts,- and had a suit for ever}' occasion and a neck tie for everyday in tho year, and took cham pagne with my lunch and went to tho theater ggrfcTflft., 1-Ij.who turn^m^dressej ???Why shouldn't you turn your Presses if thtf cun stand it? Many things aro all tho better for turning???a new leaf, for instance, i'ra going to turn one today. And I shan't furnish anyone with n single dollar to buy a Christmas gift, and that ends tho matter!??? And Mr. Trench, rather indignantut >this re capitulation of his shcrt-comiugs, or long go ings rather, threw down his napkin and shut the door behind him with a gentle vehemence that could not be called a slum, but yet was certainly jnoro than ajar. All.'.. Trench, of course, hurst into tears??? Josephine, tho maid, not being present. Hut it always hurt her to cry* and Indeed she was so angry that her tears were more like sparks of fire. No money for her Christmas! want ing to abolish her Christmas! Wanting to change Christmas from its season of snows and frosts and evergreens into paltry, warm, life less summer weather! ??ach allegation was a S uImj of flame, aud of courso her tears were ried almost beforo they fell. Thero always had been a streak of meanness iu Harry, her rcffei lions ran on, for all lie spent money so freely and tossed it away to the ilrst nskor; ho never had any to toss away to her, she never had nu allowance like other wives; Airs. Courcyde Spenser had her own hank account; for her part, she had had to ent hcraelfabort iu everything her heart longed for, In order to give her Christmas presents, every year siuco she had married 1 ???I don't core*,??? she cried aloud. ???I shall make ray Christmas presents all the famo. But as lie disapproves of them so strongly I shall make none to him !??? And, very much pleased with her first determina tion, ni.d strengthened and invigorated with her last one, she wont upstairs and took her diamond earrings from their hiding place and put tlx m in the sun to look at. ???It's a shame!??? she cried. ???Mrs. Conroy do Spenser doesn't have to sell her earrings, just to bo detent!??? How splendid they were! Not very large, but of dear water, like two great sixirkliug* con crete sunbeams themselves. Ilow site hid longed for thi iu liefore she bail them; how she had thanked her father when he gavo them to her, and pitied him for tho sacrifice, in his slender circumstances, that he made to do it, and hated herself afterwards for letting him do it, and coaxed her mother to dismiss the second girl and allow her to do tho parior work herself for a whole year till she had nearly made it up, before her father noticed what was going on. Now father and mother were gone, and tho lit tle hateful stones were only symbols ol her own selfishness; she didn???t want to sec them any sucre. All tho same, the idea that she was forced to part with them whether or not, was bitter. Hut she could have a hundred dollars for them cosily. She knew Atr. Sparkler very well, end so did Harry, and ho would bo glad togint ; f:y her and make a good bargain for himeclf. And she put on her hat and buttoned her Jacket with emphasis on her way down to the Jeweler???s. She hurried, for if she did uot do it at once sho might not have tlio impetus to do it at all. Harry liked to see her dressed and wearing the earrings. Very well; if he wanted to sec her wearing diamond earrings, he might give her some. They wero her???s before she married him, and she had earned them Herself, as she might say. Slw had a; good at bought their., and she had as good a right to tell them. And it was not an hour, having boon detained on her way by a succession of delightful shop window before she came out of Sparkler & just or. . .... it, thinking how nice it was that now she could do nil l.er Christum* shopping before tho rush. It w:-s very une?? mfortable that, jast at this Instant, she should run against Harry with a violence that set her hat all awry. But he said ???Hallo!??? and she said ???Good gracious, tliero goes my hat!??? And with the impatient concern tbst anything at fault In her hat always gave her, she stopped, in momentary forgetfulness of all r !ee, to set the hat right by the aid of the wonderful Venetian mirror in the adjacent window; and she gave a glance after Harry and the tight how angry she was with him, and what a superb-looking fellow he was, in spite of his Icing so unkind to her, and half wished she hadn't sold the earring?. Bat if she hadn???t cold them all the world who got no presents from them would only think he was as stingy as he was good-looking, and it was nearly as much to prevent such thinking as anything else that she wishud to make her gifts. And . she turned to go her way-*nd hcr^pocketbook ws?? gone. The passers on tbst crowded thoroughfare might have thought there was a little mad woman scurrying around there for the next five minutes; aud so many of thorn assisted her in tie sc arch that, as a bee gets wind of sweets, a policeman presently came bearing down upon them and scattered them by his appeamneo. It wuh nowhere on tiie sidewalk, or the grating, or the gutter. If it had flown out of her baud iu her graspiug for hor bonnet, it had been swept along by the crowd. If a purse-snatcher had it lie had made off with it. She had lost her money and she had lost her earriugs. Her first impulse was to rush iuto the jewel er's*hop and demand her earrings hack. Hut, of course, they wouldn???t give them back: and Air. Sparkler might speak of it flu Harry. And if she told the policeman, again it might get to Harry's ears. And at last, the tears pouring down her face, oblivious ?f all sho saw, she hurried home and wept herself into bed with a sick headache. Her earrings, her money, and all possibility of her Christ mating we re gone??? for what could she do without a ceut. and with all the brothers a ml sisters, nephews and uiocc* to be provided for; and between the pings of bead and stomach her mind rummaged her drawers and wardrobe shelves for things that might bo transformed into gifts. A message had come from Harry that he should not dine at home and she need uot sit up for him, but could spend her evening speculating tin to whether he was detained at the club or at a champagne lunch, or by a yatching or a racing or a theater party. Of course, sho only cried the harder, and Josephine bathed her head till midnight: and when Airs. Trench woke in tho morning and found Harry beside her. sho shut her eyes again in a twinkling, meaning t<> keep them shut till he was up and gone. She was far too deeply hurt to have anything whatever to say to him. And she did not descend to tho breakfast table till site thought lie wras well out of the house. To her amazement Air. Trench sat there with his morning Paper, in the sun, having break fasted, but wishing apparently for tho privilege of another cup of coffee with her. "Do you suppose I didn???t see yoii open your eye and ???hut it???? ho cried quite gayly. ???I never knew how bright your eyes were before. That was really done like a flash. Hurt because 1 stayed late at tho club? Well, I wasn???t at the club. 1 made 11 ten-strike yesterday, and 1 think a lit tle ojtera to-night would be rather in order. IIow do you like that???? And he took aeouplo of tickets from his waistcoat-pocket, magic talismans that opened the gates of music and joy to the little being opposite, whose ribltons fluttered and whose eyes sparkled, whoso blushes came and whose dimples deepened, till ???he had to laugh with him and say to herself that bygones must lie bygones between hus bands and wives, and run round tho table, and kiss him, and shed two or three tears sacred to the memory of anger, grief, remorse, agi tation, and tho far off, unattained mid dim. Poor, pretty Airs. Trench! After dinucr sho came down ready for the fray, in her white fur opera cloak with its rcsc-colorcd satin linings, aud her rose-colored bit of a hat, tremulous with whito marabouts Slid goldriippcd sprays and spires over her lovely rosy face. ???Pressed for the warpath???? said her hurimtid gaily, pulling on his gloves. ???Fit for conquest. That???s the way I liko to see my wife look! And that's a pretty hat, by the way.??? ???I made it myself today!??? she cried tri umphantly. ???it???s a work of art," he said. ???And you luivo a genius for iiiilUncryf'nndHfo 11 ho looked her over from head to foot. ???There won???t ho such a little beauty in the whole house,??? he said. ???Where aro your diamonds ? Yon???ve forgotten ygur earrings. Hun and put them in; aud jnake haste???we???re a little iato ns it it.??? Airs. Trench turned so polo that the powder stood on her face like a blue bloom. ???Oh. people don???t wear earrings now/' sho managed to say, although hor lips seomed too much to move. ???Don???t wear earrings? How long since?" ???Oh. they're quite gone out,??? sho said, gathering heart. ???Gone out???? Half the women I moct liavo them in. .('omc, make Inute!??? ???Von???ra^cry mucU.,??tat*ken,???> aried Atr* Trench then. -???Nobody thinks of such a thilig. Am] I should think I ought to know as much ???bout the fashions as a man. And noboijy pretends to wear diamonds at all now, any way. They???re all given up for colored stones.??? ???1 don???t care if they have!??? exclaimed Air, Trench hotly. ???1 thought women wero &up- f msed to dross to release their husbands, and I ike to see you with your diamonds?????? ???I couldn???t wear them any way, you know,??? sho raid, sure that she had hit on the right reason at last; ???if you see it???s so loug sinco I wore them that my earn ought to ho quite grown un?????? ???Now look here, Mal>e], I saw you with some Bouinn pearls iu your ears night before last. So what's tho use of tiDkiug? If you don???t hurry wc shall lose this car aud have to go to tho cx- of a hack.??? l* needn???t wait another moment???,??? mid Alabci. ???I'm quite ready. Aud I???m uot going to wear (lie earrings, so there???s 110 nood of de laying. ???Now, Mabel, why do you want to make sueii a fuss about nothing? It???s absolutely es sential to iny credit timt you shnll he seen well dressed. And if you can't oblige mo by wear ing these diamonds, you can just go up stairs ???ml take off your thing* nud we won???t gout all. Ho do iis you please,??? and'ho waited half u moment. ???What ??lo you think???? ho said pleasantly. ???I think you???re a terrible tyrant!??? she cried K ssionately, ???and you rob every pleasuro of 1 honey! Ami I don???t care whetyer I go or not!??? And she fluttcnfl up stairs and Hung bersolf down in dazed bewilderment. What was there for her to do? she asked her self. And what must her husband -think of her, so stubborn and wayward that sho would rather keep him at home from the opera, their rare and costly pleasure, than give un her way about a trifle. What did she care what such si husband thought! And yet, if she did, and she n turned on the vicious ctrclo, what was there for her to do? And at once a bright and evil thought smetc her. Josephine!???the second girl; she remembered that no great while ago sho had seen in Jorepliinc???s car?? two hits of gloss or paste, Alaska diaraouds, may lie, that imd cost seventy-five cents; and she hod wondered why u girl in Josephine???s position wanted to make believe site had diamonds in her cars, which, if they were real diamonds,. would only lie a disgrace to her, and how she could spend a cent for finery, anyway, when all the family were trying to save every doll.1t for the operation on the blind mother's eyes. And now, to ask 11 favor of Josephine, to whom that very morning she had liccn obliged to piece of her mind???Hut she must put her dignity behind her, and???oh, heavens, if Josephine had gone out with her Alaska* in her cars! But Josephine had not gone outpind it was only tho work of a moment, but tho dreadfully hard work of a moment, to color like a poppy, and feel iicr voice somewhere In the depths among the lower tones of a tram- bone, and then in clear, brazen tones to say: ???Josephine, I want you to lend mo yonr new earrings, quick, and never on any account to pay a wont about it to anyone!??? And the de lighted Josephine hastened to obey; and Airs. Trench crept down stairs with two bright points glittering in her can under the hall lamp, and her cheeks rosier than ever. Hut a* site Flood there at the newel-post, if she had dared to raise hor eyes, it would have struck her that anything like the way in which Air. Trench Ftartcd luck and looked aghast and struck bis hand on his breast pocket os if to make sore that his heart was beating niuler it, she had never seen off the stage. Bat lie com manded himself immediately, although lie did not succeed in getting out of sight at once the look of amuzement and of puzzled wonder. ???That's right,??? he said. ???And now you???ve .ridded your point, I???ll bo lair and yield mine. Yon needn't wear them if you don???t want to. No, no, now, I???ll insist npon it. Take them out, iny dear. I won???t have you mortify yonr pretty vanity by not being iu the fashion,??? it wasn't ???hat, she knew' in her guilty little souf, but she hated to wear her servant girl's mock finery, ar.d she knew that every woman in the audience would know the sham at a glance. In her desperation she had preferred that to the encounter with her husband's wrath and con- tempt???hat now???she hesitated. Ami then rajpc the tinkling of the car bell* They ran' hurriedly oat of the door aud down the steps and were fn the cars, add there was Mrs. Conrcy de Spenser going to the opera, too. Before Mrs. Trench knew it those earrings, those hateful bits of glass anil brass, bad been snatched from her ears and were slip ping into the pocket of her black silk skirt, while a pair of great white earrings, ns big a: peas, were flashing and milking and rainbow ing in Aire, ( ourcy de Spencer???s cars for Mr. Trench to see. Apparently ho didn???t sec them; nor had he noticed that tho bits of Alaska crys tal wero larger than her own earrings. Sho was over the trouble for this time???but what was she to do ou the next! At last in the midst of the lights and dresses and flowers and music she forgot her sorrows and abandoned herself to the gcuer.il glory nud ineffable pleas ure of the opera. Mr. Trench was very quiet all through tho opera; and on the way home he appeared to lie in deep thought. Two or three times ho look ed at his wife with a pnzzled air; but he was very tender and gentle with her, for him, like one who would invite confidence, in tho few moments that they sat in tho little draw ing room before going up stairs; and the next morning as he went to business ho kissed her and asked her if she were sure she loved him and nobodv else, in spite of his tempers. "Why, who else should I Jove? laughed Mrs. Trelich, heedless of gra'mmer. ???I don???t know another man fn the world to speak freely with, except J our brothers and iny sisters??? husbands; and in sure I don???t love them!??? ???Then will you tell mo why you wanted to give them Christmas presents to the extent of getting angry with your husband about it???? ???Because 1 always have, aud they always have, and I like things to go on the way they've been going on, and I don't want to mar the harmony and put an end to our old pleas ant way*, and they???ll give us something, they always have, and they always have como over here, cvenr one of them, to breakfast on Christ mas mornings, and 1 don't waut them to think we???re mean, and?????? ???Well,??? said Air. Trench, ???why didn???t yon j so. instead of blowing 1110 up the other day? Now, 1 can???t hcln you. 1 drew my salary ahead till the dose of the year to make the last pay ment on the bouse, you know. I had a partic ular use for a hundred dollars, and F borrowed it, and I've spent it, and I don't know where to borrow any more, and if I did I doubt if it would be right to borrow money and run in debt just for Christmas presents???do you thiuk it would be???? ???N???no,??? said Mrs. Trench, tearfully. And then he kissed her again mid said, sacrificing his last scrap of principle: ???We'll have to cx- E lain it to them and muko it right next year.??? ut as he went up tho street there was a hesi tation in liis gait and munnor which showed his raiud to bo very muck divided about some thing. Airs. Trench saw it ns sho looked after him according to her usual fashion when she was rot injured or angered; and she found herself asking if she supposed ho really had not a hun dred dollars lie could have handed her at that mcmcnt, if there were not somo other plan in his head for using it that lie found it hard to give up. But it wits idlo to spcculato, and she went up to overhaul her boxes and drawers, making by the closoof the day n contented ar rangement of her possibilities. "A perfect rag bug of a Christmas,??? she said, ???but 1 guess it will do, considering they know Harry is pay ing for the house. There???s my laco shawl???I hate them, aud Harry???s mother loves thorn and I???ll give that to her. And there???s tho silk rem nants; they will make John two neckties??? beauties; and sister Sally can have my French Monde fichu, it???s fresh as snow. Thore???s throe. And I???ll give Alargic my black Spanish lace scarf???I declare I shan't have anything left! And Lawrence???well, there???s tho silk socks I knit for Harry???s birthday. I haven???t given them to him yet???Lawrence can liavo tuoso. And Janet???I know Janet would liko a crazy quilt. I wonder If I could get It done? I don F t care; I???ll try. Now, there???s only little Janet??? I???ll make her a rag doll???and Lolly, and Will ???let me see. There???s that embroidery on my old satin flounce; I suppose It would make good smoking cans against the time they???re grown up, lined with ihoso bluo silk handkerchiefs. But then there???s the servants???well, I ahall have to make my bluo Shetland shawl do, nmV- Ittlo money besides for them J??? And that reminded her of Josephine's earrings, nnd she went to the wardrobe-caso whero hung tho dress she had worn on the previous evouing. and put her baud iu tho pocket for tho car- lings, nnd there were no earrings there. Jose phine had taken them !>aok, of courso. And yet, Joscpkino would not do such a thing. Sho turned the pocket inside out, she searched tho floor beneath, the room, the stairs, tho drawing room, the street steps, and then sho wont for Josephine, and wished slio had dono so in tho * ' * ice. For Josephine did not value them and giving the girl tho last whole dollar she owned to buy some others, Airs. Trench sat down at her crazy quilt, prepared to forget all about It as soon as she hail said, ???Dear mo. it seems as if there were an evil futo about ala- mond earrings and me???? Airs. Treuch, iu tho following days, was al most too busy to think. In tho first of thorn sho was haunted by an uudcflncd fear of her husband???s again asking for the Jewels; ami sho resolved that tho first monoy sho had sho would buy os good imitations os were to be found; and then sho thought how much vexation and un happiness she might have saved herself if sho had but confided in her husband in the first place, and .then she grew angry, thinking what sorb of a husband was that in whom ???ou couldn???t confide for fear of an out- ???urst that set your heart beating und your nerves trembling to the point you couldn???t bear! And then sho wondered whether Janet would like robin???s egg bluo with crimson bet ter thnn pale sulphur; and then sho set tho quiet Josephine at work on the crazy squares, while she herself attended to the smoking-caps. Aud up early, and in lied Iato, and snatching her meals, Air. Trench declared that he had double reason for disliking a holiday, prepara tion for which eo entirely absorbed his wlto away from him. But Airs. Trench was far from happy in those days???dark days they were to her. 8ho was busy, busy with a sort of breathless haste, and yet only as if going through tho forms, indif ferent to the whole thing; her heart held but one emotion then, and her miml kept ringing the changes on ono theme. Sho had always been interested in Josephine, the pale and stately girl; and she bad meant to help J<*c* pliine about her mother???s eyes. And now Jose phine was in great trouble. Josephine in great trouble? It was Mrs. Trench who was in great trouble, tcrriblo trouble, and who did not know which way to turn or whero to go. There was no one to help her. Hhe could neither cat nor sleep. Something sho must do???hut great heavens, what? Those earrings, those Altai earrings. Josephine, on tho night she bad bought hers, had taken them to show to her sister Isabel, who lived with Mrs. Courcy dc Spenser, and the two girls were so pleased with them that when Mrs. t'ourcydc Bponser came into the sewing room Isabel showed them to her, and that lady expressed great admiration and surprise, and even condescended so far as to go and get her own camogs and compare the two. and for a momentJosephinc bad held both pairs on the palm of her hand. Goiug to see her sister again after Airs. Trench had lost the earrings, she told that fact In confidence, and Af re. Courcy de Hpenser, who was overlook ing fome sewing work, went In greut baste aud trepidation to her own room, and returning, became very agitated. Aud it seemed that Jotephinc had taken home Airs. Courcyde Spenser???s earrings ???y mistake, and left her own hits of glass. And Mrs. de Spenser had said that of course she knew Josephine was thoioughly. honest, she never doubted her, it was til a mistake, and she would say nothing about it if Josephine paid the difference???she would say one hundred dollars. And Jose phine had no hundred dollars; they had not yet saved all of fifty dollars toward the opera tion on their mother???s eyes. And then the truth slowly dawned on Mrs. Trench???s timid comprehension; it was Mrs, Trench who bad lost Mrs. Conwy dc Spences???* earrings. ???I don???t believe she ever had any diamond*!??? crird Mrs. Trench. "I lielicve hers were just like your?, cut glass or crystal. Hhc???s the thief! Bat that makes no odds. She's got to have her hundred dollars. And???don't you cry, Jose phine, dear???sho shall have it somehow???I can't think how???unless I sell the spoons, too??? and they???re not mine. Or, I might raffle this crazy quilt, ami say it???s for charity; and it it is! Or, I could sell my sealskin, or???or ask Mr. Trench, If I can't get ft any other way. But I thall have it for yoy, Josephine, don???t fear,some war. Only just keep her along; keep her off awhile; wait till we get this Christmas off our liaads. It may bring something in wc can use, anyway;and Air. Trench will hare to baud mo some money some time or other; and perhaps I can get my courage up to tell him all about it. I don???t know why I can???t???but I dou???tdarc??? I???m 60 afraid??????and then Airs. Trench broke down and cried, and Josephine, who had be- como in this stress something like au intimate friend, cried too, and It was all very damp aud unnlcarant. After this the days only dragged ou heavily, and she expected something more thnn had yet happened on every succeeding one; sho grew thin and pale, and started at every sound, was ready to cry at a word, aud lived iu the atmosphere of a perpetual dread of she knew not what. ???1 don't know what???s the matter with you, Alabci,??? said Mr. Trench, with irritation. ???I'm sure I shall lie glad when 1'hristmas is over.??? ???I???m sure I shall!??? ???The idea of turning wliat ought to lie a happy tirno into a season of such work and worry!??? ???You haven???t helped make the season so light to 1110 that you need to talk in that way!??? cried Airs. Trench, ouite beside herself, her feelings rushing for tho first outlet. ???I don???t know what you want me to do! I've explained my circumstances fully,??? exclaimed her husband, ???and if you haven???t sense enough?????? ???You inusn???t tell me I haven't sense enough! You musn???t!??? she cried. And in another in stant she had thrown herself on ids breast, clasping him convulsivcly.and had run from the room, crying like a child. ???I???m sure I don???t know what to make of her;??? said Air. Trench ruefully. ???Though she's more like herself in this explosion than she lias been for a fortnight. I don???t even know' if she???ll lie pleased over Christmas morning???perhaps I w as foolish not to end that matter up at unco and give it all to her then. I don???t know what to midse of her or any other, woman. Home- times, nmiinured lie in Ids exasperation, ???sonii'tiniiH 1 wish there'd never been a woman born!??? It wasa curious coincidence that in the fast ness of her own room Ids wife was at tho sumo moment exclaiming: ???Ob, I don???t sco what I was made for! I wish I never had been horn! I wish there???d never been any women horn!??? But iu the hist wish she was thinking of Mrs. Courcy do Spenser. But nil things come to au end; nnd nt lengt h it nun ( hriitmas morning???such u hlno and white sparkling morning, a sky like the tent of the tabernacle, an earth snow-clod with purity, every tree ami shrub wearing an angel???s plumage, and n bright wind blowing that seemed to shako the sunsldno out of heaven. Such happy sounds there were lu tho early Christ mas bells, such lmppy faces In the street, too, and, insido tho house was all spicy with the hemlock boughs and holly of Jose phine???s handiwork, ???It???s as sweet as a forest,??? said Aire. Trench to herself. ???But I declare these presents aro the shabbiest Christimwing I over did ! I wish I had made something for Harry after all. I guess 111 give lilin 0110 of Johns neckties. Well, they???ll nil come over to breakfast, and I???ll liavo a breakfast that would make Dclmonico???a mouth water.??? And hhe was as good ns her word, her table glittor* ing w ith red oranges and black grapes and rus set winter nears and marmalade lucent as jew els, while tne kitchen of tho king of Franco could have been no more savory with good odors than hcr's that morning, from chicken not-pics, steaks dono to a turn, slices of cold duck, broil ed oysters quivering on their way from tho gridiron to tho tonst, omelette slipping from the pan liko a slice of gold, biscuit like snow balls, turnovers for the children, and coffco that might have made quo doubt If really that were not the nectar of the gods. Mrs ^French surveyed everything, and theu hearing the arriving family uuuouncod by the voices of Will and Lolly and littlo Janet, and the gay greetings between tho elder Janet and lawrcncc nnd Margie and Hally and Harry aud the reft, she ran un to slip on her pretty brown silk???she bad not nud U on since slio. went to the opera???and sho put a geranium In lior hair r&t tried to greet tbcnvail with a smiling face; ar.d sho felt that tho houso was full of snnshlno and music sod Christmas cheer, and uono of it in her heart, whilo Josephine's pale .face and swollen eyes smote, her with n sort of torror every timo sho looked tlmt way. Aud what an uproar the houso was in, and how littlo Janet hugged her rag huhy with Us pretty painted face, and how plcnscd the older Jnnct was with her crazy quilt, nnd Ln with his silk stockings, ono anil all cxcmiiiiuig and thanking and kissing and laying her own gifts in a yet unexplored heap and hoard bo- side her chair. And sho was having hard work not to cry, and Joscphlno was bringing in tho dishes and Mr.Trcneh wan sharpening tho carv ing knife, und uli were taking their scats in the midst of tho jollity and clamor. And then Mis. Trench was mechanically turning over her pluto that had been reversed upon somo trifle, ami Air. Trench???s knife was murderously sinncndcd in the air as he watched her. lor mild oily Airs. Trench???s eyes had grown large nnd shilling, a color liko u wild roso???a be- f an to spread over her wau fiico, she half rose rom her elmlr, bending over, what she aaw tin re before her??? two si??rkling, ablnini erlug drops of luster, her earrings, her 1 rings that her father gavo her! And beddo them???what else? A littlo, slippery, tortoise- shell portcmonnaic, her own pocket-book, aud as she adzed it nnd opened it, her own hun dred dollar hill in it! And all in a flash of in stinct???for her poor littlo mind could never have compassed It???she sow timt her husband, meeting her on Air. Hnarkler???s stops, bad gono to inquire of Mr. Bparklcr what sue had been ahout there, and hadbonght the gems back out of band; and it was he who in mere mischief bad snatched the pocket-book In tho crowd and bad kept it for this moment. Joy nnd anger swept across hor in force at ono breath, joy at the recovery, auger at the delay. ???Oh, how could you, how could you f??? she cried, flashing her eyes ut her husband, aud ???Oh, why did you, why did you!??? sho cried again as the tears began to come, and sho ran round tho tnblo to throw lior arms ubout him and whisper the rest iu his car. As sho did so Eomctli ing that glittered in her dress caught his eye. ???What is this???? he said, as he stoopod to dis engage it. ???On t??? she exclaimed. ???Let me see f It must be??????and she nearly tore tho dress In her fev erish haste to snatch tho thing into light??????no, it can???t be*???it is! Oh, It is Josephine???s ear rings, the ones she lent mo tho night of tho opera, and that Airs. Courcy do Hucncer says are hci???s, and I thought I slipped them into my pocket nnd somebody stoic them in the opora bouse. And I dipped them iuto this fold in stead. Oh, isn???t this a lovely Christmas! Aud oh, Josephine,??? turning, regardless of all the rett, to the rtatily maid who hod Just come in again, ???Air, Treuch has made me a present of uy old cartings, you sec, and there???s a hundred dollar hill in my purse, and it???s for your moth er???s eyes, and os everybody???s Christinas was In that bill, of course it???s a Christmas present to her from ever}body in this room, isn???t it, Harry ? I never had such u Christmas as this in oil iny life!??? she cried then with a child???s gojety. ???And I want to tell you???what do yen think besides, Josephine? Here are Mrs. Courcy dc Spencer???s earrings, her actual ear rings, that she says were mistaken for those you lent me. And I want you to run over to her without losing a moment, breakfast or no briwkfast, and tell her I seat them with my compliments, and I found them exactly where I put them, her own earrings, her real earrings ???no. you needn???t say her real earrings, be muse they're not real, there???s nothing real al>out them???or about her, either! They are ju*t a )*ir of cut-glass brilliants like your???s. Mrs. Courcy de Hpcnccr???s diamonds were never any diamonds st all! And I???m sorry???I???m sorry I'm so malicious,??? she cried, with Harry???s arm still about her, and tie wholo family wonder ing wliat the coil could be, ???T must lie Just as wicked as anything! But I do declare???that woman is such a cheat, swindling u poor working girl of her hard-earned wages???that I???m???I???m afraid this is the best part of my Christmas!??? The Professors of Oxford rnd Cambridge univcrsltie??are ai imperative that the students of these universities should read the ???Science of Life??? as any of the standard works which their collegiate courses requires. 1 The young English me 11 arc great athletes, and are instructed in their schools how Co maintain good health. This famous medical book is advertised in another column of this paper. [ml. It i* called after Its inventor, who Is a Rita- Butter, Cream, Cheese, Milk. 0 lit the productiondf cheese. opening for legitimate trade slues. Wo offer youuK stock of both sexes at low price*. Needing n few native mttibh milk for calves wo will Hflnnicatt???s Rheumatic Cure! h. r. c. TheiGreatcst???Known Rem edy for RHEUMATISM! ???A GREAT BLOOD rURUTER???- Address, for Treatise and testimonials, J. M. HUNNICUTT & CO., Prop???r*. Atlanta, at; Price???50 cents a bottle. For sale by Druggists, JaniSwRm Jersey Belle of - pa. Pansy, Vlctoi ettry, Bt. Hi ller. Tot mentor, Top>awy??r and Signal. Thom Ic e bull* arc four, tnwlt: Leonidas, aoio, son of the great .signal. 1170, dam (icnuiitttn, it cord M Hi butler week. Iiouldas???s get are uniformly latgc, handsome and heavy milker-. Very few have been tested for butter. Ills daughter*. Celeste Cox, made 20 lbs 8 nnd Grace Pansy 2d, liefore two yours old made Mia* Cutter. daily 20 lt?? milk nnd 1 lit II oz butter. Ills daughter. Atlanta's Beauty, made 21 lbs 3 os lllsrull sister, Geranium 3d, tnndo 20 Ita t ; .j oa seven day*. Signal lvtro, 11,078, out of Optima, 6,717, a daughter of Signal. 1.170, by Leonidas, Optima made 24 lb* Dos lit eight day*, with only three teats yielding milk. King Kotl'or, Jr., 12.31?. an Inbred grandson of Coomasdc, Inheriting 40Ji of her blood. Ills dam. Island Star, making 22;$ quarts milk daily and 2J V.x :i ox butter a week without being forced. Pansy Boy. H.7W), by Puke, 76, intp., sin* of six cows in 14 th Class, out Wierli, 6,222, ft great cow, inbred to the early (Importations tracing 0 times to Pansy N lmptd. her natural yield when fresh is 6 gallons milk nnd 2 1 , It s buttern day. Wcdouot wish any unnecessary correspondence, but always 'tend promptly to business, visitors always wel come. Freight* cheap. Cattle acclimated. No diseases. Woodwa un, McC'i.i:u.ani> A Co.. 11112m East Point. (U. C. W. Dyer, No. 45 Fulton Market, New York,a gentleman of seventy-tyro years of ago, has been using-Brand reth's Fills, for upward of thirty years. He says they have cured him of imflidumatory rheumatism three time* when physician'* prescriptions were in vain. He took one or t wo pflii every night fot a fortnight. plVEilOLLAlUf WOUTff FOB 92, TO EVERY NEW SUBSCRIBER RENDING S3 ???FOR Till ??? NEW YORK FIUKHIDK COMPANION FQH 1886, WE WILL BEND FREE A COMPLETE SET OF MACAULAY'S HISTORY OF UNO LAND, Seaside Liorakv Edition, (Price*!.) The Fmi???jiiDK Companion Is the most interesting tuelfly paper putriiAihcd iu the Putted States, em bracing in its contents the best Stories, the beet Hkitcliea, the l??ct<t Humorous Mutter, Richest Read ing for Little Folk*, Random Talks. Fashion Arti cles, Pcnonol*, Anecdote*, nud Answers to Corres pondent*, etc., etc. No expenro is spared to get the test matter. A FKEBH KERMON BY REV. T. DlWlTT TAt.- MAUK18 PUBLISHED IN KVKUY NUMBER. Among the contributors to Tiie Fiiifjupe Com panion arc Air*. Alary K. Bryan, Lucy Randall Com fort, Alts, Alex. Alevcifh AUllcr, Laura Jean Mb Ley, etc. Cut this Advertisement out and send with ordor.* Address (ICOKGi: AItTNRO, MTNRO* PI JILIftHIKO HOl/HH, P. O. Pox 8751. 17 to 27 Vandowater Bt., N. V. DAVIDSON COLLEGE, NORTH CAROLINA. T7ULL FACULTY, THOROUGH INSTRUCTION, J; well equipped laboratories, best moral and rail- Sous influence*, flexible curriculum, lioalthy loca tion, economical. Boarions begin in Wptotnber and January. , Htudcnti received at any Umo. Bend for catalogue. wlqrsu. JIEV. L. McKIXNQN, President. Th*t farmer* may come to know Amer- Ica???a belt national farm, gardes and liome weekly without cost, THE RURAL NEW-YORKER will bo sent to all applicant* fuee for rrvM VTMEXt, and promptly RTOPrxn at theend of that time. 84 Park Row. If, Y. ???The Cheapest Furniture House In Georgia.??? You will rave money by sending for my catalogue and prices before you buy rurulturo. Biggest stock, ??west price*. Every stylo of furniture, from 9 bedstepd to 91,000 Imrcau. Cheaper than ever. Estimates (hr famishing entire house. Write to P. If. Pnook, Atlanta, (ia. dec22 wky 1y Our?? Guaranteed Fac simile of Bottle KEYSTONE MALT WHISKY I Specially Distilled for Medici nal uso. |THE BEST TONIC! Unequaled for Consumption. Wasting diseases aud General Debility. PERFCTS DIGESTION! BEWARE OF IMITATIONS Tho Genuine ha* !thn .signa ture ot EI8XEK & yiKX VEIe SON on .the Label. FOR SALK BY JOS. JACOBS, DroggUt, Atlanta, da. T.BARNUM???S: Dtr (k'lltiiirPr .I.,,,! i Executor's Hole, ......... ...SOLD BEFORE THEC.,v.....vu???? door In Fnyeettvllle. Fayette coanty, Georgia, Jjfx 1??? Hi MO am> Hr - (VrtK in. i lylffi i r j-, now Is? ltth dtstnottx county.?? Sold for the purpose of dlstrlbutlom among tho heir* of Kdmouu Jackson, deceased- Terms cash. This December 4tli lMft. Af. E. JACKSON, & Q, W. KOBTNBOtf, Kxecmortt r. TO WILL * tow, :w Mala gCaH/raffiAA m NoUco to Debtors and Creditors. A LL PERSONS HAVING DEMANDS AQATNBT A tho estate el Sarah Jackson, Into of Fayette Ca, deceased, aro hereby notified to render In their ds* ??? ??? *- ??? ??? * according to law, and all ??? "luforttajnrt# lfflo, E. JACKSON, Administrator. TO THE FARMERS OF THE SOUTH: . U.MT I'B TO OATJ.YOrn ATTKNT10K TO TIIE fllBPO.V COTTON* HEED PEA VTEft, A COTOF 1 wliU I, r-HK-.i' abm, will, put ill mom wtrUlraIhUiBf??htM to iMMiwrlorla.Uath.aax. ,oo market. Vliir l'I,nlcr In rlrnntr, diir.li!., rHInlilr and rhrap and carttroiwralcd than othar Manten Id' rri.cii r,f having a abort, r loam and .mailer li???w*r. Bui ltt|>rtnol|??l foatiiro ta thi-: 11 ilmoa th* Mod In btUaliutcad afinraMlnt tlion alunf the fumnr lllo other nanttra. It will pa, f.irlurtf tnnti:.tln?? the flnt rwt, (train lire ??arln??r.ru id atone, and It rfucawi, with the trouble end eapen*' orthe Hr t rboMilre or ???Mae kin, on!." Tire rollon will (row nffmon; rapid rand the ???(teiur art Ire it uinra reenuir diitineve ihan when the nwit are atrown nnd the roonepUnt. "blorkrel out." Tho mil. eiit ebon ITentrr I' n vlrw the,Ironnine inrekrt In vrrtlrml irrtlon *Tlh ono half of tho ra.lne douched. Tire dtonpll* ?? heel <K profiled inilta her with care or mrroaMd pocket; (ell. put In thl?? rjiliur. and thi* Cidng ft letted toeeilrer end faviencd to the bottom or tho hopper. It te OH von Ire ??prockot wheel.endrheln errenAcIcn opr<???lte ??lde from lliet ??hkl> work.agitator In hrpl>cr. Thla ??lla- lor work, the retd down and Mia the droprtn* Htr lreta to wlieeI irhlch depodt hem In bill, ??, U II, St, or::c Intlre, e|??tl. ntror, line to the number nfdrupplnitpocketa In whcrl. It pnta In a htU foM I to Arced, error,line lo tiro of fired cod amonnt of lint nn them. If aeed are rolled, or If liter ere Rea or muur. ircftti, rtr,, It will ,lrt,pA b> 10 used In orer, hill. Owlit to the email amount of aeed repaired ??? , lant 1.1. non with our marblnc, it farmer ran well altord lo (elect *uod clean iced, and alao aeed ot bent fiualNr end tbue Improve Itla cotton every year. ??? . Our droplet ran I* attacked to manj- rtlrer planlen, bnl e> the Row Law end Parquhar Planter* are ihe known end most popular ones two us< l.im If) ??? use, wc have prepared attachments as yet only to fit those . of thaw) planter* you nsefl not go to the cxnotsso of buying our complete ' ??? M .. , on hand cithci 'fiiiollff^wm/esSli^lauur'aiwi^KliSchtat^^^^^SS'tiroriieppIng wheels, one with four w ?? Jri it and oi.c with three pcckcls which drop the seed twelve aud eighteen Inches apart, respectively* wrap attachments for either the Dow Law or Farquhar Planter constats or One axle for front wheel lengthened to receive sprocket wheel, Tire two I IBflln nitai icivWR, , - ??? . _. Tako the old axle out of your front wheel, put new axle In lUplaec> and fasten one wine sprocket wheels on It; remove thf Hide Hide putJ|i hrAUanof yimroUl forp^fJo^^sUtwoilseed:jiraone??fthj n ovo little ilroppfng wheels In casing, bolf eating together nnd fasten to Ik>< min of hopper, ... ??*. r . _j??? . jin-,, connect the two wh*r-N with chain ami youroldmarhlnewill ha In-ady for Stropping tfte tec*P Tb?? agitator In the Dow law Planter Is drlveu byAcranhaadlhaFSTgu hy by chain am! sprocket w her R Our attachments do rioi Interfere at all I ??? ' bines ??? ??? the frmitthfrreA ~ If you bore an old Dow Law or Farquhar planter o _ ... you have neither of those machine*, then by all means buy the Gibson .HfSSL SRS!** ???teMtdii??ib*tBmenidiKiured^ |1jntt , ri rmnp jj te ??? * ..JMdcaeli. TtieOileon Attecbmenl, fori Ja.w law FtuMar \Vc.c(^cUoti(irer??rni*rhUiM > lii l*hc hand, of^eienlhro??iiiout'uVvi J '''ithbeforepl*a???.!': Urn.,' Ipayouf DC reliant torUwo. bee Hum letted. Hor??hre,.mMSari.Jp??ber ; _ Sole owner Oi'reJa 1