Show A christmas stocking mg by bertelt esmond 1 1 1 1 A J N t 4 M N UJ and abi tb high hah ost of living d du not make a very harmonious ca con nation okim armed ed mrs ralston alston ll in ber her quiet r tient way 1 I was uns just thinking of that thal mother replied her married daughter tunice 1 marsh who bat nt with ber her work ork basket tn in ber her lap ber her needle threaded mith ith mending yarn yam and rounding round lne one ot of her husband husbands stockings Bloc kings at the bel therul hero I 1 that Is done anil and I 1 hope it will lass muster a as half respectable pinned w up to aunt mary marys mattev mrs ralston alston ll raghed and eunice did not art any tw tto cheerful they were nvere I 1 oval 0 val ie generoux gene nn erous aeouls 11 OW and ru t I 1 I 1 the t he pat pa t year ear or two 1 ad n never v e r knoon an what iwas to sunia and v fitch the comers closely the mother picked up the sto stocking cLing E eunice u n I 1 c a had placed on UA th table I 1 come to wilk of it lt eual eunice he said live wo can do better than that J ju ut u t 64 u up to the litre Is chely the boull 1 11 find fa fathers therb ea cli aies and U ings us lis they N ere when ben be died the lat last year years of john Rals ll alston tons s life had bes bein n full of anxiety and gle 1 was vias a mortgage en on the tile old homestead a ai d at one time it seemed a foreclosure could not be avold I 1 then in some way he be secured the money moncy to pay it off and fortun it was uns clear of encumbrance when ho lie died that was aa just a month after I 1 unice married kandal randal marsh pitr heart warmed as ehe she thought of if the loyal whole man m who mho ho had come into her life at a critical time it bad had been generally supposed that randul had some little means for he be was industrious ind u sarious and thrifty but when ben sir hals balston ton died randal stepped into h bis Is place practical bard hard working and self sacrificing the tears tell fell as eunice reached the storer lorn and lifted the top of the fane box she had I 1 ersele co cohered ered tn in which her father bad had been accustomed to store his extra clothing guddal him elf bad made the receptacle and together r they had glen ghen it to mr ur kil it ia eton aton cn on bis his last birthday eunice removed ome some articles cles of apparel tenderly and with care place them 01 Q 1 a I 1 chair and discovered acme some handler band ker chiefs and aud three pairs of stockings boded up neatly she took the top pair pat undid it and with 40 WJ 4 it unrolled tat that it was wa i now nd cholm what can this be bel I 1 the he uttered aj aa aai an envelope fell from the tie released folds her wonderment increased cre ased as she picked it ap and found it unsealed and inside a vr written ritten page pace and a peculiar looking key then with staring ejea eyes breathless stirred to the depths of ber her soul ane read after I 1 am gone see that this letter and key are given to randal marsh it has ham been a secret be he made me we prow pro ai ise never to divulge that be he gave me money to pay off the mortgage poor noble hearted fellow I 1 be had saved the 2000 to build a little home and gave it feely to benefit us all month by month mouth I 1 have lave saved abat hat I 1 could and have placed the money in a safety deposit box in the city bank where there Is nearly the amount he gave me eunice with difficulty suppressed a great cry of joy she isla t scarcely refrain from rush ing downstairs and rive allne ber her mar discovery tisco ery to her mother As she pan reflected bow how much this gener oua oui donation mean to them all ull in a transport of happy tears ehe she sobbed forth ner n e r loie loe for tie tl e worthy helpmate alio ho had so we well I 1 I 1 ful filled big duty to herself and ber her family runice was with half subdued excitement all that IV evening glim Sheri alt it ed warn they had reached aunt marys until ter md nad tl tie e others had place I 1 thi thir ir little ritta gifts in the stocking beiring bc irin a card with mith Itan dalls name came all alent sh kissed the tw tm elope nd rid it into the stocking A necktie gloves and u ren knife that from aunty romett ing 1 alm always a s useful A tetter letter nol no a card of groat in not chy what bat does this dennl mean bohe handal marsh and read it as they nil all gathered about the fire ore place and then be he anew t mcw man thit that he 4 he actually blushi d like a cut arit detected nt at the revelation of a sleeping of years it means menns that I 1 hove have the dearest most nolle liband in the cried dunfee her amis allbut him her alp ilp 4 kalning klemp oh my brave on onal 1 my true our ual I 1 an ani I 1 who tn in the corll orl 1 toda it ef ir V the blessings les sings of christ ba mas mie mi niki e tun than you roal |