John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

you home this afternoon . We Avill feast on the turkey and p lumpudding that you . have brought me ; and—if you arc absent from homo , perhaps thc pudding will go round , ch Y " " No , " said Jack resolutely . Thank you very much , sir , but I'd rather go home . " " Why ? "

" I should not liko to feast , as yon call it , sir , AA'hen they—theyat home ¦ " The boy ' s voice trembled . Ee had been forced by his promise to speak the truth , but the effort was more than he could endure . Hc hurst into sudden tears , and hid his face for a minute or tAvo . It

seemed to him that hc felt the pressure of a caressing hand upon his head , but AA'hen he looked up , his uncle had moved away to tho AvindoAv , and Avas bloAving his nose Avith a vcry big red handkerchief , rubbing his eyes Avith it from time to time as if n , suspicious moisture had to bo rubbed aAvay .

" Jack , " said Mr . BroAvn at length , " AVIIO is that in the cab with you r " My mother , sir . " "What , she wouldn't let you come quite alone , would sho ? Well , then , I'll tell you AA'hat : ' you must take mc out and introduce me to her . "

And , greatly puzzled , and A'ery uncomfortable , Jack performed the introduction . The old man boAved IOAV to the woman whom he had for so long refused to see , and took her hand bctAveen his OAVU . " Wc haA'e mot in a strange fashion , " he said , " but I hope that our meeting is not altogether useless . I haA'e to beg your pardon forthe scant justice and the scant courtesy I have meted out to yon

and yours . Will you forgive me , Madeline ? I have never ceased fo long for my boy , Jack , cA-er since I cast him off . " And Madeline , for ansAver , bent fonvard to kiss his trembling lips . "And now , " said tho old man almost gaily , when a feAv more AA-ords of greeting and reconciliation had been exchanged betAveen them , " now whafc shall I do ? Will you all come and dine with me Y

John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

Or , better still , may I come and dine with you to-day , and you shall come to me to- morroAv Y We Avill take back the hamper ; I think it Avill furnish us all with a Christmas dinner . You agree' ? Wait one moment , then , and I Avill come . " He turned back to the house and summoned Mrs . Ellab y , to Avhom he gaA c various orders , Avhich resulted in the appearance of a great

many parcels of sundry shapes and sizes . These Avere stoAved under tho seats of the cab , or on the roof , and Mr . BroAvn refused to betray any knowledge of their contents . They proved , however , to contain the very things for Avhich poor Edie had been si ghing—presents of all sorts—crackers , fruit , and sAvectmeats , and never Avere gifts more joyfully received .

" I bought em last ni ght , ' said Mr . BVOAVU , chuckling , " after I had seen yonr boy , John . I kneAv I should have him here before long , or that I should hear about the hamper . I saAV in his face that he kneAv all about it , and I wondered what the end of it would be . But I expected him here , for I AA-US certain ho could not fail to

be like his father , upright antl honourable , as his father has always been . The dark days are over for yon all now , John , and that yotmg fellow Avill be none the worsefor his plain speaking . What do you say to making Eglantine House your homo from henceforAvard , eh , John ? I haA'e had some A'ery lonel y hours there , bnfc , thank God , I need never knoAv loneliness again . "

And in a more jocular vein hc added , with a sl y look at his liepheAA '" Can you fancy Alice Kirb y ' s face when sho knows Avhat became of her precious Christmas hamper ? "

NATIONAL THRIFT SOCIETY . —Tho Avork of this Society , Avhich for upward * of ten years , has been , and still is , under the secretarial management of Bro . 'J ' . Bowden Green , 1 , Finsbury Circus , K . C , is being very considerably developed . Thrift meetings avo continually being hold under its auspices , and a largo amount of Thrift literature is sent out from its offices . Bros . Captain Darley and J . KIIOAVIOS Rowbotham are members of tho committee .

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NOW READY—Twentieth Year of Publication . Price 2 s ., Post Free , 2 s . Id . ; 320 pages , flexible Roan , Gilt Edges , Tuck or Elastic Band . The Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar & Pocket Book for 1890 . " THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE MASONIC BOOK OF REFERENCE ISSUED . " THE COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR contains full particulars of all Grand Masonic Bodies in the World , as well as private Lodges , Chapters , Conclaves , in Great Britain , India , and the Colonies . May be had of all Booksellers , or at Qeorge Kenning ' s Establishments—LONDON : 16 & 16 A GT . QUEEN ST ., opposite Freemasons' Hall I LIVERPOOL : 2 , MONUMENT PLACE . 1 , 2 , 3 , LITTLE BRITAIN , 195 , 196 , and 197 , MANCHESTER : 47 , BRIDGE STREET . ALDERSGATE STREET , E . C . | GLASGOW : 9 , WEST HOWARD STREET .

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