The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-01

a Vacation ana Tee Ce..e~->...

a Vacation ana lss Cense~r>nce..
Two weeks Vacations d1sihg ~ holi.
daysl Two ,oeslsi Havs The P.eultv
gone ''nnp having srasy = TO
wsskaf Why they nsrsr granted ~
moro than two days bslbsS what under
the sun poaseased than. History ssd
mathematics, this 10 good news! All. =
bright ides strikes me. Some good an
gel Who during her sojourn on earth was
. school girl, and Who he'd no vacation
has visited the couch Of our. good Presi.
dent and whispered to him that the stu
dents Who livs q ! distance would like to
go home and spend the holidays. Il
must have been otherwise our sober.
learned Faculty would never have Thought
OF it. Oh! blessed angel, 20 mindful OF
our happiness. How can We rsp1y thee I,
Thou art indeed the school girls friend
All honor be to thee. Twas thus that
Nellie student Of the University Of l.,
addressed her companions young lady
OF golden hair and blue syes--such a. oil
men dream:about and such - poets love
to write about. "Let me see, continued
Nellie. "this is Thursday. and If l 60
home | must start tomorrow morning be-
fore daylight and hate most awfully to
get up early these cold MORNINGS. Ugh
il makes me shiver to think OF IT,"
"Now Nell" exclaimed her compan-
ion, "you must not 60. If you do what is
to become Of me? I'll die, l know will
Of loneliness. Oh you inset not go-do
stay and ven have lots of fun. Just
thing Of it--no lessons to learn, nothing
to do but enjoy ourselves" Nell does
think, and thinks she'll go home. Fun
is very dear to her, but ssdearer still, yes,
dearer still by far" are her kind loving
parents and her little brothers and sis-
tiers. So she announces the result to her
friend and It was received with shower
pt tears and cries of ooh don't go-
don't-please dou't-please. don't 90"
But Nell says she riH 60. She induced
her friend to dry her tears and to 20 with
her to to get some presents for the loved
ones at home and to help her "pack'' her
trunk.
Leaving the two girls to perform these
duties, let me describe Nellie. She is not
beauty-oh mono one ever called her
beautiful, but all agree in pronouncine
her pretty. She is below the medium
height, her form petite but we'll developed,
ner features are not regular, her nose
is large, she has . wealth of beautiful
brown hair, very fair skin and mouth
like strawberry. wish could de.
scribe her eyes, but no pen can do them
justice. Sometimes you think them blue
again they are hazel-and now ron are
ready to declare that they are black
They are always bright and sparkling
"ss full OF mischief as an egg is full Of
meat" Scores of hearts have these same
eyes broken aud scores of hearts are tbev
destined to break.
IL Is Friday morning. Let us nov re-
turn to the two friends--sthe insepar.ble,
as they are called At school. The pres-
ents have been purchased, the trunk
"packed" and Nellie il impatiently v.i,.
ing for the 'fbus.' She and her friend
are not alone. They are surrounded
to use Nell's own words, sby : whole
regiment OF girls" and she is the gayest
OF them all. The "bus" is comino-.;t
has stopped.
"Where are my gloves and my VEIL,
exclaims Nell. 81 never can end them
! u go without-oh here they are at
last Come girls-pile in" This order
the regiment of girls" hasten o obev
and right msrrily they laugh and talk as
they ride to the depot. T-o-o-t went the
engine whistle and Nellie took an sfFac.
tlonate leave of her companions and seat
60 herself in the cars very happy at the
prospect Of soon being at "home. svee.
home For awhile all passed quietly,
our heroine hugely enjoying tn. ride
viewing the wild scenery as the car. al.
moss aew along and viewing also the faces
OF her fellow-passengers. Most of them
were soid'ers-''brave boys" returning
from their loved homes to the battle f;sld
once more to face the enemy and to FIGHT
Tor their honor. She listened to than
ana oeheld their countenances illumine
With honest pride and glow with 6erv
patriotism as they spoke of the battle. IN
which they had taken part. In their
brave determined faces she read .na.,h
to all traiton."
The first station is reached and i !. :,
most night. An cid gentleman seeing
'ua' Nellie 10 alone offers to assist her Of
OF the cars and