The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1877-12-26
A NEW YEARS. STORY
CHAPTER T..

z u r
1t was New Years Eve-the snow fell
fast and thick on the frozen ground In
bloomsbury Square the trees aad lawns were
white and crisp with frozen snow. The Grim
son curtains and the blazing fires made the
dining rooms OF the handsome old-fashioned
houses OF the square seem earthly paradises
to The houseless, barefooted otltcasts whose
trays Of wretchednessn were blown aside by
the keen east wind The cruel wind drove
the snoW-hakes in their pinched, blue faces,
and covered their battered garments and lean,
salloW flesh with what was at one moment
"a white overcoat, and the next an icy hath.
With what woltish eyes those shivering
famished step-children offortune glared first
at the dining-tables, covered with the snowy
damask, and glittering with glass, china and
silver, on which the freight was reflected
like rubies and topazes, and then at the clean,
cozy kitchen, where before the noble fire the
turkey the saddle Of mutton, or the sirloin
was roasting.
One Of the houses in question belonged to
Mr. Pomfret, a solicitor with fair business in
the city. BE had snowy, handsome wife, a
very proud, pretentious and pedantic woman,
and subtle and sly iwithal--a tyrant where she
dared, and ruling Mr. Pomfret, who dotted on
her, but who had a great idea Of mans SUI
prenacy, BY pretending to obey him, always
the while craftily managing to have her own
way in everything. They had six children
two boys and four girls. The eldest, a boy,
was four teen; the youngest, girl, was four.
Gated the four girls, and had charge of the
two mischieyous boys--Master wellington
and Master Nelson--during the holidays
Mrs. Pomfret was Of warlike spirit, and
was very fond Of heroic names. Her father
had been Captain in the Marines--and she
had herself dubbed him "Coloner' after his
the army and Navy However the*great
Boosting piece of the family was Mr.. Pom.
Sfrets younger and only brother, Sir Henry
I Pomfret.
& He was barrister in good practice, had
written law book which had become an al-
thority, and was SO lively, and gentlemanly,
and popular, that he made friends wherever he
went.
He was SO bright, so genial and so levable,
that even those clients who had weak causes
he could not gain retained him still as friend
and continued their "refreshers" IN the shape
On the other hand, those clients for
whom he gained by his eloquence and learn
ing all important verdicts, positively idolized
him sjI3
One among them, nobleman Of political
influence i obtained for Harry Polnfret Colo
NAL Judgeship, with the honor Of knighthood
and tour brother, Sir Harry Ponlfret, the
Judge became Mrs. Pomfret' favorite boast
ing piece in conjunction with "my father, the
Colonel.''
Sir Harry had been abroad three years at the
the time OF which we are writing, and was
have said, New Years Eve, and showing fast.
Mrs. Polnfret was in full dress. Mr.. Pomfret
had promised to return from the Office at five
to dinner, in order to take herself and the chill
dren 20 the playa great treat this, for Toole,
the comic genius Of the age was 10 delight the
Of mingled mirth and pathos, fun and
feeling, which made him the acknowl-
edged genius of the grotesque and graceful,
grand master of the sources of smiles and
tears.
Mrs Pomfret was hungry, cross and was
Watching for her husbands cab, and scoWling
at the ragged Wolf-eyed outcasts glaring at the
roasting turkey at the Kitchen fire, when sud
denly from an upper window 8 few pence,
wrapped in paper, fell at the blue feets Of the
{ Outcasts
Mrs. Pomfret Redeemed with anger, and
rushed upstairs. The school-room was on
the second floor. She suspected Miss Moss Of
the offense that had exasperated her. She
wanted to vent her ill-humor on some one
the safest person in the house was Miss
Moss. IE4 @
Miss Moss was o second cousin Of Mr. Pom
fret's, an orphan aud quite destitute, she had
only been received by Mrs. Pomfret boarded,
| lodged and paid twenty pounds Il year, at,
HarrY's request, on condition that the re-
iT1ationship waste be kept secret and never al
| lnded to. Another cousin OF Mr.. Pomfret's-
Della, commonly called Dahlia Domvilc--also
| Lived with the Pomfrets. She had been so
| named by an Irish sutton, who naturally pro-
nouneed Della Dahlia, and her style of beauty
and her gorgeous velvet dresses gave her a
4 close resemblance to that splendid flower the
Dahlia. The Irishman's blunder was univers-
| ally adopted; Miss. Domvile ALSO iyedWith the
/ Pomfrets. Mr.. Pomfret was her guardian.
\ She had some fortune, and paid BIO0 per an
i mum for her board aud lodging. She was q
i great belle and q great hirt, and having a
] high spirit, Mrs. Pomfret was as obsequious
4 to her as she was overbearing to Miss Moss.
Ii On the landing of the second floor Mrs.
i pomfret meet Masters wellington and Nelson
i giggling .
{ no dared to throw pence out to beggars
4 against all ther1les and orders? p asked Mrs.
4 Pomfret. Not you ! am sure, my precious
4 loves p
81 know it was Miss Moss, mammal said
q Master Wellington ss@.
She's always giving tobeggars, said Mas,
ter Nelson. Il. 4S5s IL. KS S1s zsf 5
MS: Pomfrot, red with wrath, entered the
II school-room 83s So al ssa5$ @
MI 4 w no has been throwing pence out Of the
windowjto beggars p she asked # III Il E#
" did, z said Miss Moss The poor creature
y seemed starving with cold and hun ger i =
Il st have soup tickets at your service, and in
q discrininate charity is the special aversion q
& Mr.. Pomfrets and myself. To encouraging
u street beggars, alias robbers, Miss Moss, yor
q risk our being murdered in our beds. Pra,
u do not repeat an act SO cry annoying to me
and worse still to Mr.. Pomfret' Y
n III Miss Moss bowed her head in token Of sub
b mission. 58.
4 ma, pas come, and wants YOU directly
u Hes gotta letter from Uncle Harry, and
present.,