The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-11

Terrible weather-qu.te an old fash
Toned CIR .nIGs-the snow falling fast
in .lakgs Is large as dimes, and m icy,
peIetraanE N1nd sweeping across the
couutry. with g fierce determination "a
L1ye Is cVa way. Everybody said it
WIS the ca}les. winter ever known: bu.
that is -hs au.ial saying.
At tie Ems. tie seag of % country
geadlc1.an. in one of tie Northern
States, large party had assembled :,
ssond the CaristIaas holidays. Mr..
Fowler. the owner 0f The E.ms, was {.
man ri beth taste and Hbe-glIy, snl
enjoyed nothing better .lau 10 gather
his friends arelul Eim. lie Was Q vid-
over, vi.h one chilG-LUcilla, spark
Ing, sp-gAtly girl of nineteen or
twenty
The party consisted 4 several friends
all nrighburs # 2i- Fowler, and their
wives and daughters. There was, q
course. q lraportiOnate assembly OF
yaung men. ana among them q certain
Captain W.lf1ed Herbert. n great adj
m.rer of Lgciia's, without, rs yet, hAy-
ing actual Y declared himself IL needed
no: much Iise1-..Ccnt. however, to per
ceiTc that h. was Geyltc,i'y attached H.
T. yguag Lady. vhile she ou Lcr part
was not nd II rent to HIM.
Bat iusg let me tell you . word about
Lgcilla She WIS one Of those dear, be-
witching creatures that VIII make you
think that yoa ere very nice sort of n
fellow, ana that ylu are Just tie kind Of
2 maG that She always admired; then,
without any perceptihle effort, viii
cause you 70 suppose that you are =
great bluuaering thing that astonishes
himself bv his own cOuCeit N supu0s.ng
that he, f3r a moment, could compare
himself with her; but underneath all
th.7, there vas q woman's nature that
could be loving. and even sincere. Now
her father, who, strange - say. could
not read Young ladies ike Q book. seeing
only q CCqGett- II his charming dauCh-
ter, vas mucl. pleased by the preference
paid hey hT the handsome young officer.
who came Of III excellent family, and N
addition 10 his profession, had ~ ample
private fortune, and, IN his parental So
licitude. was dcsirous cf seeing hcr hap
ply settled with some deserving and eli
ciDie young msn. Mr. Fowler himself
was verging on seventy years, having
married late in life.
II was about midday and the scene in
the grounds Of the Elms WIS animated
and striking They were II great eI-
tent, and in summer most beautiful "
laid out Now, however. their beaUt cs
were veiled beneath waste Of snow.
The immense Gins, yews and cellars
IL -.
almost to resemble the open space in r
park, were weighed down by fantas'ical-
j. shaped conglomeration OF snow, and
the lawn itself was a vast sheet OF white.
reminding one as much Of Sibcria. md
Its sable and mink hunters, than Of IN
AIner.can landscape, and g party Of
American ladies and gentlemen.
The quests Of Mr.. Fovler-some thirty
in number-seemed to be enjoying them
selves amazingly. Some Of the young
men he'd, for the amusement Of The
ladies', e9ntrivol to make n huge figure
Of slio-Y, aul they and their fair com
panion5 were now engaged III pelting the
giant with slovballs. Others had rugged
out, Russian fashion, some pretty Little
sleighs, which, drawn by three ponies
adorned by small silver bells, and each
capable oi containing two persons, afford.
ed an opportunity for flirting not to be
lost by young people showed up in n
country house. Most Of the young
ladies we're clothed in far suits from head
to foot, whilo the gentlemen, in fur caps
and jackets, contributed their shnre to 4
very picture 3que tableau. The tinklinp
Of the sleigh bells, and the merry shoutf
of the party engaged in pelting the
snow giant, formed 4 most pleasing ac-
compartment 70 thehilarity Of the scene.
Miss Fow,er, who Ind been sleighing
in turn with half the young mon of the
party, while CIptain Herbert stood
apart, gnawng his tawney mustache, and
eyeing her with i'll concealed vexation,
Lad left tie merry throng for one mo-
ment to confer with her father on some
matter of domestic economy.
Very lretty and piquant looked Lucil-
La Fowler, mufied in a suit Of rich sables,
her BLACK eyes twinkling like those of =
squirrel and her nose displaying Just the
faintest suspicion Of red in the frosty
air. She laughed, ehatted, mimickeo
and firted outrageously.